About: bilateral trade

German export surplus: Less is more

A reduction of Germany's trade surplus is in the long-term self-interest of the country itself, writes Thieß Petersen.

EU should tango with Taiwanese tiger and Chinese dragon

Europe is losing out both economically and politically by letting China dictate its trade diplomacy towards Taiwan, Maaike Okano-Heijmans and Roy Chun Lee argue.

Tajani has chance to push EU-Brazil economic cooperation

Commissioner Antonio Tajani must seize the opportunity next week during his mission to Brazil to increase the business content of the strategic partnership and foster bilateral economic cooperation, at a time when both the EU and Brazilian economies need it most, writes Luigi Gambardella.

EU-US trade negotiations must be transparent

The negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and the United States must be opened up for public scrutiny, aruges Natacha Cingotti.

Kazakhstan: Rising star or falling short of results?

Energy-rich Kazakhstan is a key country for the European Union as it seeks to diversify its energy supplies in Central Asia and the Caspian region, write Jos Boonstra and Tika Tsertsvadze.

Rethinking Taiwan: How the EU should follow China into a trade agreement

Taiwan-based firms run a substantial amount of China’s economy thanks to their deep business, cultural and linguistic ties with the mainland. This should make Europeans rethink their approach to trade relations with Taiwan, write Patrick Messerlin, Hosuk Lee-Makiyama and Michal Krol.

Why China wants a strong Europe

There is no stronger motive today to unify Europe than the growing emergence of China, writes Pierre Defraigne.

Colombia and the EU: Agreement is a step forward

Colombia is transitioning from a country torn apart by internal conflicts to a spirited democracy complete with a functioning rule of law, says Günther Verheugen. Europe should encourage this with an EU-Colombia trade agreement, he argues.

Overcoming cultural barriers to build business ties with Asia

Cultural barriers – and languages in particular – remain a significant obstacle to trade relations with South Korea and Japan and continue to hinder the development of European businesses there, despite bilateral trade agreements, writes Thierry Fournier.

Redesigning the EU’s trade policy towards China

The EU should adopt a "global approach" towards China that includes the US, Japan, and medium-sized economies as "key partners," argue Patrick Messerlin and Jinghui Wang in an April paper for the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE).

Development policy: coordination, conditionality and coherence

Published in Bruegel's collection of essays  Fragmented Power: Europe and the Global Economy , Arne Bigsten's contribution assesses the EU's development policy, and states that "it is in Europe's interest to have functioning and flourishing states in the developing world", to increase trade and growth and reduce terrorism.

Trade policy: time for a rethink?

Published in Bruegel's collection of essays Fragmented Power: Europe and the Global Economy , Simon J. Evenett's contribution assesses the role and importance of the EU in international trade negotiations, and claims that "a fundamental rethink of the ends and means of European trade policy is in order".

Assessing EU trade policy in goods

Multilateral liberalisation of trade should be the centre of European trade strategy, argues Patrick Messerlin – professor of economics, Sciences Po - in a new paper for the European Centre for International Political Economy. The recent shift in European trade policy to negotiate bilateral agreements is taking Europe into dangerous waters, he believes.