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Romney vs. Obama on Trade

Romney supporter (and former USTR) Senator Rob Portman says Romney will push harder for bilateral FTAs, and be tougher on China, than Obama: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would move aggressively to open up more foreign markets for U.S. exports, while getting tougher with China on its trade and
Simon Lester 26 Jun 2012 1 min read

About Me

I don't talk about myself much on this blog. It's not that kind of blog. But this seems worth mentioning: As of this past Monday, I am now a trade policy analyst at the Cato Institute.  My Cato webpage is here. Don't worry (in
Simon Lester 21 Jun 2012 1 min read

Guest Post on Iran Economic Sanctions

A guest post from GDB, who is looking for input but wants to remain anonymous: The recent economic sanctions on Iran, culminating with UN SC Resolution 1929 (2010) and the UN Members’ implementing measures, pose some problems of WTO compatibility, to the extent the measures fall under the scope of
Simon Lester 21 Jun 2012 3 min read

The Coming U.S. - EU FTA

Based on this statement by President Obama, I'm not holding my breath: "Today, the United States and the European Union agreed to take the next step in our work towards the possible launching of negotiations on an agreement to strengthen our already very deep trade and investment
Simon Lester 20 Jun 2012 1 min read

Implementing Cloves: The Reasonable Period of Time

I can't tell you what the U.S will do to implement the Cloves rulings, but I can tell you the date by which they must do it: 15 months from adoption (July 24, 2013), pursuant to this Article 21.3(b) agreement.  Mark your calendars.
Simon Lester 20 Jun 2012 1 min read

Do All "Buy National" Provisions Result in a "Benefit"?

This is from Friday's China – GOES WTO panel report: 7.363 In the Panel's view, the United States has not made out its claim under Article 22.3 of the SCM Agreement. The United States argues that MOFCOM did not explain why a price derived from
Simon Lester 18 Jun 2012 3 min read

What Does Fair and Equitable Treatment Mean? What Does Anything in Trade Law Mean?

Benn McGrady says the following about the fair and equitable treatment standard in international investment law: Older cases from the days of diplomatic protection (when a state would bring a claim on behalf of its nationals) suggest that it is very difficult to establish a violation by the host state.
Simon Lester 18 Jun 2012 2 min read

The Leaked TPP Investment Chapter

Yesterday the investment chapter of the TPP was leaked to the public. I don't have any particular thoughts on this at the moment (except, how do these things get leaked?), so I'll just quote from some others. Global Trade Watch says: “The outrageous stuff in this
Simon Lester 14 Jun 2012 2 min read

Chances of Success in the Plain Packaging WTO Complaint

From Australian law professor Matthew Rimmer: The Ukraine would have more chance of winning the UEFA (Union of European Football Association) football competition then they would of winning this WTO action. Is that an accurate assessment? Is he underestimating the chances? Or is that just about right? How do the
Simon Lester 14 Jun 2012 1 min read

Economic Nationalism As a Marketing Tool

From Reuters: Starbucks Corp (SBUX) on Tuesday will debut the first products in a line of U.S.-made mugs and other merchandise that will be sold in its roughly 7,000 U.S. cafes to support domestic manufacturing and raise money for its Create Jobs for USA fund. The
Simon Lester 12 Jun 2012 1 min read

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International Economic Law and Policy Blog

International Economic Law and Policy Blog

Expert commentary on the law, politics and economics of international trade and investment

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Jamieson Greer on the 30 Year Aberration in U.S. Trade Policy

When he was in Davos last week for the World Economic Forum, U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer talked a bit about U.S. trade policy history and described a recent period during which, in his view, U.S. trade policy shifted away from tariffs/protectionism and towards free trade.
29 Jan 2026 6 min read

Is this the end of MFN as we know it? The EU submission on WTO reform and the meaning of development

With the release of the EU submission on WTO reform, it has become clear that the MFN principle’s central role within the WTO architecture is under challenge. As a keystone, it risks the entire bridge falling. Even if the foundations are retained but deemed outdated or unusable, and a
23 Jan 2026 3 min read

Can "Geopolitical" Tariffs Be Dealt With through Trade Deals?

Last Friday, U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer was asked about Trump's initial suggestion of tariffs related to the goal of taking over Greenland
20 Jan 2026 4 min read

Is Foreign Antitrust Enforcement "Discriminatory" and "Anti-American"?

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust held a hearing in December on "Anti-American Antitrust: How Foreign Governments Target U.S. Businesses." There was a lot of talk at the hearing about how foreign regulations and regulators "discriminate" against American companies.
05 Jan 2026 5 min read

Pennsylvania Court Finds Mexican Government Guilty of "Discrimination" Due To Its Subsidies

I'm always interested in how courts apply the concept of "discrimination" in the context of international trade, so I've been eagerly awaiting a Pennsylvania court decision in a case against Mexico.
12 Dec 2025 8 min read

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