Blog
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US Import Tariffs on Steel Threaten the US Economy
Two weeks ago, the US Department of Commerce released its long-awaited Section 232 reports on steel and aluminum. The reports presented the US Department of Commerce’s findings that imports of...
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Brexit: Leaving the EU – what lies ahead?
The current Brexit debate is mainly about the transition period which will probably follow the UK’s exit from the EU in March 2019. I say probably because, while both sides agree on the principle...
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From the General Agreement to the World Trade Organisation
This blog is about the gap between the old GATT mansion (Villa Bocage) and the modern WTO edifice (Centre William Rappard) – or to explain that more clearly it explores the grey area between the...
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Are Services Really Not Helping the Economy?
Bullocks! That is the conclusion that came to me when I participated in the roundtable conference on services and economic development in Tokyo last week. This conference was organized by the Asian...
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IN MEMORIAM – PETER SUTHERLAND
Peter died last Sunday in a hospital in Dublin, his home city and home country. He was aged 71. He had suffered a heart attack in September 2016, which proved ultimately to be fatal, and had been in...
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Posted Workers in the EU: Social Dumping vs Competitive Advantage
There are concerns that posted workers in the EU dump working conditions and have a depressing effect on salaries. These individuals are temporarily sent abroad for work purposes, and are often seen...
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The Tools of the Free Trade
Recent years have shown that trade policy is no longer an issue discussed behind closed doors. Grassroots movement’s campaigns have brought the topic to the streets. More and more people...
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China’s Growing Soft Power: Should Europe Protect its Cultural Industries?
One of the notable aspects of China’s foreign policy in recent years has been the increasing focus on developing soft power. Beijing has arguably invested more in this area than any other country...
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After Florence: a Step Forward, but Whose Turn to Go Next?
So where do matters stand with the UK-EU negotiations for an orderly separation or withdrawal agreement? Three major events – the Lancaster House speech in January, followed by the Article 50...
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Transatlantic Trade Relations: Return to Normal?
Trump’s rhetoric on trade during his election campaign set a bad tone for US trade policy in general, but also for EU-US trade relations. However, his views – or at least his rhetoric – on many...