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WTO, rules, commitments, tariffs, standards, trade wars, geographical indications, and more
UK-EU tariffs, tariff quotas, services, media, leadership, GATT Art24, continuity deals, and more
Trade, direct democracy
Crisis, reform, negotiations, disputes, amendments, agriculture, access to medicines, trade facilitation
Headlines
India and South Africa pour cold water on alternative approach to WTO talks
On the day she starts her term as new WTO chief, Okonjo-Iweala faces a challenge to her vision
February 22, 2021
Dire meeting shows scale of Dr Ngozi’s task Mar 5, 2021
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the new WTO chief
Sailing close to the wind Feb 18, 2021 | Let’s not get carried away Feb 15, 2021 | US ends deadlock Updated Feb 5, 2021 | A saviour? Or a butler? Jun-Jul 2020
WTO AGRICULTURE
2021: Ambition and cynicism collide
A strange atmosphere surrounds the WTO agriculture talks
February 4, 2021
With note on new approaches to domestic support February 4, 2021
Long read
From COVID-19 into 2021
Lessons for WTO work on agricultural trade and support
1. ‘WTO rules are not prescriptions’ 2. What’s happened 3. Prospects
(Plus References)
December 31, 2020
Behind the Rhetoric
‘Public stockholding for food security’ August 24, 2020
Another ‘safeguard’ against import surges? August 30, 2020
Were Trump and Lighthizer right about WTO disputes?
The US’s claim that it is a victim in the WTO is based on a truly blinkered view. And that’s being generous June 21, 2020
Intellectual property
The WTO’s deadlock over an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19
December 17, 2020. Updated February 21, 2021
Dispute settlement
Dispute settlement in crisis, but …
Since December 2019 the WTO Appellate Body has been forced into a deep freeze
August 21, 2019; May 3, 2020
Short: By Christmas 2019 the WTO was supposed to be dead — why wasn’t it?
Long: A bit of bother down at the WTO court: Is it a killer?
Stop-gap: Arbitration, an alternative way to appeal August 3, 2020
… the WTO does more than disputes
Reminders for those who think the crisis is dragging trade into the law of the jungle
December 11, 2019; January 17, 2020; February 11, 2021
Keeping international trade within agreed rules relies on much more than dispute settlement
The WTO is surprisingly busy — considering it’s supposed to be dead
What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on trade post-Brexit?
Rewritten January 15, 2021
The UK’s rolled-over deals after the Brexit transition January 1, 2021
Is ‘Melton Mowbray’ still protected in the EU after Brexit?
August 29; December 26, 2020
What’s really happening on tariff quotas and Britain’s WTO commitments?
September 2018.
Updated
● What’s happening?
● What comments?
● Beginners’ guide
‘WTO terms’ will apply in all future UK-EU trade. But how much?
A sliding scale of trade barriers
Summary | Part 1: WTO terms | Part 2: goods | Part 3: services and more
May 27, 2020
Primers
The WTO and implications for the UK, EU, Brexit
and international trade policy
These posts explain the WTO, how it works, its member-driven structure, and the UK’s and EU’s relationship with it.
What is the WTO?
What is the WTO? And is it undemocratic?
August 18, 2018
Introducing the WTO elephant and its dodgy health
December 17, 2017
Real beginners’ guides
Tariffs and the WTO
July 28, 2018
Tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) and the WTO
September 9, 2018
GATT Article 24
June XXIV, MMXIX
‘WTO terms’
They apply in any future UK-EU trade relationship. But how much?
Summary
Part 1 ‘WTO terms’
Part 2 goods
Part3 services and more
May 27, 2020
More guides
Geographical indications
What are geographical indications? And for post-Brexit UK?
May 5; September 26, 2018
Will ‘Melton Mowbray’ stay protected in the EU after the Brexit transition?
August 29, 2020
.
Standards
Standards, regulations and trade in goods
September 5, 2018
More on geographical indications
‘GI View’, Rolling over names
January 5 & 10, 2021
Problem trade
Dealing with problem trade measures — not just dispute settlement
December 11, 2019
The WTO is surprisingly busy — considering it’s supposed to be dead
January 17, 2020
More on the WTO below. See also archived primers
On Brexit
Brexit and WTO commitments, WTO rules, free trade agreements,
Brexit more generally, presentations and evidence
Brexit and WTO commitments
Post-Brexit tariffs
1. The Hilton beef quota: a taste of what post-Brexit UK faces in the WTO Aug 10, 2016
2. This EU tariff takes the biscuit. Plus a really nerdy look at annex 1 Aug 18, 2016
3. Oranges: a litmus test of UK post-Brexit tariff negotiations Aug 27, 2017
Tariff quotas
What’s really happening on tariff quotas and Britain’s WTO commitments?
Plus
Comments received from organisations and other countries Sep 12, 2018
The limits of ‘possibility’: Splitting the lamb-mutton quota for the UK and EU–27 Jan 6, 2017
Tariffs
Four years on, still basic mistakes on tariffs at the very top of UK politics
September 18, 2020
Services
If the EU and UK fall back on WTO commitments what does this mean for services? Mar 11, 2020
Brexit and WTO rules
GATT Article 24
A real beginner’s guide Jun XXIV, MMXIX
Article 24 in depth Jun 27, 2019
One last go. The red herring in less than 400 words Feb 16, 2019
Iain Duncan Smith & co are wrong about GATT Art24, Brexit and getting out of jail Telegraph, Sep 2, 2019
.
The myth of a 10-year grace period, Brexit and trade talks with the EU
December 27, 2018
A bit of fun: Brexit through the magic land of Eksive
May 1, 2019
VIDEO GATT Article 24: They still don’t get it
YouTube, November 9, 2019
Leaders, rules, borders
UK and ‘WTO leadership’ Nov 8, 2017
How to be a trade champion Nov 21, 2017
The UK was already under WTO rules Feb 8, 2017
The Trade Facilitation Agreement and Brexit Aug 16, 2018 | Does the WTO require countries to control their borders? No and yes Jul 18, 2018
Free trade agreements, UK and EU relations
Rolling over EU agreements
The UK’s rolled-over deals after the Brexit transition January 1, 2021
Grandfathering EU free trade deals for the UK: a look at an actual text (S.Korea): It won’t be automatic
February 13, 2018
Text of the UK-S.Korea free trade agreement
September 3, 2019
Text of the UK-Japan trade agreement, chapter by chapter October 24, 2020
Which UK geographical indications are in its trade deal with Japan? October 26,2020
What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on trade post-Brexit? February 5, 2019; completely overhauled January 15, 2021
Types of agreement
Types of a possible future UK-EU trade deal. By Alan Swinbank, Reading University
January 10, 2017
In a nutshell: Brexit and the UK’s trading relations with the EU. 5 graphics summarising the 4 main options September 19, 2016
‘No deal’ on UK-EU trade is worse than ‘Australia-style’
November 30, 2020
See also archived posts on Brexit
On Switzerland
Trade
What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on trade post-Brexit?
February 5, 2019; completely overhauled January 15, 2021
See also archived posts on Switzerland
On THE WTO AND TRADE
Dispute settlement, policy and negotiation,
amendments and commitments
Policy and negotiations
Agriculture
2021: Where ambition and cynicism collide
February 4, 2021
Long read: From COVID-19 into 2021
1. ‘WTO rules are not prescriptions’ | 2. What’s happened | 3. Prospects (Plus References) Dec 31, 2020
History: the 20-year saga Mar 23, 2020
Domestic support: the Cairns Group’s re-think
Feb 4, 2021
‘Public stockholding for food security’ Aug 24, 2020 | Another ‘safeguard’ against import surges? Aug 30, 2020
Intellectual property
The WTO’s deadlock over an intellectual property waiver for COVID-19
Questions and explanations about why the waiver is proposed, why it’s opposed and what it would mean
Updated February 21, 2021
Plurilaterals
India and South Africa pour cold water on alternative approach to WTO talks Feb 22, 2021
WTO politics
director-general
Dire first meeting shows size of Okonjo-Iweala’s task Mar 5, 2021
Let’s not get carried away Feb 5, 2021
Sailing close to the wind Feb 18, 2021
US ends deadlock Feb 5, 2021
A saviour? Or a butler? Jul 23, 2020
Dispute settlement
Crisis
Blinkered view: Trump and Lighthizer were wrong about WTO disputes
June 21, 2020
Short: By Christmas the WTO will be dead — or will it?
August 21, 2019; updated
Long: A bit of bother down at the WTO court — Why? And is it a killer?
August 21, 2019; updated
Stop-gap: Arbitration, an alternative way to appeal August 3, 2020
Technical notes:
1. WTO Appellate Body members and their terms 2. Zeroing
3. Dispute settlement is not essential (but it helps)
4. Appeals into the void
It’s working
How the WTO deals with problem trade measures—it’s not just dispute settlement
The Appellate Body is in a deep freeze, but those who think it will drag trade into the law of the jungle are in for a surprise
December 11, 2019; updated
The WTO is surprisingly busy — considering it’s supposed to be dead
January 17, 2020
VIDEO: The WTO and the global trading system (Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, YouTube, 54 mins)
— Adam Posen, Vince Cable, Stuart Harbinson, Peter Ungphakorn, David Tinline
June 10, 2020
Authorised retaliation
Spot the difference: US tariffs on Scotch are not part of a tariff war
BBC Question Time was wrong about tariffs. It matters.
February 15, 2020
More on the crisis
Yes, the WTO needs fixing—but not the way this NY Times piece imagines
December 27, 2020
See also archived posts on the WTO
Header photo: Norway reflections by David Mark from Pixabay, CC0
