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Rob Francis@robfranciseu.bsky.social · last wk.

This should have said “aims to ratify the trade agreement with Indonesia in December” - urgh, nevermind.

European Parliament aims to ratify the trade agreement with Indonesia - there is time pressure as Jakarta will lose its trade preferences under the GSP on 1 January

Rob Francis@robfranciseu.bsky.social · last wk.

This should have said “aims to ratify the trade agreement with Indonesia in December” - urgh, nevermind.

European Parliament aims to ratify the trade agreement with Indonesia - there is time pressure as Jakarta will lose its trade preferences under the GSP on 1 January

European Parliament aims to ratify the trade agreement with Indonesia - there is time pressure as Jakarta will lose its trade preferences under the GSP on 1 January

In an exclusive interview with Borderlex Petros Mavroidis argues for a sectoral WTO agreement on semiconductors in the interests of economic security. Interview behind paywall for now (but you can get a free trial!) borderlex.net/2026/07/29/i...

Interview: An ‘adequacy’ template for a WTO semiconductor trade deal - Borderlex - European trade policy

Petros Mavroidis, a trade law specialist and non-resident fellow at the Bruegel think-tank, argues that the EU’s ‘adequacy’ principle for data protection could serve as a template for a new WTO-compli...

borderlex.net

Our wide-ranging interview with WTO General Council chair Clare Kelly is now in front of the paywall - touches on WTO reform, dispute settlement, plurilaterals, etc etc borderlex.net/2026/07/27/i...

Interview: The WTO ‘can’t be frozen forever in amber’ - Borderlex - European trade policy

An interview with WTO General Council chair and New Zealand envoy Clare Kelly

borderlex.net

Opinion: Is it time for the EU to open an anti-coercion examination into China? - Borderlex - European trade policy

The EU should urgently examine China’s imposition of export controls on 14 EU entities from last week to determone whether the measure represents coercion

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Just when you thought it was safe to go to the beach - a must-read opinion piece from @JohnAClarkeEU about contradictions around the US' tariff threats and a broader point about language and communication. Article in front of paywall borderlex.net/2026/07/27/o...

Opinion: Travesty of language - the hollowing-out of the most-favoured nation clause - Borderlex - European trade policy

The United States is stripping the world trading system’s foundational most-favoured nation principle of its meaning. The European Union has clumsily joined that bandwagon.

borderlex.net

A great wide-ranging interview by my colleague @ChrisHorseman2 with WTO General Council chair and New Zealand envoy Clare Kelly - touches on WTO reform, plurilaterals, dispute settlement, fish, etc. borderlex.net/2026/07/27/i...

Interview: The WTO ‘can’t be frozen forever in amber’ - Borderlex - European trade policy

An interview with WTO General Council chair and New Zealand envoy Clare Kelly

borderlex.net

Speaking of the US and forced labour. This is a cracking if challenging read. Glad to have reached the end.

As expected the EU jsut now declined Russia's request to establish a panel to look into the legality of the CBAM - for background and insights check out our piece from yesterday borderlex.net/2026/07/23/e...

Exclusive: WTO panel looms for EU's carbon border levy - Borderlex - European trade policy

The European Union's carbon border adjustment mechanism, or CBAM, is about to go on trial.

borderlex.net

When things change but also stay the same. It's still 10% on the EU, but it's a different kind of 10%. More explanation below borderlex.net/2026/07/24/e...

EU exporters benefit as US changes tariff basis - Borderlex - European trade policy

The United States overnight changed the legal basis it uses to charge tariffs on dozens of trading partners, in a move which leaves UK exporters worse off than EU rivals while easing pressure on Bruss...

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EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas says the EU-Philippines trade talks are "now entering the final stretch". "I encourage flexibility to resolve the remaining market access issues."

It really doesn’t matter what justification the US uses to tariff trade partners - if it wasn’t forced labour they’d use another justification (excess capacity! German pharma prices!) The point is to build back the tariff wall.

The new US tariff regime appears to be (relatively) good news for the EU since the 10% doesn’t stack on top of MFN if MFN is over 10%. The previous 10% did stack on all MFN values. In practice, this means that more EU exports will come under the 15% ceiling agreed at Turnberry

Russia is posed to challenge the EU's carbon border measure at the WTO tomorrow. Will Moscow end up winning? Our WTO correspondent @chrishorseman.bsky.social spoke to people in the know for their views in this exclusive piece for @borderlex.net borderlex.net/2026/07/23/e...

Exclusive: WTO panel looms for EU's carbon border levy - Borderlex - European trade policy

The European Union's carbon border adjustment mechanism, or CBAM, is about to go on trial.

borderlex.net

Another foreign subsidies case brewing as the commission sends a Chinese company its findings following a probe into JD.com's planned takeover of Ceconomy . The company JD.com can now respond. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/22/b...

JoyGen

jd.com

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan are the GSP’s biggest beneficiaries and clothing is - overwhelmingly - developing countries’ main export under the EU’s preferential trading scheme for developing countries. More details below borderlex.net/2026/07/16/b...

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan top EU trade scheme beneficiaries - Borderlex - European trade policy

Bangladesh, India and Pakistan were the biggest beneficiaries of the European Union's preferential trading scheme for developing countries over the past three years, a European Commission report showe...

borderlex.net

You've seen this movie before. Commission and public buyers will be encouraged/obliged to limit PP bids from EU member states, WTO GPA signatories and FTA partners BUT reciprocity is key - so not all these countries will benefit. We saw the leak borderlex.net/2026/07/16/e...

EU eyes reciprocity rules for public procurement bids - Borderlex - European trade policy

The European Commission is considering European preference requirements as part of its overhaul of the EU's public procurement rules, according to a leaked draft of the proposal seen by Borderlex.

borderlex.net

EU and India continue their pretense of being best friends, even if there are some serious disagreements behind the scenes (steel, CBAM, WTO reform). Our latest from today's ministerial meeting in Brussels borderlex.net/2026/07/15/e...

EU, India aim to seal investment pact by year-end - Borderlex - European trade policy

The European Union and India said they want to conclude talks on a bilateral investment protection agreement by the end of the year.

borderlex.net

EU governments punt the thorny issue of a ban on products from Israeli illiegal settlements to their ambassadors. Most disagreement centres on whether the vote should be unanimity or QMV. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/13/e...

EU governments mull import ban from occupied West Bank - Borderlex - European trade policy

EU foreign ministers told their ambassadors to continue talks on a possible ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

borderlex.net

Commission official says it's a "badge of honour" that the Australian sugar industry says their duty free quota under the trade agreement is "horrendous". OK then.

Commission confirms it is removing leather - among others - from the scope of the deforestation Regulation. Also adds a few products such as coffee. MEPs have 2 months to oppose the measure or it enters into force. NGOs not happy. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/13/c...

Commission trims deforestation law's product list - Borderlex - European trade policy

The European Commission removed leather from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation.

borderlex.net

Hearing that the US' report on the excess capacity won't be published until the end of the month at the earliest -so AFTER the expiry of the section 122 tariffs and after forced labour tariffs (10% for EU) enter into force.

To put in perspective -total goods trade between the EU and illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories is worth €229 million annually - EU goods trade with Israel is €43.3 BILLION. So, potential circumvention aside, this is really, really small beer.

Commission launches anti-dumping probe into Pekin duck imports from - you guessed it - China. In a related development, today I learnt the difference between Pekin duck and Peking duck... borderlex.net/2026/07/09/e...

EU opens anti-dumping probe into Chinese duck imports - Borderlex - European trade policy

The European Commission opened an anti-dumping investigation into Pekin duck meat from China, following a complaint lodged by five EU producers. The case is the first to be brought by the EU against a...

borderlex.net

The modernised EU-Mexico trade agreement could enter into force provisionally as soon as November. Others think January is more likely. Either way, this thing is happening, pending an approval vote in the Mexican senate in September. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/08/e...

EU-Mexico trade pact could apply from November - Borderlex - European trade policy

The interim trade agreement between the European Union and Mexico could enter into force as soon as 1 November, the chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee said, after the par...

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