About: WTO

The EU is a natural partner for Central Asia

In our highly interconnected world of today, Europe and Central Asia have never been so close, and neither have the potential benefits of working even more closely together been so evident, write Federica Mogherini and Neven Mimica.

EU cobbles workaround to avoid US block on WTO judges

The European Union is set to propose creating a shadow system to get around a US block on appeals in disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a draft proposal circulated to national lawmakers.

Europe struggles to convince Japan on multilateral agenda

EU leaders will meet with Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in Brussels on Thursday (25 April) to progress on the bilateral relations, although Tokyo has been reluctant to follow the European ambition on trade and climate action.

Trump presses Japan to reject EU demands on WTO reform

Japan refuses to include a reference to a proposed reform of the WTO’s appellate body in the draft conclusions of an upcoming bilateral summit with the EU for fear of upsetting the US, EURACTIV.com has learned.

US threatens EU with new tariffs over Airbus subsidies

The US on Monday (8 April) threatened to impose tariff counter-measures of up to $11.2 billion on a host of European products, including cheese and wine, in response to subsidies received by aircraft maker Airbus.

WTO requests final fix in EU-US aircraft subsidy war

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) released a final ruling on Thursday (28 March) saying the US and Boeing have complied with all but one subsidy complaint in a dispute with Europe over aircraft subsidies.

UK agrees WTO procurement membership post-Brexit

The UK agreed its first major post-Brexit trade pact on Wednesday (27 February) when the World Trade Organisation confirmed that the UK will join the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) as an independent member if it leaves the EU without a Brexit agreement.

Brexit panic reaches across the Channel to France

The French have finally realised that there may well be a no-deal Brexit. The Medef employers’ federation has said that French businesses are not prepared, the agricultural sector is waiting, while transporters are panicking. EURACTIV France reports.

EU to challenge US duties on Spanish olives

The EU will begin legal action at the World Trade Organization (WTO) this week against US duties imposed on Spanish olives, EU trade chief Cecilia Malmström said on Monday (28 January). 

EU to open trade talks on industrial goods with the US

Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström will request a mandate from member states to start trade negotiations on industrial goods with the US, she confirmed on Wednesday (9 January) during her visit to Washington.

Malmström visits Washington as potential tariffs on cars overshadow trade talks

EU Commissioner for trade Cecilia Malmström travels to Washington on Tuesday (8 January) for a new round of trade talks with US officials, as potential tariffs on cars hold on European industry’s head.

2019 LOOKAHEAD: clouds on the trade horizon

A wave of protectionism and obstacles to free trade hit the global economy in 2018, and threaten economic growth in 2019. Although more disputes are expected, there is some cause for hope too. 

Mental health issues cost EU countries more than €600 billion

In many EU countries, mental health is still a taboo. However, the economic impact of psychological disorders is a loss of 4% of GDP and changes in the labour market only aggravate the situation, according to a report by the OECD.

EU wants to act as arbitrator in trade cold war

France and Europe are counting on WTO reform in order to stall the trade war between the United State and China, which is on the verge of taking a turn for the worse and making the EU a collateral victim. EURACTIV France reports.

WTO agrees to hear complaints in spat over US tariffs

The World Trade Organization agreed Wednesday (21 November) to hear complaints from a range of countries over new US steel and aluminium tariffs, as well as complaints from Washington over retaliatory duties.

Paris Peace Forum harbours ambition to become annual gathering

It was billed as a "Davos for democracy". But will the newly launched Paris Peace Forum, the latest addition to international conferencing, have an impact?

EU-Asia put aside differences to show united front vs Trump

Faced with Donald Trump's unilateralism, leaders of more than 50 European and Asian countries put aside their differences on Friday (19 October) and upheld multilateral cooperation on all fronts during a summit in Brussels. 

Ambassador Zhang: China will do more to strengthen IP protection

China and the EU are “in the same boat” when it comes to preserving multilateralism, China's ambassador to the EU, Zhang Ming, stressed in an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with EURACTIV.com, which also addressed next week's ASEM summit and China's relations with its Asian neighbours.

US says it cannot support some of EU’s ideas for WTO reform

The United States gave the first hint on Thursday (4 October) of its view of attempts to reform the World Trade Organization, rejecting some proposals put forward by the European Union to resolve a crisis at the home of world trade in Geneva.

EU proposes to sanction countries breaching WTO rules

The European Commission on Tuesday (18 September) proposed sanctions on countries that commit “willful and repeated” obfuscation of their trade policies, as part of an effort to modernise the World Trade Organisation.

US says EU stalling on Airbus, blocks request for WTO compliance panel

The US said on Wednesday (15 August) the EU and four of its planemaker states have failed to bring subsidies for Airbus into line with a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling of last May, an accusation refuted by the EU.

UK trade minister says EU is pushing Britain to no-deal Brexit

The United Kingdom is now likely to leave the European Union without a deal due to the "intransigence" of the European Union, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told the Sunday Times.

Commission reports ‘intense’ spike in unfair trade practices

The European Commission published on Tuesday (31 July) its annual report on trade defence measures, which informed of 46 ongoing investigations for unfair commercial practices in 2017.

EU-China summit boosts negotiations towards an investment agreement

The European Union and China agreed to enhance market access and investment and to speed up negotiations over geographical indications during a leaders’ summit in Beijing on Monday (16 July). But EU leaders indicated they wanted to see China's promises translated into action.