... but then I see this: More than 50 members of the World Trade Organisation on Wednesday concluded the biggest tariff-reduction deal in almost two decades, eliminating restrictions on the $1.3tn trade of 201 IT products. Wednesday’s expansion of the 1996 Information Technology Agreement will increase global gross domestic

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Justice Florentino Feliciano, one of the members of the original WTO Appellate and a distinguished international jurist.  Toy brought his brilliant and razor-sharp mind to whatever task he had and was at his best in harmonizing differing bodies of international law

Here's something from an op-ed by Senator, and Presidential hopeful, Ted Cruz, making the case for legislation he is co-sponsoring: ... as scientists and investors abandon the U.S., the FDA continues to prevent life-saving drugs from coming into the country. Take, for example, the multiple-sclerosis drug Lemtrada, which

This is from the Washington Post, in the context of an article about how Donald Trump's recent statements are affecting his business activities: In the longer term, however, Trump could face problems. There have already been several worrisome harbingers for the Republican presidential candidate. This week, a major

The global climate change conference in Paris has adopted the draft of an international treaty aimed at transforming the world's fossil fuel-driven economy within decades and slowing the pace of global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Many consider this text as “historic” and  according to Mr

The December 7 retaliation decision in US - COOL includes a finding of great systemic importance to the trading system. When a country is the victim of a WTO violation, what “damages” are “recoverable”? We all know that the WTO never awards cash. The closest it gets is to put

Recall that in the U.S. - COOL arbitration proceeding over the amounts of suspension of concessions: Canada asked for $2.41 billion in retaliation; the U.S. has countered with $43.22 million. ... Mexico wants $713 million; the U.S. countered with $47.55 million The Arbitrator's

This is from the recent AB 21.5 report in Tuna: 7.32 ... Under Article 2.1, ... a complainant must show that, under the technical regulation at issue, the treatment accorded to imported products is less favourable than that accorded to like domestic products or like products originating in any

What is it with Canadian provincial restrictions on internal trade in beer? I blogged about one issue here. Now there's this: On Tuesday, the Alberta budget included an overall five per cent liquor tax increase on top of the 10 per cent increase introduced by the former Tory

This is from the U.S. statement at yesterday's DSB meeting, commenting on the Tuna 21.5 panel and Appellate Body reports: Panels and the Appellate Body should not make their conception of the “perfect” measure the enemy of all the possible good ones. In pursuing legitimate objectives,