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The Future of the TRIPS Agreement Non-Violation / Situation Complaint Moratorium

One of the things that didn't get done at MC14 was the adoption of a Ministerial Decision to extend the moratorium on TRIPS Agreement non-violation and situation complaints. As explained by the WTO DG, this issue will now be part of the continued work in Geneva.
Simon Lester 07 Apr 2026 6 min read

It’s the End of the World (TO) as We Know it

Revealed Preferences Matter China, the EU (European Union), and the U.S. have in recent weeks all tabled in writing their views regarding the future of the WTO.[1] The end result should leave no one in doubt that coordination costs between the three dominant players in the trading sphere
Petros Mavroidis 06 Apr 2026 6 min read

Entrusting FTA Panel Assistance To an "External Body"

I was intrigued by a provision in the dispute settlement chapter of the recently released Australia-EU FTA text that contemplates administrative and legal support to a panel being provided by an "external body" rather than through the ad hoc arrangements that FTAs tend to use
Simon Lester 02 Apr 2026 2 min read

Guest Post: Carbon Borders Without Differentiation: Why India's Challenge Tests the European Union’s Climate Diplomacy

This is a guest post from Bhavya Johari, a Lecturer at Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University As the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) enters its definitive phase, India confronts a fundamental challenge to differentiated responsibility under the Paris Agreement. With default values
Simon Lester 31 Mar 2026 5 min read

European Parliament Cites GATT Article XXI as Justification for Trade Deal with U.S.

Last year, I raised the issue of how the security concerns of certain governments were a crucial factor in their trade negotiations with the U.S., with the Ukraine war and the U.S.-EU trade negotiations as my focus.
Simon Lester 29 Mar 2026 3 min read

Guest Post: Are We One Step Away from a Ministerial Decision to Incorporate the IFD Agreement into Annex 4?

This is a guest post from Antoine Comont (University of Bordeaux, Laval Universiy). Adopted the 13th February 2024, the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA) was the subject of a draft decision for incorporation into Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi.
Simon Lester 26 Mar 2026 4 min read

What Value Does the U.S. See In an E-Commerce Duty Moratorium in the Absence of Effective Enforcement through the DSU?

One of the big issues the U.S. is pushing at MC14 is a permanent extension of the WTO's moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions. In a recent statement at a General Council meeting related to preparations for MC14, the U.S. said: Intervention on the Moratorium
Simon Lester 25 Mar 2026 3 min read

The Trump and Biden Administrations' Proposals on the WTO Security Exceptions

In a communication posted on the WTO website yesterday, entitled "Further Perspectives on WTO Reform," the U.S. calls for an authoritative interpretation of the WTO security exceptions to make clear that "[i]n any dispute in which a Member invokes the essential security exception, a WTO
Simon Lester 24 Mar 2026 3 min read

NAFTA and Mortality

There's a recent economics working paper called "Trading Goods For Lives: NAFTA’s Mortality Impacts And Implications" that is getting some attention. The NY Times did a piece on it under the headline "‘A Lot of Life Years Lost’: How NAFTA Shortened American Life Spans.
Simon Lester 23 Mar 2026 3 min read

NCITD International Trade Scholarship Program

This is from the National Council on International Trade Development (NCITD): The National Council on International Trade Development (NCITD) is proud to continue its longstanding scholarship program supporting students pursuing careers in international trade. Each year, NCITD awards scholarships to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at accredited U.S.
Simon Lester 20 Mar 2026 1 min read

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Featured

The Section 301 Forced Labor Import Ban Report

On June 2, 2026, USTR released its report on its Section 301 investigation into acts, policies, and practices of various economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
04 Jun 2026 11 min read

What To Expect from the USMCA Review?

The USMCA review is almost upon us. How exactly things will proceed is a bit unclear, as we've never done this sort of thing before, but July 1 is the six year anniversary of the USMCA's entry into force.
03 Jun 2026 15 min read

China in the World Trading System: A Response to Chad, and Some Comments on Froman-Greer

I'm going to use this post to (1) respond to Chad and (2) comment on an exchange between current U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer and former U.S. Trade Rep. Mike Froman at a recent CFR event.
01 Jun 2026 7 min read

My Response To Simon on China in the World Trading System

Here are two quick reactions to the super important question of what explains why countries did not use WTO dispute settlement to push China to change.
28 May 2026 2 min read

My Questions for Chad on China in the World Trading System

At the Peterson Institute event launching the "How To Win a Trade War" book, Chad said some things about trade relations with China that I found interesting.
26 May 2026 4 min read

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