Given Japan's stated criteria for selecting potential FTA partners (most notably geographical proximity, trade and investment volume and resource wealth) as well as its obvious prioritization of East Asian nations (ostensibly to counter China’s growing power in the region), its negotiations with Switzerland at first appear rather

Upon the request of the author, I'm linking to an article entitled Food or Filth? The European Paradox.  I don't mean to take sides in the debate by linking to it.  I just figure that it will give those for and against GMOs (as well as

It's not often that the internal workings of the WTO are discussed in the public sphere, so I'm always interested to read about it when they are.  Inter Press Service reports on the the success of women (or lack thereof) at moving up in the ranks

From Julia Qin: USTR targets FDI Incentives in China The US consultation request in the China subsidy case is now available on the WTO website (DSU358). Of the nine measures cited by the US as evidence of illegal subsidies, seven are incentives offered to foreign-invested enterprises (i.e., companies with

How important is "development" to the Doha Round, which is officially titled the "Doha Development Agenda"?  In a recent Q & A, Charlene Barshefsky says that the reference to development was a "false pretense" for the round: [Daniel Altman]: Will the conclusion of the

In a recent  previous post, Joel Trachtman suggests that the recent speech by  Pascal Lamy constitutes a "major break" in the trade-environment debate at the WTO. Frankly, I see nothing breaking nor major in this speech. All what Lamy says is that some trade issues negotiated in the

Pascal Lamy has made a major break with past WTO positions, and suggested that the WTO should include a chapter on trade and environment.  The doctrinal core of his speech seems to be the following: But it [the Doha Round's promise for the environment] also includes a promise

The Research Handbook in International Economic Law, edited by our own Andrew Guzman, and Alan Sykes, has now been published.  Aside from the chapter on regionalism, it looks pretty good.

Representatives attending the environmental conference held in Paris past Saturday called for a stronger and more genuine international environmental organization to better deal with the climate challenges. "We hope to establish a new world environmental organization which goes along the lines with the World Health Organization. It should be

We may not have seen the last of the carbon import tax controversy mentioned in the last post, but a more traditional trade/environment conflict is also brewing.  The Independent reports: The [UK] Government has claimed that World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules prevent it from banning the controversial use of