Tag Archives: World Trade Organization

AfCFTA – The Key to Ushering Trade and Investment to Africa

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the African continent has seen challenges like other parts of the world that are affecting trade. This includes a moving effective date for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which slid from July 1 to possibly January 1, 2021, to avoid distracting African leaders as they respond to the pandemic. … Continue Reading

Potential EU Retaliatory Tariffs on the Horizon – Is Your Business Prepared?

On October 13, 2020 the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued its latest ruling in the long-standing Boeing-Airbus dispute, granting the EU the authority to impose compensatory tariffs totaling up to US$4 billion on US goods in response to allegedly illegal subsidies provided to Boeing.  Once again, US exporting companies find themselves in the crosshairs, as … Continue Reading

Join Us on May 28, 2020: The Future of US-UK Trade — Who Will Come Out a Winner?

“We are going to win so much” is a staple soundbite from President Donald Trump, and also representative of his administration’s approach to international negotiations. President Trump favors bilateral trade deals and has been optimistically touting the US as the UK’s first FTA partner after Brexit. From the UK’s perspective, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also … Continue Reading

Off to a Bumpy Start – UK Trade Negotiations With the EU and US

This blog post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Brexit Legal blog. Please contact Matthew Kirk with any questions. In the last week of February 2020 – amid some chest-beating ferocity on both sides – the EU and UK published their respective negotiating mandates for the … Continue Reading

US Wins Award in Airbus Subsidies Case

In October, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the US had won the largest arbitration award in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) history, in its dispute with the EU over illegal subsidies to Airbus. The decision awarded US$7.5 billion, which is nearly twice the next largest award. The arbitrator calculated the amount of the award based on WTO findings … Continue Reading

UK Government Releases Custom Duty Rates in the Event of Hard Brexit

The UK government has published the proposed customs duty rates that will apply to imported merchandise entering the UK from third countries after the country has left the European Union (EU) under a so-called no-deal scenario. Unless recent political developments require the UK government to extend that deadline, it has been indicated that the UK … Continue Reading

Trade Talk: Week in Review (5-11 December 2016)

Both chambers of the U.S. Congress recessed last week after passing a Continuing Resolution to fund the U.S. Government until April.  The 114th Congress stands adjourned for the year.  The 115th Congress will convene on Tuesday, 3 January 2017. China – Trump’s Call with Taiwan.  In an interview that aired on Sunday, President-Elect Donald Trump … Continue Reading

WTO Confirms That Russian Import Duties Violate WTO Rules

On 12 August, a WTO dispute settlement panel confirmed that Russian import duties on paper, refrigerators and palm oil violate WTO rules. According to the panel, the import duties exceed those Russia agreed to when it joined the WTO in August 2012. This marks the first case ever decided in the WTO against Russia. The EU has initiated dispute settlement … Continue Reading

WTO Says EU Has Failed to Comply With Airbus Ruling

On 22 September, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) announced that the EU had failed to eliminate illegal aid to Airbus, handing US rival Boeing one of the biggest triumphs on the global stage in its 12-year battle with Airbus. The WTO stated that the EU and Britain, France, Germany and Spain had failed to comply with earlier rulings against … Continue Reading

EP Committee on International Trade Proposes New Position on Iran

On May 23, 2016, the European Parliament (EP) Committee on International Trade engaged in discussions on strategy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran in the wake of the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions against the country, and made several suggestions to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and called for their integration into its motion for a resolution. … Continue Reading
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