The trade policy world was comparatively quiet in Brussels as the Christmas break continued for many in the EU bubble in this first week of January 2022. More on what happened this week in EU trade by Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer below.
United States
Week in Brussels: Transatlantic competition, CBAM concerns, ESA EPA upgrade
It’s been a very transatlantic week, with a slight African bent. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
Japan, US, EU relaunch trilateral engagement on industrial subsidies
The European Union, the United States and Japan have agreed to resume dormant talks aimed at agreeing on joint principles related to industrial subsidisation, which they would like the World Trade Organization to endorse in a potential future reform process.
Perspectives: How the EU and US have undermined the WTO further
The recent EU-US agreement on steel and aluminium tariffs appears to reinforce EU Green Deal and US domestic economic priorities combined with the wish of weakening China. This comes at the cost of undermining fundamentals of the World Trade Organization. This carries some risk, particularly for the EU.
Week in Brussels: EU-US jet-setting, transatlantic agriculture collaboration
This week has been quiet in Brussels – so quiet in fact, that some of the coffee shops around the EU area took advantage of the holiday week and closed their doors for the duration. But the transatlantic policy churn continued unabated.
EU-US Section 232 patch-up stirs mixed feelings
The agreement reached last weekend to partially replace the US’ section 232 tariffs on EU imports of steel and aluminium and replace them with tariff rate quotas has elicited mixed responses, and a divergent reaction from the two sectors involved.
US, EU agree steel tariff truce
The United States agreed to partially replace its Trump-era Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium originating in the European Union and replace them with tariff rate quotas for the next two years. In response, the EU has announced will suspend plans to double its rebalancing tariff measures on a …
Sabine Weyand: We will need to re-engage China
Borderlex’s founder and editor Iana Dreyer spoke to the European Commission’s director-general for trade Sabine Weyand. The conversation covered the current state of transatlantic trade relations, the Brussels’ trade conversation with China and prospects for the World Trade Organization as its 12th ministerial conference approaches.
US, five European countries bury hatchet over digital services taxes and related tariff threats
The United States and the five European countries that have enacted digital services taxes agreed a tax-and-tariff truce during USTR Katherine Tai’s ongoing visit to Europe and ahead of Friday’s G7 trade ministers meeting in the United Kingdom.
EU US Trade and Tech transparency efforts meet cautious welcome from consumer groups
“Lessons of TTIP have been learned,” said Monique Goyens, the director-general of the highly influential EU consumer protection organisation BEUC at an online webinar last Wednesday (13 October 2021).
