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Obama's State of the Union Speech: Free Trade and Competition

Here's the speech.  I saw a tension between two parts of it. First, Obama makes the point that it's a competitive world out there: Many people watching tonight can probably remember a time when finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or
Simon Lester 26 Jan 2011 3 min read

U.S. NAFTA Secretariat Job

There's an opening for the head of the U.S. NAFTA Secretariat: Are you interested in assisting U.S. businesses compete globally? The International Trade Administration is the largest federal agency helping U.S. firms to succeed in the world economy.  You can help us create opportunities for
Simon Lester 26 Jan 2011 1 min read

Are We Living Under a "Pro-Corporate Global Governance System"?

Todd Tucker refers to the current trade regime as a "pro-corporate global governance system."  Is that a fair characterization?  Aren't just as many corporations opposed to the system as are for it?  There are winners and losers from every policy -- some corporations are hurt and
Simon Lester 26 Jan 2011 1 min read

Intra-National Free Trade: Super Bowl Edition

This story has a similar feel to the concerns about producing the U.S. flag abroad: A Wisconsin towel maker is smack-dab in the middle of the Green Bay Packer-Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl matchup. McArthur Towel and Sports, a WinCraft company, has been producing officially licensed sports towels for years,
Simon Lester 26 Jan 2011 1 min read

Legal Protectionism: Tariffs vs. Other Measures

Todd Tucker of Global Trade Watch recently complained that the WTO Government Procurement Agreement restricts the ability of the U.S. government to favor domestic solar panel producers through its Buy America procurement policies: ... dig a bit deeper into the NYT story to understand what the phrase "subject to
Simon Lester 25 Jan 2011 3 min read

Korea FTA Hearing Going on Now

The House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing on the Korea FTA.  Todd Tucker is live blogging it here.  You can view the live stream here.
Simon Lester 25 Jan 2011 1 min read

Balancing Trade and the Environment

From a European Commission press release: On Monday 24 January, the Korean Ministry of Environment made a public announcement of a number of adjustments that will be introduced in a new regulation on car CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency. These follow consultations launched by the Korean Government on a draft
Simon Lester 25 Jan 2011 1 min read

Applicability of the NAFTA "Prudential Carveout" to Capital Controls

I wonder if readers would agree with the following preliminary analysis of whether the NAFTA "prudential carveout" applies to except capital controls from the provisions regarding free transfer of investments. Capital controls for limited purposes are becoming more popular among economists, including those at the IMF. First, using
Trachtman 20 Jan 2011 2 min read

What John Bolton Doesn't Know about International Law

. . . could fill an international law library.  See his statement against "pooling sovereignty" in the Washington Examiner (is that a newspaper?).  This seems to be a general position against all international law, including presumably trade, investment, IP, etc.  To add insult to ignorance, he refers to President Obama as
Trachtman 20 Jan 2011 1 min read

The Role of Intent in WTO Non-Discrimination Obligations

I thought this was a good question from the panel in the U.S. - Tuna Labeling (DS381) dispute: 111. To the United States: Please clarify the relevance of your arguments relating to the justification of the measure in terms of dolphin protection, such as the arguments related to the
Simon Lester 19 Jan 2011 5 min read

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International Economic Law and Policy Blog

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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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