International Economic Law and Policy Blog
  • Home
  • About
  • WorldTradeLaw.net
Sign in Subscribe

Meet the New Industrial Policy, Same as the Old Industrial Policy

Here is a piece I published last week on the Baker Institute blog: MEET THE NEW INDUSTRIAL POLICY, SAME AS THE OLD INDUSTRIAL POLICY? With the recent enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act, longtime advocates of industrial policy are feeling a sense of triumph, and proclaiming that U.S.
Simon Lester 28 Aug 2022 4 min read

How Will Authors React if Software Can Identify Authorship of WTO Dispute Rulings?

Back in 2019, I wrote about a paper by Joost Pauwelyn and Krzysztof Pelc on the role of the Secretariat in WTO disputes, following up on Joost's own post about the paper. As Joost put it, this is what they did and what they found: We begin by
Simon Lester 21 Aug 2022 4 min read

Forced Labor in International Economic Law: U.S. and Chinese Initiatives, and the Persistent Silence of the Exploited

In the United States, August is the time of year when professors and students scramble to get their affairs in order before the academic term. I should be doing those things. Instead (I’m not procrastinating, you’re procrastinating), I’ve decided to share my thoughts on the recent forced
Desiree LeClercq 14 Aug 2022 4 min read

Electric Vehicle Tax Credits and Non-Discrimination under the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that was recently passed by the Senate has a complex set of assembly and content requirements for its electric vehicle (EV) tax credits. This post offers a few thoughts on domestic content requirements as a matter of policy, possible U.S. justifications under WTO law
Simon Lester 11 Aug 2022 6 min read

(Untitled)

Here is a link to the transcript of my July 2022 Podcast on the optimal components of a worker-centered US trade policy. (Thanks to Torres Trade Law) /content/files/podcast_images/transcript/8528--Episode-8---Worker-Centered-Trade.pdf
Charnovitz 11 Aug 2022 1 min read

Using Trade Strategies to Combat Forced Labor

Using Trade Strategies to Combat Forced Labor Steve Charnovitz 10 August 2022 What is the role of trade strategies in combatting forced labor? As an international lawyer addressing an international problem, I always begin analysis with international strategies. Since forced labor is inherently a labor issue, one should begin with
Charnovitz 10 Aug 2022 13 min read

Can Tariffs Help Bring Down Carbon Emissions? Maybe, But Probably Not Under Current Proposals

Recently, I came across two arguments for the U.S. and EU to use tariffs as penalties designed to bring down carbon emissions: * Senator Sheldon Whitehouse suggested that "laggards and high polluting countries [will be] forced to step up and comply by virtue of the economic pressure on them
Simon Lester 07 Aug 2022 4 min read

The Turkey - Pharmaceutical Products Article 25 (Appellate Review) Award

Meet the new appellate review, same as the old appellate review? That was my first thought as I read the Article 25 arbitration award in Turkey - Pharmaceutical Products, the first time Article 25 has been used for appellate review. But I have only just skimmed it quickly at this point,
Simon Lester 25 Jul 2022 2 min read

Dani Rodrik's Latest

For almost as long as I've been working in trade policy, Dani Rodrik has been pushing for more protectionism and industrial policy, less trade and globalization, and weaker international trade institutions. He calls his latest argument for this approach "productivism," and he recently wrote a short
Simon Lester 24 Jul 2022 4 min read

ANZSIL IEL Interest Group Call for Papers and Invitation to Workshop

This is from the Australia and New Zealand Society of International Law: CALL FOR PAPERS FOR AND INVITATION TO 2022 WORKSHOP The ANZSIL International Economic Law Interest Group (IELIG) was established in 2011 to provide a forum for those interested in international economic law, especially international regulation of trade, investment,
Simon Lester 24 Jul 2022 1 min read

About

International Economic Law and Policy Blog

International Economic Law and Policy Blog

Expert commentary on the law, politics and economics of international trade and investment

Sign up for email notifications

jamie@example.com
Subscribe

Featured

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

Competing Views of Sovereignty: The Haves vs. The Have Nots in AI (and Steel)

It's interesting to watch how political leaders craft narratives around economic competition that reflect their own country's strengths and weaknesses.
29 Jun 2026 4 min read

A law of many meanings: Exchange Actions under the GATT and IMF

Earlier this week, Simon Lester posted about the EU’s concerns with the undervaluation of the Chinese currency. He situated the recent demands for trade restrictions against a longstanding debate about the function of GATT Article XV:4.
25 Jun 2026 8 min read

Topics

2008 Presidential Election

25 posts

2012 Republican Primary

6 posts

2020 Democratic Primary

22 posts

2020 Presidential Campaign

6 posts

2024 Presidential Campaign

9 posts

2024 Republican Primary

9 posts

Announcements

28 posts

Appellate Body

72 posts

CAFTA

5 posts

CETA

8 posts

Currency Disputes

60 posts

Development

23 posts

Digital Trade

60 posts

Domestic Trade Powers

10 posts

Dormant Commerce Clause

3 posts

DSU 25 Interim Appeals

43 posts

DSU Article 11

13 posts

Economic Integration

8 posts

Economic Statecraft

11 posts

EU-China Trade Relations

3 posts

EU-UK Trade Negotiation

5 posts

Exceptions

19 posts

Exchange Rates

7 posts

Export Restrictions

13 posts

Food Aid

5 posts

Foreign Investment

21 posts

FTA Negotiations

13 posts

FTAs - General

22 posts

Gambling Dispute

52 posts

Global Governance

9 posts

Globalization

13 posts

Government Procurement

5 posts

Green Steel Deal

14 posts

IEEPA

9 posts

IEL in Domestic Courts

20 posts

Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

5 posts

Industrial Policy

20 posts

Investor-State Arbitration

93 posts

Jamieson Greer

19 posts

Katherine Tai

66 posts

NAFTA

19 posts

NAFTA Chapter 11

15 posts

NAFTA Chapter 19

5 posts

National Security

38 posts

Non Appeal Pact

3 posts

Non-Discrimination Standards

60 posts

Non-Market Economies

7 posts

Non-Violation Nullification or Impairment

19 posts

Precedent

25 posts

Public Views of Trade

9 posts

Robert Lighthizer

19 posts

Russia Trade Sanctions

17 posts

Sanctions

15 posts

Section 301

15 posts

Sovereignty

10 posts

SPS/TBT

5 posts

Standards of Review

7 posts

State Enterprises

8 posts

Sub-National Trade Issues

5 posts

Subsidies

83 posts

Tariffs

3 posts

Terms of Trade Manipulation

7 posts

Trade Agreements

21 posts

Trade and Competition

14 posts

Trade and Development

21 posts

Trade and Environment

119 posts

Trade and Health

20 posts

Trade and Human Rights

9 posts

Trade and Income Inequality

1 post

Trade and Intellectual Property

26 posts

Trade and Labor

27 posts

Trade and Peace

4 posts

Trade and Security

35 posts

Trade and the Stock Market

2 posts

Trade Balance

13 posts

Trade in Everything

65 posts

Trade in Services

21 posts

Trade Law and International Law

10 posts

Trade Preferences/GSP

23 posts

Trade Remedies

64 posts

Trans Pacific Partnership

9 posts

Trump Administration

57 posts

U.S. Trade Policy

32 posts

U.S. Trade Politics

60 posts

US-China Trade Relations

29 posts

USMCA

19 posts

USMCA Dispute Settlement

34 posts

USMCA Sunset/Review Clause

25 posts

USTR

16 posts

WTO - General

25 posts

WTO Accessions

8 posts

WTO Disputes

177 posts

WTO DS Reform

13 posts

WTO Jurisprudence

28 posts

WTO Negotiations

30 posts

Zeroing

29 posts
Powered by Ghost