Trade & Society
Malaysia takes WTO legal action against EU over palm biofuel curbs
Malaysia is taking legal action at the global trade watchdog against the European Union and member states France and Lithuania for restricting palm oil-based biofuels, the government said.
France suggests pause on ‘poisonous’ US-EU trade standoff
The European Union and the US should "pause" a long-running tariff disagreement to allow the issue to be resolved, France's foreign minister suggested Sunday (17 January).
20% of UK chemicals registrations face revocation after Brexit
Around 20% of registrations from UK-based companies to the European Union's REACH chemicals database have not been transferred to EU companies and will be revoked after 31 March 2021, according to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
Scottish fishermen threaten to dump rotten shellfish outside British parliament
Scottish fishermen have threatened to dump rotten shellfish outside the British parliament after their deliveries to the European Union were blocked by post-Brexit red tape.
New US tariffs on French, German aircraft parts become effective
The US government on Monday (11 January) said it would begin collecting new duties on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany from Tuesday after failing to resolve a 16-year dispute over aircraft subsidies with the European Union.
UK retailers face tariffs for re-exporting goods to EU, trade body says
More than 50 British retailers, including Tesco and Marks & Spencer, face potential tariffs for re-exporting goods to the European Union, their trade body said on Thursday (7 January), amid warnings this could make Britain less competitive.
Portugal aims to seal EU-Mercosur trade agreement, progress on other deals
Portugal will try to conclude a free-trade agreement between the EU and the South American trade bloc Mercosur during its six-month EU presidency, and attempt to expand Europe's ties with other potential trade partners, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday (7 January).
African free trade bloc opens for business, but challenges remain
African countries began officially trading under a new continent-wide free trade area on Friday (1 January), after months of delays caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.
US imposes new tariffs on French, German products in Airbus-Boeing spat
The United States announced Wednesday (30 December) that it will impose additional tariffs on French and German products as part of a long-running dispute over subsidies for aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing.
2021: Build back to the future
The EU will double down on its efforts to use the Covid-19 crisis to accelerate the ‘Green’ and digital transitions, fuelled by its €1.95 trillion stimulus, an intense policy agenda and new trade opportunities to improve its global standing.
UK and Turkey sign post-Brexit trade deal
Britain on Tuesday (29 December) announced it had signed an £18.6 billion (€20.5 billion) trade deal with Turkey that “lays the groundwork” for a more comprehensive post-Brexit agreement in the future. Ahead of the signing, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...
EU clears way for China investment pact
EU member states gave political backing to Brussels' planned investment pact with China on Monday (28 December), clearing the way for a deal between the world's biggest economic blocs.
EU countries endorse Brexit trade deal
The 27 EU member states gave the green light on Monday (28 December) for the post-Brexit trade deal to go into effect on January 1, a spokesman said. Ambassadors from EU capitals met in Brussels to nod through the accord,...
OECD candidate: The US is back as ‘guarantor’ of international liberal order
With the new US administration, Washington has again taken up its role as a guarantor of multilateral system, former EU Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou who runs for the OECD top job, told EURACTIV.com in an interview. “I think it has become...
Energy Charter Treaty reform reaches milestone, with little progress to show
A two-day conference of the 54 parties to the Energy Charter Treaty, opening on Wednesday (16 December), will attempt to move forward in reforming the little-known charter, decried by environmentalists for protecting fossil fuel investments and blocking international efforts to curb global warming.
‘Distrust’ of Brazil stalling EU-Mercosur trade deal: official
Distrust in Europe of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's government is holding up ratification of a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, the EU ambassador to Brasilia said.
Agrifood Podcast Special Edition: A closer look at EU agrifood trade
In this special edition of the agrifood podcast, EURACTIV’s agrifood team speaks with a range of experts, from lawmakers to academics and NGOs to bring you the nitty-gritty of the EU’s agrifood trade policy.
Biden to name lawyer Katherine Tai to top trade post
President-elect Joe Biden plans to name China expert Katherine Tai to serve as the nation's top trade negotiator, US media reported Wednesday (9 December).
China edges past US as Europe’s top trade partner
China pushed past the United States in the third quarter to become the European Union's top trade partner, as the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the US while Chinese activity rebounded.
EU, ASEAN upgrade their relations to ‘strategic partnership’
After six years of talks, the European Union and the ASEAN group of ten Southeast Asian countries upgraded their relations from "dialogue" to "strategic partnership" at a meeting on Tuesday (1 December).
EU plans two summits with US next year, aiming to forge new alliance in face of China
The European Union has invited US President-elect Joe Biden for two summits – one virtual, and one in person – in the first half of next year to discuss "strategic" issues ranging from the COVID crisis to climate change, peace and security, an EU source has said.
EU Commission backs global hydrogen market with euro as its key currency
Europe wants to install the euro as the reference currency for trading hydrogen, but a global market with harmonised standards needs to be put in place first in order to meet demand, the EU's energy commissioner said on Thursday (26 November).
Dombrovskis: Deep and comprehensive trade deal with the US ‘not feasible’
European Commission executive vice-president, Valdis Dombrovskis, believes that Joe Biden's victory will bring a fresh start to the EU-US relations. But there are limits, as he considers that it would not be feasible to try again to negotiate a deep and comprehensive trade deal like the TTIP, he told EURACTIV in an interview on Wednesday.