The European Union can contribute a lot in addressing the ‘China challenge’, argues Peter Chase. The United States should seize the opportunity to work more closely with Europe – and here’s how.
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How to effectively improve enforcement of labour standards in EU trade agreements
There is a discrepancy between the enforcement of labour standards and the other obligations concerning trade, investment and intellectual property in the European Union’s free trade agreements. Here’s how we think that gap can be overcome, write Giovanni Gruni and Marco Bronckers.
What do you need to know: What comes next in the WTO director-general race
Dmitry Grozoubinksi on what comes next in the nomination process for the World Trade Organization’s top job. We are now off to the races, but the finishing line is still far away…
Environmental provisions in USMCA: regression or progression?
The flagship USMCA trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico is coming into force on 1 July 2020 How does this agreement deal with environmental issues? Bashar Malkawi and Shakeel Kazmi walk us to the key provisions in USMCA on environment – contrasting them with other trade agreements, …
Comment: Post Covid-19 European economy will be international or it will not be
If we want a green and digital economic recovery post COVID-19 we need international trading partners such as Mexico and rules-based trade with a reformed World Trade Organization at its heart, argues Kevin Verbelen.
The AfCFTA and the European Union : ‘sister continents’ in the decade ahead?
The European Union is investing political capital the African Continental Free Trade Area. What’s the state of play in getting the world’s largest free trade area off the ground? And why does the project matter so much for Europe? By Françoise Guei.
What you need to know: A potential US exit from the Government Procurement Agreement
The WTO’s General Council meets this week. It will hear US gripes about the world trade body and receive proposals to improve it. One of the ‘solutions’ Washington has envisaged for itself is to withdraw from the institution’s Government Procurement Agreement. What would this mean in practice?
US tariffs: unbound
As ‘green room’ meetings take place in Geneva this week to – likely unsuccessfully – secure progress on the World Trade Organization’s Appellate Body crisis, the US administration’s ongoing project to give trade wonks an aneurism may be about to enter a new chapter: the US is considering raising their …
WTO Reform: What can Azevêdo achieve in Washington?
At Davos in January 2020, US President Donald Trump announced that he and the WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo would meet to discuss the reform of the world trade institution. Credit: White House.President Trump announced at Davos last month that he and Director-General Roberto Azevêdo were deep in talks about reforming …
WTO Investment Facilitation talks – what they are all about
More than 70 WTO Members will spend the next five months trying to negotiate new rules on how governments regulate investment and treat investors in their countries as part of the ‘Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation’. The rules they aim to agree primarily focus on predictability, transparency, simplicity and equity …
