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Katherine Tai on Protectionism, Free Trade, and Industrial Policy

At a recent press conference, U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai offered a few thoughts on U.S. industrial policy. First, in response to a question about how she would evaluate the criticism that the Inflation Reduction Act constitutes protectionism, Tai said the following (39:35 of the video): I
Simon Lester 27 Apr 2023 5 min read

For Better or Worse, We Have Another Chance to Evaluate Industrial Policy

Over on the Baker Institute website, I have a piece entitled "Will the Biden Administration’s Industrial Policy Experiment Succeed?" You won't be surprised to hear that I am skeptical that the administration's industrial policy moves will be good for the U.S. economy
Simon Lester 23 Apr 2023 1 min read

Could Chinese Integration into the World Trading System Have Led To Democracy, Free Enterprise, and Human Rights?

In recent years, I've seen a number of people trying to make the case that the conventional wisdom on trade with China in the late 1990s was wrong. Here is a version of the argument from James Hohmann of the Washington Post: The Washington consensus at the dawn
Simon Lester 13 Apr 2023 7 min read

China and Japan Agree To Use MPIA for DS601 Dispute

In a post last month after Japan joined the MPIA, I said: Why is Japan making this announcement right now? Hard to say for sure, and there could be a number of things going on, but as Dmitry Grozoubinski pointed out to me, the ongoing panel hearing Japan's
Simon Lester 13 Apr 2023 1 min read

Katherine Tai on Interpreting the Essential Security Exception

Yesterday, Ambassador Katherine Tai gave the Wenger Lecture at American University's Washington College of Law. She took some audience questions afterwards, and I used the opportunity to ask her about the U.S. position on the essential security exception at the WTO. I realized there is only so
Simon Lester 06 Apr 2023 3 min read

Guest Post: Give me a cell and I will feed the world: Synthetic Biology in the UK Precision Breeding Act 2023

This is a guest post from Dr Mariela de Amstalden Last month, the UK Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act [PBA] received royal assent. This act establishes a novel framework in the UK for the release and marketing of, and risk assessments relating to, precision bred plants and animals, including derived
Simon Lester 05 Apr 2023 6 min read

Rethinking World Trade 2023 Event at Georgetown Law

The Center on Inclusive Trade and Development (CITD) at Georgetown Law will be hosting a conference on "Rethinking World Trade 2023," Thursday, April 13th (8:30-5:00 p.m.). Space permitting, people can attend in person, but you can also register for the virtual option. You can register
Simon Lester 03 Apr 2023 1 min read

Toward a More Open ICJ Advisory Process

Toward A More Open ICJ Advisory Process Steve Charnovitz 2 April 2023 In a recent action, the United Nations General Assembly (A/77/L.58) requested an Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the obligation of States in respect of climate change.  This is an important
Charnovitz 02 Apr 2023 2 min read

Katherine Tai on "Traditional Fully Liberalizing Trade Agreements" and Non-Market Policies and Practices

Here's an exchange between Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Ambassador Katherine Tai at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing (2:10:46 of the video) on Friday, March 24: Rep. LaHood: Ambassador Tai, great to have you here and thanks for being with us. As you know,
Simon Lester 02 Apr 2023 8 min read

The Latest from Katherine Tai on WTO Dispute Settlement Reform

Here are some exchanges from a House Ways & Means Committee hearing last week between members of Congress and U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai about the state of WTO dispute settlement reform. Are there any definitive answers in here as to where things are going and when they will
Simon Lester 26 Mar 2023 4 min read

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International Economic Law and Policy Blog

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War Tariffs

This is a co-authored post by Kathleen Claussen and Tim Meyer. Last week, President Trump announced that the United States would be imposing new tariffs of 50 percent of the value of any product coming from any country that sells weapons or provides military aid to Iran. Some commentators questioned
14 Apr 2026 5 min read

USMCA Review and Extension Predictions

When the idea of an expiration clause was suggested during the NAFTA renegotiation, I was against it from the start, and Inu and I wrote a pretty critical piece about it at the time. A review is great, we said, let's definitely have reviews, and there are plenty of ways to do that.
08 Apr 2026 5 min read

The Section 301 Surge Continues: Investigating the Adoption/Enforcement/Administration of Forced Labor Import Bans

This Section 301 investigation intends to pressure all sixty named trade partners (even, inexplicably, including Canada and Mexico) to adopt similar enforcement procedures. This announcement is highly problematic for the four reasons I address below.
16 Mar 2026 4 min read

The Section 301 Surge Is Upon Us: Investigating Excess Capacity and Production

The first of a large batch of expected Section 301 investigations has arrived, as USTR announced yesterday that it was initiating investigations on acts, policies, and practices of various countries/economies "relating to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors."
12 Mar 2026 3 min read

Debunking the "Hyperglobalization" Trade Policy Myth

Policy is often shaped by narratives, and recently there has been a bipartisan effort to create a narrative that, starting in the early 1990s, globalization and free trade went too far.
03 Mar 2026 8 min read

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