International Economic Law and Policy Blog (Page 465)

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Lamy on Unilateral Trade Measures

In a recent speech to the European Parliament, WTO DG Pascal Lamy had this to say in the context of efforts to fight climate change: Many of those advocating a “go-it-alone” approach draw on WTO jurisprudence, in particular on the Shrimp-Turtle reports from the WTO Appellate Body

An "American Union"

Jim Hoagland of the Washington Post has this suggestion for Barack Obama: Here's one example of new thinking he should pursue: The United States should apply to relations with hemispheric neighbors many of the lessons of the European Union and its half-century of economic and political integration.

The WTO in Geneva

Following up on this old post, apparently the Swiss government has decided to spend the money necessary to keep the WTO headquartered in Geneva: The Swiss government says it will give SFr45 million ($43 million) for the renovation and expansion of the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva. In a

Trade in Everything: Rocket Launches and Space Labs

From the AP: Space shuttle Discovery blasted off a seaside launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday to deliver Japan's huge new research laboratory to the International Space Station . ... Kibo, a complex that cost Japan about $2 billion to manufacture, is being installed aboard

Winners and Losers from Free Trade

Via Greg Mankiw, I see that Economist Robert Driskill asks this question in an article in Foreign Policy: What if free trade is making a small percentage of the country much better off, but is hurting a much greater percentage (the “Joe Sixpacks”), as some argue is the case? Here&

Update on the Zeroing Negotiations

The Chair of the Negotiating Group on Rules has issued a new working document: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/rulesneg_e/rules_may08_annexa_e.doc Of course, I skipped right to the zeroing part. Here's what the Chairman's Text (TN/RL/W/213)

Justice Kennedy for the Appellate Body?

If we can't stop internal domestic discrimination, how are we ever going to stop it in the international arena? The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Davis v. Kentucky Department of Revenue dealt with the issue of explict tax discrimination against out-of-staters. As explained on

The Role of Precedent at the WTO: What the Members Think

From the summary of the DSB meeting where the recent U.S. - Stainless Steel from Mexico case was adopted: There was a debate among members on whether or not panels were obliged to follow AB decisions. Some members argued that prior AB rulings constituted a clear line of jurisprudence that

Protectionism for English Footballers

From the Economist: The [English] Premier League's main source of strength is its financial clout. Since the early 1990s, when stadiums were upgraded and lucrative broadcasting deals agreed upon, the league has become a money-spinner. Foreign investors have poured in (Liverpool and Manchester United are owned by

McCain on Other Benefits of Trade Agreements

Trade talk would be much more straightforward if trade agreements were only about trade, but things are never that simple. Here John McCain points out one of his non-trade reasons for supporting the Colombia FTA: The strategic implications of rejecting this agreement are profound. Colombia is a beacon of