MC14 runs runs into overtime as members bicker over moratorium - Borderlex - European trade policy You need to be a subscriber and logged in to view this content... Request a free trial subscription or Log in.

Cameroon @wto ministerial goes overtime as #ecommerce moratorium extension talks enter decisive moment. By @robfranciseu.bsky.social

#MC14

EU pushes for digital trade deal with trans-Pacific bloc - Borderlex - European trade policy The EU will intensify its push for a transcontinental digital trade agreement with the countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in the coming months.

Trade news cycle not stopping today… 😅

EU and CPTPP issue joint declaration at @wto.org #MC14 - EU aims for digital pact with that bloc

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social

India wargames scenarios for joining WTO investment pact - Borderlex - European trade policy You need to be a subscriber and logged in to view this content... Request a free trial subscription or Log in.

Will India finally drop its long-held opposition to plurilateral @wto.org agreements, this time the investment facilitation one? Maybe. And if so, at a price. #MC14

EXCLUSIVE by @robfranciseu.bsky.social

EU launches new steel product safeguard probe - Borderlex - European trade policy The European Commission has launched a new safeguard investigation, making this type of measure an increasingly regular feature of its trade defence toolkit.

All happening this morning!

🚨New EU steel safeguard probe - covering grain oriented flat rolled products as well as laminations and cores 🏭

Safeguards now becoming standard in EU trade defence kit?

Opinion: The WTO should do more of what it’s good at - Borderlex - European trade policy How the WTO can retain relevance in today's world - dispute resolution in free trade agreements

WTO should focus on what it is good at, argue @explaintrade.com and J Pauwelyn

Supporting formal dispute settlement is one of its strenghts

MC14 Day 1: DG wants reform, Türkiye okays IFD, e-commerce battle - Borderlex - European trade policy On the first day of the 14th World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala set out her objectives for talks on WTO reform.

Catch up on Day One of the @wto.org Day One in Yaoundé

By @robfranciseu.bsky.social

EU customs reform: small parcel handling takes precedence - Borderlex - European trade policy The three EU institutions have agreed on the general terms of a wide-ranging customs system overhaul announced in 2023.

Habemus new milestone in EU #customs system overhaul

By @ianadreyer.bsky.social

Opinion: Europe must show up to play the ASEAN game - Borderlex - European trade policy The EU needs to up its commitment and increase cooperation with both southeast Asian governments and EU businesses operating in the region, or risk losing out to other countries.

Just signing bilateral trade agreements FTAs is not enough.

Guest opinion piece by Chris Humphrey from EU ASEAN Business Council on EU and #ASEAN relations here

borderlex.net/2026/03/23/o...

UK raises steel tariff to 50%, cuts import quotas by 60% - Borderlex - European trade policy The United Kingdom will raise its most-favoured nation tariff on steel to 50% from 1 July, mirroring the EU's own action in the sector.

(Another form of UK alignment with EU)

UK raises steel tariff to 50%, cuts import quotas by 60%

#steelwars

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social

Palm oil: Indonesia presses $ 5.6bn tariff claim against EU - Borderlex - European trade policy A World Trade Organization arbitration panel will adjudicate Indonesia's request to impose tariffs on EU imports worth up to $5.6 billion.

A @wto arbitration panel will adjudicate Indonesia’s request to impose tariffs on EU imports worth up to $5.6 billion.

#palmoil

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social

In-depth: EU, Australia on brink of concluding trade pact - Borderlex - European trade policy The EU and Australia are expected to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement during a visit by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to Sydney and Canberra on 23-25 March.

🔎🔍Everything you always wanted to know abt EU Australia free trade agreement & the remaining sticking points before it is concluded - next week 🇪🇺🇦🇺

@chrishorseman.bsky.social @robfranciseu.bsky.social

EU lawmakers to vote on US tariff deal, insist on safeguards - Borderlex - European trade policy Political groups in the European Parliament agreed to hold a vote on Thursday (19 March) in the international trade committee on legislation to eliminate tariffs on American imports.

European Parliament - after months of delay - is now on track to vote on eliminating tariffs on US to follow up on last summer’s Turnberry deal #EUUS

By @robfranciseu.bsky.social

Colombia lifts anti-dumping duties on EU frozen fries - Borderlex - European trade policy Colombia revoked its anti-dumping duties on imports of frozen french fries from the EU, in a move hailed by Brussels as a victory for the WTO’s interim appeals system.

The first case dealt by the alternative WTO appeals mechanism #MPIA is coming to a close.

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social

Business leaders call for action on WTO reform - Borderlex - European trade policy You need to be a subscriber and logged in to view this content... Request a free trial subscription or Log in.

Governments complain business not interested in @wto.org - well this is not true if one believes the vocal calls for action of late from leading business associations.

#WTOCrisis

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social

Exclusive: Martin-Prat to be new EU ambassador to WTO - Borderlex - European trade policy Maria Martin-Prat, currently a deputy director-general in the European Commission’s trade directorate, will be the new EU’s new ambassador to the WTO.

Today’s exclusive

Name of new EU ambassador to @wto in Geneva now out. #WTO

By @robfranciseu.bsky.social

Perspectives: The EU should change its approach to WTO reform - Borderlex - European trade policy The next World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Cameroon has little chance of success.

So, thinking about the WTO and global trade rules, I asked the question sitting awkwardly in the corner...

"can the countries that founded the GATT cope with rules being substantively written by others with different political values?"

My latest for @borderlex.net borderlex.net/2026/03/12/p...

Opinion: Abandon ‘most favoured nation’ at your peril - Borderlex - European trade policy The EU and United States are both calling for a review of the WTO’s ‘most favoured nation’ rule.

Abandon the WTO's foundational most-favoured nation #MFN principle? Seriously? 

John Clarke on why for the EU in particular doing so carries big risks.

#WTOCrisis #MC14 #WTOReform

Perspectives: The EU should change its approach to WTO reform - Borderlex - European trade policy The next World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Cameroon has little chance of success.

Ahead of WTO ministerial conference

@davidheniguk.bsky.social  on the "reform" discussions at the global trade institution and the issues of building trust and EU leadership....

https://f.mtr.cool/kgesjhtwfg

#MC14

European countries targeted in forced labour Section 301 probe - Borderlex - European trade policy This latest Section 301 investigation focuses on whether the EU, UK and Switzerland fail to “impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”.

European countries included in US Section 301 forced labour trade probe....

https://f.mtr.cool/qncgzryuwi

By @robfranciseu.bsky.social

WTO: Signatories plan to enact e-commerce plurilateral deal - Borderlex - European trade policy Signatories to the World Trade Organization’s plurilateral e-commerce agreement intend to implement the deal on an interim basis, regardless of Indian government opposition.

Exclusive: WTO #ecommerce plurilateral - signatories to press ahead with enactment as separate interim deal. #MC14

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social 

Perspectives: The EU should change its approach to WTO reform - Borderlex - European trade policy The next World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Cameroon has little chance of success.

The message in short to EU on approach to WTO: Stop whining about loss of status, get down to work constructively with member.

#MC14

The latest Perspectives column by @davidheniguk.bsky.social is out

US Section 301 probe: Commission vows ‘firm’ response - Borderlex - European trade policy The European Commission said it would respond "firmly and proportionately" to any breach by the United States of the Turnberry trade deal, after Washington launched a Section 301 investigation against the bloc.

Commission signals 'firm response' if US proceeds with tariffs based on #Section301 - but still wants European Parliament to ratify the Turnberry accord of last summer.

More by @robfranciseu.bsky.social here #EUUS

Spectre of “unholy alliance” hovers over EU parliament vote on Turnberry - Borderlex - European trade policy Lawmakers in the European Parliament continue to debate whether to hold a vote to eliminate tariffs on American imports.

To vote or not to vote on the EU side of the « Turnberry » deal with the US - that is the question the European Parliament is grappling with. #EUUS


Exclusive by @robfranciseu.bsky.social

UK sets stage for food safety rule alignment with EU - Borderlex - European trade policy The British government published a list of 77 EU regulations and directives with which businesses will need to comply once a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU comes into force.

British government prepares ground for #SPS food safety rule alignment with EU

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social 

Opinion: Abandon ‘most favoured nation’ at your peril - Borderlex - European trade policy The EU and United States are both calling for a review of the WTO’s ‘most favoured nation’ rule.

Abandoning the most-favoured nation #MFN principle "could poison relations with developing countries (...) and risk undermining a major plank of the multilateral world order", writes John Clarke in his latest

WTO ambassadors to review plan to keep reform talks alive - Borderlex - European trade policy WTO ambassadors will tomorrow review a proposal to continue deliberations about overhauling the world trade body beyond this month’s crucial ministerial meeting in Cameroon.

The battle to keep WTO reform talks alive is on this week in Geneva #MC14 #WTOReform #MFN

By @chrishorseman.bsky.social 

UK ‘ready to engage’ on MFN review ahead of WTO ministerial - Borderlex - European trade policy The United Kingdom said it "stands ready to engage" on the future of the most favoured nation principle ahead of the 14th World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Cameroon later this month.

So UK too is open reconsidering the core principle of the multilateral trading system it helped create after WWII: the most-favoured nation principle 🤔 #MFN @wto.org

@chrishorseman.bsky.social

Week Ahead: WTO focus on ministerial, EU-US tariffs, UK position - Borderlex - European trade policy The week ahead in trade in the EU, in Geneva and in the United Kingdom.

It’s WTO ministerial conference prep week in Geneva #MC14

Anti-dumping: ECJ sets limits to EU anti-circumvention duties - Borderlex - European trade policy ECJ sets limits to EU anti-circumvention anti-dumping duties

EU anti- circumvention duties for anti-dumpig tariffs : Luxembourg Court rules Commission can’t just stretch text of law #EUTDI #tradedefence

Week Ahead: WTO focus on ministerial, EU-US tariffs, UK position - Borderlex - European trade policy The week ahead in trade in the EU, in Geneva and in the United Kingdom.

This week: @WTO members focus on preparing the next ministerial conference taking place in two weeks in Yaoundé. #MC14