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McCain Goes After the Free Trade Vote

I'm not sure how big that voting bloc is anymore, but in a speech today, Sen. McCain has a lot to say on trade.  If this is a sign of things to come, trade is going to be a hot issue in the Presidential campaign. First, he goes
Simon Lester 19 May 2008 4 min read

How Would a President Obama Govern on Trade?

Bob Davis of the Wall Street Journal is skeptical of Obama's free trade credentials: Since at least John F. Kennedy, presidential candidates have campaigned as tough on trade and then governed as free traders. Some business leaders are expecting the same if Barack Obama makes it to the
Simon Lester 19 May 2008 1 min read

The Farm Bill and the U.S. Trade Policy Review

Reader R.V. Anuradha points me to this Reuters report on the forthcoming U.S. Trade Policy Review done by the WTO: In agriculture, some programs may provide incentives that are inconsistent with market signals and affect trade when supported output reaches world markets, it said. “The expiration of the
Simon Lester 19 May 2008 1 min read

The Farm Bill and Food Aid

I mentioned the Bush Administration's food aid proposal a few days ago.   So what did the Farm Bill -- passed with a veto-proof majority -- do with the issue?  According to Reuters: U.S. lawmakers unveiled a five-year global food aid plan on Thursday, snubbing White House demands
Simon Lester 18 May 2008 1 min read

Obama on Prying Open Foreign Markets

At a recent town hall meeting: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama urged Japan and South Korea on Friday to scrap all their controls on U.S. beef imports and fully open their beef markets. "You can't get beef into Japan and Korea, even though, obviously, we have
Simon Lester 18 May 2008 1 min read

Trade in Everything: French Fries

OK, technically speaking it is trade in potatoes, but french fries made for a better title: Anyone who has been to a soccer game in Europe knows that fries and burgers are among the most popular food items on sale at football grounds. So, it must have come as a
Simon Lester 16 May 2008 1 min read

Obama and McCain on Farm Subsidies

The U.S. Senate approved the farm bill today.  The bill is now off to the President for an expected veto, but there appear to be enough Congressional votes to override the veto. What do the candidates think of it?  Well, neither McCain nor Obama was there for today'
Simon Lester 15 May 2008 4 min read

John McCain's Trade Vision for 2013

In a speech today, John McCain took "a little time to describe what [he] would hope to have achieved at the end of [his] first term as President."  Here's the trade part: New free trade agreements have been ratified and led to substantial increases in both
Simon Lester 15 May 2008 1 min read

Expropriation Standards in Investment Rules

From the previously mentioned Norwegian draft model BIT (MS Word document) that reader Perry Bechky pointed me to: ARTICLE [6]: EXPROPRIATION 1. A Party shall not expropriate or nationalise an investment of an investor of the other Party except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided for
Simon Lester 14 May 2008 1 min read

ACP-EU Relations Conference

The Association for International Arbitration (AIA) is organising this conference to promote and create awareness of the Arbitration and Mediation in the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries) – EU Relations. Our goal is to promote arbitration and mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, ultimately in benefit of
Simon Lester 14 May 2008 1 min read

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Why Section 338 Does Not Work in a GATT/WTO World: Lessons from Trade Law History

On July 21, 2026, President Trump exercised his authority under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (hereinafter Section 338) to impose the maximum amount of additional tariffs (fifty per cent) on Canadian cars, alcohol, and dairy, owing to his determination of Canada’s discriminatory treatment of US exports.
23 Jul 2026 10 min read

EU WTO Reform Proposal Seeks To Extend Accession-Based State Enterprise Rules To All Members

In a new WTO reform paper entitled "Further Reflections on Disciplines, Subsidies and Industrial policy," the EU argues for stronger WTO disciplines on the behavior of state enterprises.
17 Jul 2026 5 min read

Governments Make Their Case Against Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs

Last month, USTR made a determination in 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."
10 Jul 2026 5 min read

How Should the EU Get Tough with China? Unilateral Action vs. WTO Complaints

I've seen several recent calls for the EU to get tougher in its economic relations with China, along with arguments that it has been too slow to act against the Chinese economic threat.
06 Jul 2026 4 min read

Trump Administration Decides Not To Extend USMCA for Another Term: What Does That Mean Exactly?

Today, as part of the first joint review of the USMCA, the three governments held a virtual meeting.
01 Jul 2026 4 min read

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