# Borderlex - European trade policy

> European trade policy - cutting edge news and analysis

## Full text

- [Full text by year](https://borderlex.net/llms-full.txt): Yearly archives with full post bodies in markdown.

## Articles

- [Poland backs Paris-Berlin plan for faster trade defence tool](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/23/poland-backs-paris-berlin-plan-for-faster-trade-defence-tool.md): Poland backed calls from France and Germany for a new EU trade instrument that could quickly cut off a third country’s exports to the single market. Polish trade minister Michał Baranowski said he expected a high level of consensus on the Franco-German paper at today’s meeting of EU trade ministers in Dublin.
- [Ireland to ratify EU-Canada trade deal by end of year](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/22/ireland-to-ratify-eu-canada-trade-deal-by-end-of-year.md): Ireland aims to ratify the EU’s trade agreement with Canada by the end of the year, foreign affairs and trade minister Helen McEntee said in Dublin. A new Irish law has removed the main legal obstacle to ratification, but it now faces another court challenge.
- [EU hybrid vehicles safeguard to launch on 1 December](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/22/eu-hybrid-vehicles-safeguard-to-launch-on-1-december.md): The European Commission will formally launch its safeguard measure to cap imports of hybrid vehicles on 1 December, an EU official told Borderlex. The measure will give effect to the EU’s promised campaign against industrial overcapacity in rival supplier countries, notably China.
- [Bruegel: Franco-German car plan breaches WTO rules and FTA commitments](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/21/bruegel-franco-german-car-plan-breaches-wto-rules-and-fta-commitments.md): The Franco-German plan to protect Europe’s car industry “marries the worst of German and French political instincts”, Brussels-based think tank Bruegel said in a new report. The plan would also push the EU to breach its World Trade Organization commitments and its free trade agreements, warn the authors - former European Commission trade negotiator Ignacio García Bercero, Bruegel deputy director Simone Tagliapietra and director Jeromin Zettelmeyer.
- [EU targets 2027 investment deals with Egypt, Jordan](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/20/eu-targets-2027-investment-deals-with-egypt-jordan.md): The European Commission wants to conclude sustainable investment facilitation agreements with Egypt and Jordan by 2027. The EU executive asked EU member states yesterday to authorise it to launch separate talks with the two countries.
- [UK, EU carbon border levy gap risks distorting trade](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/20/uk-eu-carbon-border-levy-gap-risks-distorting-trade.md): Differences between the UK and EU carbon border adjustment mechanisms could distort trade when Britain launches its own levy on 1 January 2027, analysts warned. The UK has chosen a simpler method than the EU to calculate default values for the carbon emissions embedded in energy-intensive products.
- [EU safeguard could block China-made hybrids already at sea](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/19/eu-safeguard-could-block-china-made-hybrids-already-at-sea.md): Hybrid vehicles shipped from China after 1 October could be blocked at the EU border if the bloc’s new safeguard enters into force on 1 December, Borderlex has learnt.
- [EFTA-Vietnam trade deal shields agri-food sensitivities](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/19/efta-vietnam-trade-deal-shields-agri-food-sensitivities.md): The European Free Trade Association signed a free trade agreement with Vietnam that opens up trade between the two sides cautiously and only in part.
- [Week Ahead: EU trade ministers in Dublin, MEPs talk trade, UAE and Türkiye relations](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/19/week-ahead-eu-trade-ministers-in-dublin-meps-talk-trade-uae-and-turkiye-relations.md): EU: Trade ministers meet Thursday-Friday (22-23 October): Informal meeting of EU trade ministers in Dublin. Canadian trade minister Maninder Sidhu will attend on Thursday and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will participate on Friday. The agenda includes a discussion on China and US relations and a status report on EU FTAs. Today: EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will sign the association agreement between the EU and Andorra and San Marino. The parties concluded the agreement in 2024. More details here. This week: European Parliament plenary meeting in Strasbourg. On the agenda– the forthcoming European Commission work programme, debates on the EU-UK summit scheduled on 20 November and the EU-Canada summit on 29-30 October. Tomorrow: Trade Policy Committee. Agenda includes discussions on WTO, the joint ministerial statement on overcapacity concluded at the G20 trade ministerial in October in the United States, as well as the EU’s current trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates and trade relations with Türkiye.
- [Opinion: Misrules Of Origin](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/16/opinion-misrules-of-origin.md): There are increasing calls for the origin of a product imported into the EU to be based on the nationality of a company or its C-suite membership. It may look like a clever fix for circumvention, but it would undermine WTO rules, invite ‘origin shopping’ and strip businesses of the ...
- [Top five hybrid exporters to get dedicated quotas under EU safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/16/top-five-hybrid-exporters-to-get-dedicated-quotas-under-eu-safeguard.md): The five biggest exporters of hybrid cars to the EU aside from China - namely Japan, South Korea, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States - are set to get their own import quotas under the bloc’s upcoming safeguard, Borderlex has learnt.
- [Commission to assess planned US curbs against Spanish freight vessels](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/15/commission-to-assess-planned-us-curbs-against-spanish-freight-vessels.md): The European Commission is assessing plans announced by the United States to charge Spanish-flagged ships $200,000 per voyage and restrict imports of some Spanish goods including cosmetics and confectionary, a spokesperson told Borderlex today.
- [EU lawmakers to back €2 handling fee on low-value parcels](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/15/eu-lawmakers-to-back-e2-handling-fee-on-low-value-parcels.md): The European Parliament is not expected to block a proposed €2 handling fee on parcels worth less than €150 that EU consumers order from outside the bloc. Members of the parliament’s internal market committee broadly welcomed the European Commission’s plan earlier today.
- [Opposition stance puts Costa Rica’s CPTPP accession in doubt](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/15/opposition-stance-puts-costa-ricas-cptpp-accession-in-doubt.md): Costa Rica’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is in doubt after the country’s main opposition party rejected the accession deal.
- [EU investment screening notifications jump almost 40% in 2025](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/14/eu-investment-screening-notifications-jump-almost-40-in-2025.md): EU member states notified almost 40% more foreign direct investment proposals to the European Commission in 2025 than in the previous year, reflecting heightened sensitivity to economic security concerns. Of the investments notified to the commission, 12% required an in-depth security risk assessment, up from 8% in 2024.
- [UK rules out copying EU quotas on Chinese hybrid cars](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/14/uk-rules-out-copying-eu-quotas-on-chinese-hybrid-cars.md): The UK rejected pressure to copy the EU’s safeguard quotas on imports of Chinese hybrid vehicles, despite London’s broader policy of closer regulatory alignment with Brussels. Such a step would not be in the UK’s interests, UK business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said during a trade trip to India. Reynolds cited the risk of UK carmakers losing access to the lucrative Chinese market if Beijing retaliated.
- [Customs union should spare it EU hybrid car quota, Türkiye says](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/14/customs-union-should-spare-it-eu-hybrid-car-quota-turkiye-says.md): Turkish trade minister Ömer Bolat said the EU should not set a quota for Turkish hybrid car exports under the bloc's planned safeguard, after the third EU-Türkiye high-level trade dialogue in Brussels.
- [Interview: A ‘diversification tariff’ that may never need to be paid](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/13/interview-a-diversification-tariff-that-may-never-need-to-be-paid.md): The European Commission will table a new trade diversification instrument in December which will aim to cut EU industries’ exposure to supply chain dependencies, chiefly those linked to China. Among the options under consideration is a plan to use tariffs to encourage importers to broaden their supply chains. Gabriel Felbermayr, ...
- [EU, Thailand intensify talks as trade deal beckons](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/12/eu-thailand-intensify-talks-as-trade-deal-beckons.md): The EU and Thailand are closing in on a deal on a new free trade agreement, following the conclusion of the latest round of negotiations between the two sides. Brussels and Bangkok will hold no further formal full negotiating rounds but simply move to smaller, dedicated sessions to wrap up the agreement, the European Commission said. This is a sign that a deal is now not far away. Negotiators held their tenth formal round of talks in Phuket, Thailand, in the week of 28 September.
- [EU to introduce 350,000 Chinese quota under hybrid vehicle safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/12/eu-turns-china-hybrid-car-pledge-into-350000-vehicle-safeguard-quota.md): The EU will launch a safeguard measure on Chinese hybrid cars under World Trade Organization rules, a senior EU official said. Chinese exporters will get a country-specific quota of 350,000 vehicles in the first year. The measure is due to be in place by early December and follows a meeting between the EU trade commissioner and his Chinese counterpart at the end of last week, where Beijing appears to have acquiesced to the move.
- [Week Ahead: More EU China, EU US, customs](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/12/week-ahead-more-eu-china-eu-us-customs.md): Thursday and Friday (15-16 October): European leaders’ summit. A discussion on China following the EU trade commissioner’s visit to Beijing last week. Tomorrow (13 October): Working Party on Trade Questions. Agenda includes the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, the future overcapacity regulation, including information on product Scope Review, “Melt and Pour” provisions, trade defence, textiles and clothing trade. Wednesday (14 October): Trade Policy Committee meeting. The agenda includes relations with the United States, ongoing bilateral trade negotiations and the European Commission’s annual report on the implementation and enforcement of EU trade policy. Wednesday is also the annual Trade Policy Day hosted by the European Commission in Brussels. A big bash for the trade policy community. Thursday: The European Commission will brief the European Parliament’s internal market committee on the impact of the temporary €3 customs duty for goods valued at under €150.
- [EU-China: Beijing agrees to curb hybrid auto exports](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/09/eu-china-beijing-agrees-to-curb-hybrid-auto-exports.md): By Rob Francis and Claire Lemaire. China will limit its hybrid car exports to the EU below half of projected levels over the next four years, EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said after two days of talks in Beijing with Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao. Both sides are set to continue to exploring the possibility of tariff reductions or elimination for certain goods. China has agreed to ease access to public tenders for EU medical devices exporters. Both sides pledge to warn each other before changing export-control lists, the two ministers said in a statement.
- [Overcapacity pledge could shield EU from US tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/08/overcapacity-pledge-could-shield-eu-from-us-tariffs.md): The EU may have found a way out of possible US tariffs over industrial overcapacity by signing a Washington-led pledge to tackle the problem, two former US trade officials said. The bloc is one of 16 economies targeted by a US investigation into overcapacity that could end in tariffs, under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act.
- [AI trade boom leads WTO to double 2026 goods forecast](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/08/ai-trade-boom-leads-wto-to-double-2026-goods-forecast.md): A boom in trade in goods related to artificial intelligence offset the impact of geopolitical shocks to deliver unexpectedly strong growth in world trade in the first half of 2026, the World Trade Organization said. Trade in goods is now expected to grow by 3.9% by volume in 2026, more than double the 1.9% growth the organisation forecast in March.
- [MEPs and industry at odds as Šefčovič heads to Beijing](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/07/meps-and-industry-at-odds-as-sefcovic-heads-to-beijing.md): As EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič travels to Beijing for talks ahead of a crunch EU-China summit, the European Parliament has called for firm action if China keeps its market closed to European firms. But while lawmakers want leverage, quotas and a readiness to use the EU's trade defence toolbox, industry is urging a negotiated deal and warning against escalation.
- [Norway to cut clothing tariffs to counter e-retail threat](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/07/norway-to-cut-clothing-tariffs-to-counter-e-retail-threat.md): Norway announced plans to cut import tariffs on clothes and textiles sold in Norwegian shops to help retailers compete with a rise in cheap fashion imports from China and elsewhere.
- [Franco-German rapid reaction trade tool awaits Council response](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/05/franco-german-rapid-reaction-trade-tool-awaits-council-reactions.md): France and Germany have asked the European Commission to create a new trade instrument that would allow Brussels to restrict – or cut off entirely – a country's access to the EU single market, with EU member states able to stop it only by a qualified majority against in the shortest period of time. Although a long way from being enacted, the two capitals want to send a signal to Beijing as trade tensions rise between the EU and China. Critics fear this may be another new instrument that goes unused, whilst others see this as a warning signal to Beijing to act on overcapacities and refrain from coercive action.
- [EU, Malaysia still stuck on cars, geographical indications](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/05/eu-malaysia-still-stuck-on-cars-geographical-indications.md): The European Union and Malaysia still face difficult issues in five areas of a possible free trade agreement, including motor vehicles and geographical indications, after the fifth round of talks held on 21-25 September in Brussels. The European Commission already flagged cars and geographical indications as among the toughest issues earlier this year. Both remain unresolved.
- [Week Ahead: EU China, WTO General Council](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/05/week-ahead-eu-china-wto-general-council.md): EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will be in China for crucial talks with his counterpart Wang Wentao on Thursday-Friday (8-9 October). The EU hopes to rebalance the bloc’s trade deficit with the Asian giant, which now stands at over €1 billion a day. Negotiations with China, which is pushing back against Made in Europe policies and other attempts in the EU at keeping Chinese companies at bay, were launched in June. There may be 'managed trade' options on the table, with China agreeing to export less and import more from the EU, as well as greater certainty for European importers faced with Beijing’s export controls on critical minerals. This week: The European Parliament will adopt a non-legislative resolution on EU-China relations. The report will be wide-ranging but will also cover trade. EU Council, Trade Policy Committee - Thursday - A debrief on EU-US relations - following commission trip to Washington DC and bilateral meetings held on sidelines of G20 ministerial meeting in Milwaukee last week. Debriefs with capitals on negotiations with Malaysia, Thailand, WTO reform. Agenda here. World Trade Organization – General Council will meet today and tomorrow. The agenda will include discussions on the various ongoing WTO reform initiatives, some of which are more contentious than others. Expect further arguments over the role of plurilateral agreements as India and its allies take aim at plans by a group of 67 members to bring the WTO e-commerce agreement into force on a provisional basis.
- [An EU Section 301 – what are we talking about?](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/02/an-eu-section-301-what-are-we-talking-about.md): Find the current debate in Brussels around trade protection plans targeting China confusing? Here’s a guide through the maze. By Claire Lemaire and Iana Dreyer
- [EU lawmakers in no rush to ratify WTO e-commerce deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/01/eu-lawmakers-in-no-rush-to-ratify-wto-e-commerce-deal.md): The European Parliament will take its time to scrutinise the World Trade Organization’s plurilateral e-commerce agreement, despite a European Commission push for the EU to ratify the deal early next year. Brando Benifei, a lawmaker from the Socialists and Democrats group, told members of the parliament’s international trade committee that there should be “serious political scrutiny” of the agreement and its implementation.
- [Indonesia faces tariff gap before EU trade deal kicks in](https://borderlex.net/2026/10/01/indonesia-faces-tariff-gap-before-eu-trade-deal-kicks-in.md): The European Commission will not extend Indonesia's current trade preferences when they expire on 1 January, the EU's chief negotiator for the bilateral trade deal told members of the European Parliament. Indonesian exporters will face the standard tariffs which the EU applies to all World Trade Organization members until the new free trade agreement enters into force.
- [EU court rejects Polish bid to suspend Mercosur deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/30/eu-court-rejects-polish-bid-to-suspend-mercosur-deal.md): The European Court of Justice rejected Poland’s request to suspend the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. The court’s vice-president said Warsaw had not demonstrated that the pact would cause “serious and irreparable damage” to the country’s interests. This meant there were no grounds for interim measures.
- [Paris and Berlin float US-style ‘red button’ trade tool as Beijing warns of response](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/30/paris-and-berlin-float-us-style-red-button-trade-tool-as-beijing-warns-of-response.md): France and Germany are working on proposals for a ‘red button’ mechanism that could cut China off from the European market within 24 hours in an emergency. The tool would work like the United States' Section 301 legislation, which allows Washington to hit back at perceived unfair trade practices, diplomatic sources told Borderlex.
- [Study urges stronger green clauses in EU investment pacts](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/30/study-urges-stronger-green-clauses-in-eu-investment-pacts.md): The EU should write stronger sustainability commitments into its investment facilitation agreements with developing countries, a new study says. In return, Brussels should give its partners more technical and financial help to cut red tape.
- [Opinion: After ‘Made in Europe’ comes the hard part](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/29/opinion-after-made-in-europe-comes-the-hard-part.md): It will take more than ‘Made in EU’ labelling to reverse the bloc’s industrial decline. The EU may need to untangle some of its current policies, whilst national capitals should revisit their fiscal policies.
- [EU Cybersecurity Act revision: in search of a ‘trusted route’](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/29/eu-cybersecurity-act-revision-in-search-of-a-trusted-route.md): The European Union is trying to tackle a surge in cyberattacks on its infrastructure and governments. Determining who – company or country of origin of a company - to trust is proving a challenge for regulators in Brussels. Geopolitical tensions, hybrid warfare and the rapidly unfolding artificial intelligence revolution have induced authorities to consider that current circumstances warrant a revision of a regulatory framework for cybersecurity - notably the EU's 2019 Cybersecurity Act.
- [IAA: MEPs fail to agree on ‘Made in Europe’](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/28/iaa-meps-fail-to-agree-on-made-in-europe.md): Members of the European Parliament are as divided as EU ministers over which countries should benefit from the 'Made in Europe' rules in the Industrial Accelerator Act. Lawmakers from the trade, internal market and industry committees held their first debate today on the European Parliament’s response to the European Commission’s IAA proposal.
- [Brazilian beef faces EU ban of at least two years](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/28/brazilian-beef-faces-eu-ban-of-at-least-two-years.md): The EU is unlikely to lift its ban on Brazilian beef for at least two years, a senior European Commission official told members of the European Parliament. Imports of Brazilian honey and poultry could resume sooner. A commission audit earlier this month found Brazil's controls on antimicrobials in both sectors were working.
- [Week Ahead: G20 trade meet, WTO reform talks, EU churn](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/28/week-ahead-g20-trade-meet-wto-reform-talks-eu-churn.md): G20 Wednesday-Thursday (30 September – 1 October): Meeting of G20 trade ministers in Milwaukee, United States. Ministers – not clear how many – are expected to approve a statement on steel excess capacity. During the G20 meeting EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will have a series of bilateral meetings, including with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. World Trade Organization Discussions on WTO reform will continue in Geneva throughout the week. An initial stocktake on these reform negotiations will take centre stage on Thursday's (1 October) meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee. This will pave the way for the next session of the organisation’s General Council on 5-6 October. EU Today: European Parliament committees on industry, internal market, and trade will jointly discuss the draft report by the rapporteurs on the Industrial Accelerator Act. See agenda. Today: The parliament’s agriculture committee will discuss with the European Commission “food safety, traceability and import to Europe”. Last week we reported that a number of the EU’s trade partners had sent a letter to the commission criticising its plans to reduce the limits for certain pesticides in imports. Thursday: The parliament's international trade committee or INTA will convene in the morning. On the agenda: debates on the EU-Indonesia free trade agreement, the EU-South Korea digital trade agreement and a vote on a non-legislative report on EU-Africa trade and investment relations. The Chief Trade Enforcement Officer Denis Redonnet will also present the commission's annual report on trade defence. This week: The EU and Thailand will conduct the tenth round of negotiations for a free trade agreement in the Asian country.
- [Comment: Mercosur is the future. And always will be.](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/25/comment-mercosur-is-the-future-and-always-will-be.md): Despite being provisionally in force, the EU-Mercosur trade agreement is still buffeted by political headwinds both sides. With elections in key EU member states – not to mention Brazil - on the horizon, the next twelve months will be decisive.
- [EU ministers still split on scope of ‘made in Europe’ preference](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/24/eu-ministers-still-split-on-scope-of-made-in-europe-preference.md): EU economy ministers remain divided over which countries should benefit from the 'made in Europe' rules in the Industrial Accelerator Act. Ireland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, wants them to settle the question in the coming weeks.
- [EU to defend carbon border levy in Russian WTO challenge](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/24/eu-to-defend-carbon-border-levy-in-russian-wto-challenge.md): The European Union will defend its carbon border adjustment mechanism in a World Trade Organization dispute brought by Russia – despite its distaste at having to face Moscow as its challenger. Brussels will object to the creation of a panel when Russia tables its request at tomorrow’s meeting of the organisation’s dispute settlement body. But the EU has no power to block the request, and the panel will be duly created.
- [Farm exporters warn EU pesticide plans clash with WTO rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/23/farm-exporters-warn-eu-pesticide-plans-clash-with-wto-rules.md): Nineteen agricultural exporting countries, including Brazil, Canada, India, Japan and the United States, warned the European Union that its plans to tighten limits on pesticide residues in imported food are inconsistent with global trade rules. In a joint letter seen by Borderlex, the countries’ heads of mission to the EU said the proposals clash with the World Trade Organization’s sanitary and phytosanitary agreement. The warning signals that the countries could take legal action unless Brussels changes the draft legislation.
- [EU-India series: Wine and spirits tariff cuts come with limits](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/23/eu-india-series-wine-and-spirits-tariff-cuts-come-with-limits.md): The EU and India agreed in January to cut tariffs on European wine and spirits from as high as 150% to as low as 20% for wine and 40% for spirits. The tariff schedules published since then show the cuts come with limits: cheap wine gets nothing, and Irish whiskey has looser origin rules than any other whisky. In the third article of our series on the schedules and quotas in the EU-India free trade agreement, Borderlex looks at wine, spirits and geographical indications.
- [RCEP moves on four membership bids, plans upgrade](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/23/rcep-moves-on-four-membership-bids-plans-upgrade.md): Trade ministers from members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreed to set up a working group to handle membership bids from Bangladesh, Chile, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.
- [Commission to unveil trade diversification tool in December](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/22/commission-to-unveil-trade-diversification-tool-in-december.md): The European Commission will present its trade diversification instrument in December, EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said. The tool is meant to cut EU industries' exposure to supply chain dependencies, chiefly those linked to China, and boost the bloc's economic security.
- [UK carmakers warn EU procurement curbs risk €24bn hit](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/22/uk-carmakers-warn-eu-procurement-curbs-risk-e24bn-hit.md): The EU’s plans to exclude UK-assembled cars from its procurement contracts would jeopardise around €24 billion a year in EU economic activity, British carmakers have warned. The research comes as political tussles over the scope of ‘Made in Europe’ rules intensify.
- [EU, Philippines reach “substantial” deal on free trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/22/eu-philippines-reach-substantial-deal-on-free-trade-pact.md): Brussels and Manila say only technical details remain before a full agreement, with entry into force targeted within two years.
- [Perspectives: Undermining FTAs because of China is bad EU policy](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/21/perspectives-undermining-ftas-because-of-china-is-bad-eu-policy.md): The EU’s Made in Europe and whack-a-mole approach to China is undermining its free trade agreement agenda, to the detriment of long-term partnerships and of the policy stability needed to foster growth.
- [EU imposes safeguard measures on steel needed for electrification](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/21/eu-imposes-safeguard-measures-on-steel-needed-for-electrification.md): The European Commission imposed provisional safeguard measures on grain-oriented electrical steel - a specialised type of steel used to make power transformers and to transport electricity from power plants to homes and factories. Steelmakers welcomed the move, but makers of grid equipment say the move will backfire.
- [Brussels to seek digital trade deal with Costa Rica](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/21/brussels-to-seek-digital-trade-deal-with-costa-rica.md): The European Commission recommended opening negotiations with Costa Rica on a digital trade agreement, aiming to conclude talks during 2028.
- [Week Ahead: EU China, EU US, Malaysia, WTO returns to work](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/21/week-ahead-eu-china-eu-us-malaysia-wto-returns-to-work.md): This week: the European Commission's director general for trade Ditte Juul Jorgensen will be in Beijing to prepare the ground for the visit of EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on 8-9 October. The EU wants China to agree on measures to reduce the bloc’s trade deficit with Beijing by next month. There are signs Beijing might informally agree to some export restrictions. See here. Wednesday (23 September): EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will meet US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder. This week: the EU and Malaysia will hold the 5th round of negotiations on a free trade agreement. See here. Thursday (24 September): EU ministers at the Competitiveness Council will discuss the Chips Act 2.0 and the Industrial Accelerator Act. See agenda. World Trade Organization Tomorrow and Thursday (22 and 24 September) – discussions will resume in Geneva on the difficult issue of WTO reform. On the agenda: decision-making processes, level playing field’. Read here our latest analysis of the reform talks. Fish is back on the menu in Geneva. Guyana’s ambassador Leslie Ramsammy has convened a week-long series of discussions looking ways forward for stalled negotiations on new disciplines on government subsidies to the fisheries sector. Friday (25 September) – the Dispute Settlement Body will hold its latest monthly meeting. The key point on the agenda will be a Russian demand to set up a panel on the EU’s new carbon border adjustment mechanism.
- [WTO reform push takes aim at most-favoured nation rule](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/18/wto-reform-push-takes-aim-at-most-favoured-nation-rule.md): The ongoing reform process at the World Trade Organization is challenging some of the most fundamental tenets of the global trading system – and the process’s outcomes could be highly disruptive.
- [Editor’s take: Nobody is picking up the baton on digital trade ground rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/18/editors-take-nobody-is-picking-up-the-baton-on-digital-trade-ground-rules.md): Will it ever be possible to repair the cracks that have appeared in the global digital trade architecture? This is the question yours truly will bring home after spending the week hanging around the hallways and smaller rooms of the World Trade Organization's headquarters in Geneva during its annual Public Forum.
- [Carney backs EU links as questions persist over shape of new alliance](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/17/carney-backs-eu-links-as-questions-persist-over-shape-of-new-alliance.md): Canadian prime minister Mark Carney welcomed an invitation from Ursula von der Leyen to open talks on a new EU-Canada alliance. But he stopped short of embracing her suggestion that Canada become an associate member of the union.
- [India sets out guardrails for plurilateral deals at WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/17/india-sets-out-guardrails-for-plurilateral-deals-at-wto.md): India has revitalised World Trade Organization reform discussions with a paper setting out, for the first time, possible principles for integrating plurilateral agreements into the WTO's legal framework.
- [EU-India series: Car tariff quotas explained](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/16/eu-india-series-car-tariff-quotas-explained.md): In the second article in our series of articles explaining the schedules and quotas in the EU-India free trade agreement, Rob Francis looks at the provisions covering cars.
- [Von der Leyen dangles associate EU membership for Canada](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/16/von-der-leyen-dangles-associate-eu-membership-for-canada.md): European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wants Canada to become an associate member of the European Union. Legal scholars see a possible route through a specific treaty article, but any deal would likely need unanimous backing from EU capitals. The commission chief also said she wants the EU-Canada free trade agreement – CETA – to evolve towards an “Alliance for the Future”.
- [MEPs reject CBAM exemption option](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/15/meps-reject-cbam-exemption-option.md): The European Parliament voted on plans to reform the EU’s carbon border levy. They backed an expansion of its product scope proposed by the European Commission, but rejected a safety valve in the case of price shocks. The vote paves the way for inter-institutional negotiations with EU governments.
- [Opinion: Canada’s ‘unique alliance’ with the EU is a CPTPP story](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/15/opinion-canadas-unique-alliance-with-the-eu-is-a-cptpp-story.md): Brussels is still pondering what to offer Canada as it seeks a deeper partnership with the European Union. One thing is certain: anything the EU builds with Ottawa is not a bilateral instrument. It is a hinge between the European regulatory space and the Pacific rulebook. Brussels needs to signal clearly its intentions vis-à-vis Canada by the time of the bilateral summit in late October, not by the end of the decade.
- [EU-India series: Reduced ambition on agri-food](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/14/eu-india-series-reduced-ambition-on-agri-food.md): In the first of a series of in-depth pieces looking at the tariff schedules and quotas in the EU-India free trade agreement, Borderlex deputy editor Chris Horseman analyses the provisions on agri-food.
- [Week Ahead: SOTEU, EU Canada, EU customs, WTO Public Forum](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/14/week-ahead-soteu-eu-canada-eu-customs-wto-public-forum.md): We're in full swing after the summer break. EU trade policy Wednesday (16 September): European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will give her much anticipated State of the Union speech in the European Parliament. Expect some strong statements on the balance of trade with China. Thursday: (17 September): Canadian prime minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Brussels and Ottawa are currently seeking to further strengthen relations amid ongoing trade threats from the United States. Also on Thursday the parliament will approve the agreement struck with the EU member states on the EU customs reform. The committee vote will take place this evening. Both votes are expected to be formalities. Borderlex coverage on the reform is here. Tomorrow: Working Party on Trade Questions – agenda includes OECD Steel Committee and Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, the EU’s new steel measure, export restrictions on aluminium scrap, Mercosur safeguards and trade defence. Borderlex at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva Thursday 17 September 2026 at 12:00 Chris Horseman will moderate the session 'Role of services in supply chain resilience and security' organised by the Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy. The session explores how trade in services can strengthen the security and resilience of global supply chains, while also examining vulnerabilities created by digitalisation, geopolitical tensions, regulatory fragmentation and cross-border data dependencies. Thursday 17 September 2026 at 10:30 Iana Dreyer will moderate 'Powering the future with digital services trade' organised by the European Services Forum and Digital Europe. This session examines how digital services drive global trade and economic growth, while highlighting the risks posed by data localisation rules, tariffs on electronic transmissions and other regulatory barriers. World Trade Institute Bern - On Friday 18 September 2026 Iana Dreyer will also take part in the World Trade Forum 2026 in Bern. She will chair the opening plenary, 'Europe, Innovation vs. Protectionism', bringing together representatives from the OECD, European Commission, Swiss industry and the European Services Forum.
- [Aluminium industry lashes out at EU over shelved export curbs](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/11/aluminium-industry-lashes-out-at-eu-over-shelved-export-curbs.md): Europe's aluminium industry has reacted angrily to the European Commission's decision to shelve a draft proposal to restrict exports of aluminium scrap, after the EU executive opted instead to tackle the issue through the EU's waste shipment law. The proposal would have responded to industry concerns over access to affordable scrap in Europe. It was due to be tabled on 23 September.
- [UK drops anti-subsidy duty plans for US biodiesel](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/10/uk-drops-anti-subsidy-duty-plans-on-us-biodiesel.md): The British government has decided not to apply anti-subsidy duties on imports of hydrotreated vegetable oil biodiesel from the United States. This follows a report by the Trade Remedies Authority, in which the latter said that, despite damaging US government subsidies, doing so would not be in the country's economic interest.
- [Opinion: EU, China, and the illusion of choice](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/10/opinion-eu-china-and-the-illusion-of-choice.md): The EU and China are locked in negotiations on rebalancing their trading relationship. But whilst the EU appears willing to hold off from making any difficult decisions, for Beijing it is business as usual.
- [EVENT: Digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, EU trade policy agenda](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/10/event-digital-sovereignty-cybersecurity-eu-trade-policy-agenda.md): Digital sovereignty and the future of trade policy – 24 September 2026 Borderlex, in collaboration with VVGB Advocaten, is hosting a half-day seminar in Brussels on the trade and investment law implications of Europe’s digital sovereignty and cybersecurity agenda.
- [‘Buy European’: EU arms itself to exclude partners from public procurement](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/09/buy-european-eu-arms-itself-to-exclude-partners-from-public-procurement.md): The European Commission wants to empower authorities to favour public procurement bids from firms from the EU and from countries which have reciprocal arrangements in their free trade agreements with the bloc. In its proposal to reform the 2014 public procurement legislation, the EU executive also wants to ensure that signatories to the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement are placed on an equal footing with EU-based firms.
- [Cambodia joins WTO’s interim appeals arrangement](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/09/cambodia-joins-wtos-interim-appeals-arrangement.md): Cambodia became the 62nd member of the World Trade Organization to join the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement for resolving disputes.
- [EU businesses want Brussels to pursue Asean-wide trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/09/eu-businesses-want-brussels-to-pursue-asean-wide-trade-deal.md): Nearly three-quarters of European businesses want the European Union to negotiate a region-to-region free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to a new survey.
- [UK bans trade with Israeli settlements in West Bank](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/08/uk-bans-trade-with-israeli-settlements-in-west-bank.md): The United Kingdom joined 11 other countries — including eight EU member states — in announcing economic sanctions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank that they regard as illegal under international law.
- [Exclusive: Lawmakers seek EU-first rule for state contracts](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/08/exclusive-lawmakers-seek-eu-first-rule-for-state-contracts.md): European Parliament rapporteurs want public procurement contracts to favour European Union firms first, before opening the market further on the basis of reciprocity. Their approach clashes with the European Commission's proposal for the Industrial Accelerator Act. The rapporteurs' draft report, the details of which have been by Borderlex, is expected to be published tomorrow and is in the final stages of preparation.
- [Šefčovič hails China visit as more successful than expected](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/08/sefcovic-hails-china-visit-as-more-successful-than-expected.md): EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said a European Commission delegation's visit to China last week had been more successful than he had expected.
- [Opinion: As governments try to win trade wars, they risk losing the planet](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/07/opinion-as-governments-try-to-win-trade-wars-they-risk-losing-the-planet.md): There is an inherent tension between protecting domestic industries and effectively combating climate change. Environmental technologies and critical materials are often the focus of trade wars. In establishing tariffs and quotas, governments on both sides of a trade war need to ensure that environmental protection doesn’t become collateral damage.
- [Week Ahead: Made in Europe procurement, EU digital pacts](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/07/week-ahead-made-in-europe-procurement-eu-digital-pacts.md): Wednesday (9 September): The European Commission will publish its regulatory change proposals on EU public procurement rules. According to an earlier draft of the proposals seen by Borderlex it will include measures to encourage authorities to favour EU-made products and and EU-based firms. Wednesday: Trade Policy Committee will meet in its services and investment configuration. The agenda includes the trade talks with the United Arab Emirates, the WTO e-commerce agreement and moratorium, the EU-Canada digital trade negotiations and potential EU-Costa Rica digital trade agreement negotiations.
- [Week in Brussels: Armenia, Côte d’Ivoire, WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/04/week-in-brussels-armenia-cote-divoire-wto.md): The EU institutions have got straight back to work after the summer recess. In EU trade policy news you may have missed this week: Lawmakers backed measures to temporarily liberalise trade with Armenia to help Yerevan withstand pressure from Russia The European Commission gave an update on its negotiations with Côte d’Ivoire on a sustainable investment facilitation agreement The chair of the WTO council spoke at an event in Brussels.
- [EU and Philippines edge towards free trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/03/eu-and-philippines-edge-towards-free-trade-deal.md): Brussels and Manila are closing in on a free trade agreement, with the European Commission's chief negotiator telling parliamentarians a deal could be sealed within weeks — though gaps remain on goods, services and government procurement.
- [EU, UAE trade talks make progress but key gaps remain](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/03/eu-uae-trade-talks-make-progress-but-key-gaps-remain.md): Seven rounds in, negotiators have closed just two chapters of a future EU-UAE trade agreement. Energy pricing, public procurement and labour rights remain the toughest nuts to crack.
- [Japan’s bid to host CPTPP secretariat opens rifts](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/02/japans-bid-to-host-cptpp-secretariat-opens-rifts.md): Japan's offer to host a new secretariat for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership looks set to open up political divisions within the 12-nation trade bloc. Officials say the chances of ministers agreeing to set up such an entity at their annual CPTPP commission meeting in November appear slim.
- [Juul Jørgensen: EU wants ‘proof of concept’ from China](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/02/juul-jorgensen-eu-wants-proof-of-concept-from-china.md): Ditte Juul Jørgensen, the European Commission's new director-general for trade and economic security, said the EU is looking for "concrete results" and "proof of concept" from its ongoing talks with China over the bilateral trade imbalance.
- [EU to push for interim fix on stalled WTO investment pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/02/eu-to-push-for-interim-fix-on-stalled-wto-investment-pact.md): The European Union will push for the plurilateral World Trade Organization agreement on investment facilitation to be applied on an interim basis, despite the continuing opposition of several WTO members.
- [EU adds name to WTO e-commerce duty-free pledge](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/01/eu-adds-name-to-wto-e-commerce-duty-free-pledge.md): The European Union formally pledged not to apply import duties on electronic commerce transactions from 24 other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
- [EU steel origin rules: lenient yet harsh, lawyers say](https://borderlex.net/2026/09/01/eu-steel-origin-rules-lenient-yet-harsh-lawyers-say.md): New rules to establish the origin of steel imported into the EU present a mix of challenges and concessions to traders, trade lawyers said. The European Commission published an implementing regulation, approved by EU member states, setting out how steel importers must prove where their product originated.
- [Week Ahead: EU parliament trade committee, EU in WTO, UK in CPTPP](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/31/week-ahead-autumn-previews-eu-parliament-trade-committee-eu-in-wto-uk-in-cptpp.md): It's back-to-school week in Brussels. Below, some key meetings to watch. Many agendas are on our Data Hub. Also: our autumn preview for trade policy in the European Union can be found here. Our autumn preview for the United Kingdom is here. Wednesday-Thursday (2-3 September): European Parliament Committee on International Trade. On the agenda: an exchange with the commission's new director general for trade Ditte Juul Jørgensen, WTO, global subsidies, investment talks with Côte d’Ivoire, a hearing on the Industrial Accelerator Act, Generalised Scheme of Preferences, Armenia, and updates on trade talks with the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. Thursday (3 September): The EU ban imports of food-producing animals and animal products from Brazil to come into force, owing to concerns over compliance with EU antimicrobial rules. Our latest coverage on this issue here. Thursday: European Council. Trade Policy Committee meeting. On the agenda– trade agreement negotiations with Malaysia and the Philippines, and a discussion on EU steel quota renegotiations with WTO partners under GATT Article XXVIII. Tomorrow and Wednesday: Informal meeting of EU foreign ministers – agenda includes trade with Israeli sentiments in the occupied West Bank. United Kingdom- Canada – Tomorrow – Canada and the UK will begin trading under the terms of the CPTPP. Britain’s accession CPTPP is now complete.
- [EU reset tops crowded UK trade agenda](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/28/eu-reset-tops-crowded-uk-trade-agenda.md): Relations with the EU will dominate UK trade policy this autumn, as London seeks to finalise its delayed 'reset' agreement on closer trade and economic ties.
- [Trade truce, new frictions: what’s ahead for Brussels this autumn](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/27/trade-truce-new-frictions-whats-ahead-for-brussels-this-autumn.md): Brussels heads into autumn with one trade war brewing and another simmering. Tariff pressure from Washington has stabilised for now, but Beijing is fast overtaking the United States as the bloc’s biggest trade headache, while a Brazilian animal-product ban and a packed free trade agenda add to the workload.
- [Opinion: How managed trade can save the EU-China relationship](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/26/opinion-how-managed-trade-can-save-the-eu-china-relationship.md): The EU and China risk heading towards a trade war, notwithstanding the launch of a Trade and Investment Dialogue earlier this summer. But agreeing on a form of managed trade could provide an exit ramp, striking a balance between providing Europe with the goods and inputs it needs, preserving employment in China and not impeding the EU’s efforts to re-industrialise.
- [Australian opposition threatens to sink EU trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/26/australian-opposition-threatens-to-sink-eu-trade-deal.md): The leader of one of Australia’s main opposition parties said he would not support ratification of the trade agreement between Australia and the European Union, calling it "the worst deal ever".
- [UK seeks Morocco deal on public procurement access](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/24/uk-seeks-morocco-deal-on-public-procurement-access.md): The UK government plans to negotiate a public procurement chapter with Morocco to secure improved access to an expanding state procurement market in the North African country.
- [What’s in the new Switzerland-China trade agreement?](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/24/whats-in-the-new-switzerland-china-trade-agreement.md): Switzerland defied the western trend towards trade conflict with China by concluding a comprehensive new trade deal with Beijing. The accord, finalised last week, will remove almost all tariffs on Swiss exports to China and cut a range of barriers to trade in services. The deal is remarkable for containing provisions on the environment and labour which, according to the Swiss government, are the most comprehensive ever included in a Chinese free trade agreement.
- [Editor’s Take: Origin determination – the next trade battle with the US?](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/14/editors-take-origin-determination-the-next-trade-battle-with-the-us.md): The White House’s freshly announced national security tariffs on drones and their components appear to mainly target China’s surging industrial lead in the sector. Trade deal ‘partners’ such as the European Union will be given the tariff levels already guaranteed to them. So there will be no fresh tariff war ...
- [EU targets neighbours with 50% above-quota steel duty](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/07/eu-targets-neighbours-with-50-above-quota-steel-duty.md): The European Union has decided to apply the 50% out-of-quota duties foreseen in a new steel regulation enacted at the end of June to free trade agreement partners Albania, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Tunisia. It also targeted Türkiye with which it is in a customs union.
- [Comment: Brussels expands intra-EU approach to outside ISDS awards](https://borderlex.net/2026/08/07/comment-brussels-expands-intra-eu-approach-to-outside-isds-awards.md): The European Commission has launched an in-depth state aid investigation into Spain's payment of an arbitration award under the Energy Charter Treaty to a Japanese renewable energy producer, arguing that the payment breaches European Union state aid rules. With this move, Brussels is expanding the approach it has taken regarding intra-EU investor arbitration to cases with investors from third countries.
- [Brazil faces months-long wait to lift EU meat ban](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/31/brazil-faces-months-long-wait-to-lift-eu-meat-ban.md): Brazilian exporters of beef and chicken are frontloading deliveries to the EU ahead of a ban on animal-product imports from the country that takes effect on 3 September.
- [Brazil launches WTO case against US tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/31/brazil-launches-wto-case-against-us-tariffs.md): Brazil tabled a dispute settlement complaint against the United States' latest round of tariffs at the World Trade Organization, claiming the measures breach international trade law.
- [Exclusive: Eroglu sees no shift in Beijing’s export policies](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/30/exclusive-eroglu-sees-no-shift-in-beijings-export-policies.md): The chair of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China told Borderlex he does not expect Beijing to change its export-driven policies, even as the EU's goods deficit with China approaches €1 billion a day.
- [Interview: An ‘adequacy’ template for a WTO semiconductor trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/29/interview-an-adequacy-template-for-a-wto-semiconductor-trade-deal.md): A sectoral agreement on trade in semiconductors could be a way of preserving trade flows while addressing concerns about economic security. In a recent study, Petros Mavroidis, a trade law specialist and non-resident fellow at the Bruegel think-tank, and co-author Mario R. Palacios argue that the EU’s ‘adequacy’ principle for ...
- [Türkiye’s China EV tariffs breach WTO limits, panel rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/28/turkiyes-china-ev-tariffs-breach-wto-limits-panel-rules.md): A World Trade Organization dispute panel ruled that Türkiye's additional duties on electric vehicles imported from China breach Ankara's commitments under WTO rules, because the duties exceed the country's bound tariff ceilings. But the panel said Ankara was justified in exempting its free trade agreement and customs union partners from the duties.
- [Opinion: Is it time for the EU to open an anti-coercion examination into China?](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/28/opinion-is-it-time-for-the-eu-to-open-an-anti-coercion-examination-into-china.md): The EU should urgently examine China’s imposition of export controls on 14 EU entities from last week to determine whether the measure represents coercion, argues Niall Moran from Dublin City University.
- [Opinion: Travesty of language – the hollowing-out of the most-favoured nation clause](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/27/opinion-travesty-of-language-the-hollowing-out-of-the-most-favoured-nation-clause.md): 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.
- [Interview: The WTO ‘can’t be frozen forever in amber’](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/27/interview-the-wto-cant-be-frozen-forever-in-amber.md): Efforts to reform the way the World Trade Organization operates will dominate the organisation’s agenda this autumn. Chris Horseman spoke to WTO General Council chair and New Zealand envoy Clare Kelly about why she was not so pessimistic after the Yaoundé ministerial meeting in March, about the role of plurilateral ...
- [Week Ahead: Brussels winds down, WTO talks reform](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/27/week-ahead-brussels-winds-down-wto-talks-reform.md): The Brussels Bubble is going into summer mode. There are hardly any formal meetings in Council let alone the European Parliament, with activities resuming only in the last week of August. This does not mean there will be no trade policy news. We are still awaiting news on the EU-US side of things, with a US Section 232 report on industrial overcapacities due any time. There may be further EU-China trade escalation after Beijing put 14 EU firms on its dual use export control entity list in response to Brussels putting Chinese firms on its latest 14th sanctions package tied to Russia's war in Ukraine. EU trade defence activity may also be noticeable - we are still waiting for the launch of a new safeguard investigation on chemicals, for instance. We will be watching that space at Borderlex. World Trade Organization Meetings will continue this week in Geneva as WTO members try to elaborate a work plan for discussions on WTO reform. On the agenda this week: Today - Development issues Wednesday (29 July) - ‘Level playing field’ issues – principally the question of industrial subsidies Thursday (30 July) – Transparency *This is the last Week Ahead column ahead of Borderlex's own summer recess, which begins next week. The team will pick up this column on 31 August.
- [EU exporters benefit as US changes tariff basis](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/24/eu-exporters-benefit-as-us-changes-tariff-basis.md): 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 Brussels. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman
- [Exclusive: WTO panel looms for EU’s carbon border levy](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/23/exclusive-wto-panel-looms-for-eus-carbon-border-levy.md): The European Union's carbon border adjustment mechanism, or CBAM, is about to go on trial. Russia will press its claim for a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel to assess the legality of the measure when the WTO's dispute settlement body meets tomorrow. Experts say the panel proceedings will be long and complicated, and that neither side can feel confident of a positive outcome.
- [Brussels flags subsidy concerns over Chinese retail takeover bid](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/22/brussels-flags-subsidy-concerns-over-chinese-retail-takeover-bid.md): The European Commission told Chinese e-commerce group JD.com that it may have received subsidies capable of distorting the EU's internal market, as the company pursues a takeover of German retailer Ceconomy. JD.com heads a group that runs a retail business and an online marketplace in China. It wants to acquire the German firm Ceconomy, whose brands include MediaMarkt, MediaWorld and Saturn.
- [Perspectives: WTO members may value global trade rules – but only for others](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/21/perspectives-wto-members-may-value-global-trade-rules-but-only-for-others.md): WTO reform conversations have begun. The countless papers submitted by members show there is real commitment to some system. But only when they also accept the need to discipline their own behaviour will real progress be made.
- [UK prime minister Burnham makes sweeping trade team changes](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/21/uk-prime-minister-burnham-makes-sweeping-trade-team-changes.md): New UK prime minister Andy Burnham reshuffled his government's trade team on his first day in office yesterday, setting back hopes for a deal to reset EU-UK relations this year. Burnham appointed Jonathan Reynolds as business and trade secretary, a post Reynolds held between 2024 and 2025. Reynolds replaces Peter Kyle, who leaves the government.
- [Brussels sees room to cut US tariffs on key EU exports](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/20/brussels-sees-room-to-cut-us-tariffs-on-key-eu-exports.md): European Commission officials say Washington could exempt wine, cheese and other goods from its 10% blanket tariff, as they push the US to honour last year's Turnberry deal.
- [Week Ahead: US tariffs, China, WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/20/week-ahead-us-tariffs-china-wto.md): There is no summer without Donald Trump's United States dampening the prospect of a quiet holiday... United States’ section 122 tariffs of 10% set to expire – Friday (24 July) – Will these be replaced immediately by Section 301 tariffs resulting from the US' forced labour investigation, or will there be a stop gap? If so, what happens in this stop gap? This is unclear at the time of writing. The timing for the results of a parallel US 301 probe into excess capacity, where Europeans are also targeted, is also unclear. Our latest coverage of EU-US relations here and here. European Parliament foreign affairs committee delegation to visit China – tomorrow to Thursday (23 July) – economic imbalances to feature in a broader agenda which also includes security, human rights and the Indo-Pacific political situation. World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body - Friday (24 July) – Russia will request the creation of a WTO panel to investigate the legality of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism at the latest meeting of the organization’s Dispute Settlement Body. Delegates will also discuss prospects for reviving stalled talks over reform of the dispute settlement process. India Trade Policy Review - Tuesday and Thursday (21-23 July) – India will become the latest country to face scrutiny from WTO members under the Trade Policy Review process. Reform - WTO ambassadors will continue informal contacts with members over how to proceed with contentious negotiations over WTO reform this week. Today members will look at ‘foundational issues’ - such as the most favoured nation principle, while on Wednesday (22 July) the focus shifts to decision-making. United Kingdom – Today – Andy Burnham will become Britain’s new prime minister, following the resignation of Keir Starmer. Burnham is thought likely to reappoint Jonathan Reynolds as business and trade secretary - the position he held in 2024-2025 before being replaced last September by Peter Kyle.
- [South Korea, Peru, Thailand join trade partnership](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/17/south-korea-peru-thailand-join-trade-partnership.md): Three counties joined the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership, bolstering the group's significance as an association of smaller trade-dependent economies. South Korea, Peru and Thailand all joined the partnership at a ministerial meeting today in Auckland, New Zealand, bringing its total membership up to 19. Fiji signalled its intention to become the 20th member in due course.
- [Bangladesh, India, Pakistan top EU trade scheme beneficiaries](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/16/bangladesh-india-pakistan-top-eu-trade-scheme-beneficiaries.md): 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 showed. Clothing was the main export to the EU from countries covered by the Generalised System of Preferences.
- [EU eyes reciprocity rules for public procurement bids](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/16/eu-eyes-reciprocity-rules-for-public-procurement-bids.md): 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. Under the plan, the commission and public buyers across the bloc could limit bids for public contracts to firms from EU member states, countries that are signatories to the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Government Procurement and the EU's free trade agreement partners.
- [US arrears deepen WTO cashflow strain](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/16/us-arrears-deepen-wto-cashflow-strain.md): The United States has continued to withhold money from the World Trade Organization, adding to a significant cashflow challenge for the global trade body.
- [EU, India aim to seal investment pact by year-end](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/15/eu-india-aim-to-seal-investment-pact-by-year-end.md): The European Union and India said they want to conclude talks on a bilateral investment protection agreement by the end of the year.
- [EU says WTO blockers must ‘face political cost’](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/15/eu-says-wto-blockers-must-face-political-cost.md): The European Union called for countries which block decisions at the World Trade Organization to confront the “political cost” of their actions. In a paper submitted to the world trade body, the EU added its voice to a growing list of members expressing frustration that the principle of consensus for ...
- [FSR: Brussels mulls raising foreign subsidies notification threshold](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/15/fsr-brussels-mulls-raising-foreign-subsidies-notification-threshold.md): The European Commission is considering increasing the turnover threshold above which foreign companies involved in mergers in the European Union need to comply with reporting requirements to clear their acquisitions. The EU body also promises more transparency on the notifications and related requirements for public procurement contracts. The thus far merely informally announced proposals come following a three-year review of its flagship Foreign Subsidies Regulation that aims to capture market distortions caused by subsidies received by companies from outside the union buying firms or bidding for public contracts on the EU market.
- [EU backs ‘sectoral deals’ as part of WTO most-favoured-nation rethink](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/14/eu-backs-sectoral-deals-as-part-of-wto-most-favoured-nation-rethink.md): The European Union doubled down on its call for World Trade Organization members to review the functioning of the most-favoured-nation principle. In a submission to the WTO’s General Council, the EU said the institution’s members should be prepared to consider “sectoral trade agreements” under which preferential trade commitments would be ...
- [Brussels warns of more EU-US trade turbulence](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/14/brussels-warns-of-more-eu-us-trade-turbulence.md): The trade relationship between the EU and the United States will remain volatile and require close management, a senior European Commission official said.
- [European Commission hopes for China purchase commitments](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/14/european-commission-hopes-for-china-purchase-commitments.md): European Commission deputy director-general Denis Redonnet promised members of the European Parliament stronger transparency about what his institution is discussing with China after it established a working group with Beijing's ministry of commerce at the end of last month. Redonnet was grilled by the international trade committee today about what precisely the new EU-China Trade and Investment Consultations entail.
- [UK to axe de minimis relief by October 2028](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/14/uk-to-axe-de-minimis-relief-by-october-2028.md): The UK government will scrap de minimis duty relief on low-value imports by October 2028, six months earlier than originally planned. The finance ministry set out the timeline in a statement responding to a consultation on ending the relief for parcels valued under £135. The ministry also said it would introduce a fee to cover the administration costs of such imports, mirroring an idea already adopted by the EU. It has yet to decide on the fee's amount. London also confirmed that traders will need to provide full identification of the relevant tariff code for each consignment. It had previously consulted on a simplified tariff 'bucket' approach for these goods.
- [Ten takeaways from the new UK-Swiss trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/13/ten-takeaways-from-the-new-uk-swiss-trade-pact.md): The United Kingdom and Switzerland concluded negotiations on a new bilateral free trade agreement which focuses heavily on the services sector.
- [EU governments mull import ban from occupied West Bank](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/13/eu-governments-mull-import-ban-from-occupied-west-bank.md): EU foreign ministers told their ambassadors to continue talks on a possible ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
- [Commission trims deforestation law’s product list](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/13/commission-trims-deforestation-laws-product-list.md): The European Commission removed leather from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation. Today’s delegated act also confirms that coffee and frozen cattle tongues will join the EU's due-diligence regime which is due to take effect on 30 December.
- [Week Ahead: India focus, EUDR, export controls and FSR, WTO reform, UK India](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/13/week-ahead-india-focus-eudr-export-controls-and-fsr-wto-reform-uk-india.md): EU EU-India Trade and Technology Council – Wednesday (15 July). Little is known of what is on the agenda. Common work on WTO reform is one of the discussion points (see below). Deforestation regulation update – this week the European Commission could finally publish the delegated act amending the scope of the Deforestation Regulation, notably to exclude leather. The European Parliament has two months to oppose the measure, otherwise it enters into force. Marathon European Parliament international trade committee meeting – today and tomorrow – agenda includes discussions on a presentation by the Irish presidency of its priorities for the next months, textiles trade, EU plans for outbound investment controls, China relations, export controls, steel, relations with the United States, Armenian tariff suspension, review of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. European Parliament agriculture committee – today and tomorrow – EU Australia FTA on the agenda. Meeting of EU foreign ministers – today – agenda will include a discussion on whether to ban the import of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The European Commission informally tabled options include an import licensing system, prohibitive tariffs or a complete ban on imports from Israeli settlements Meeting of EU agriculture ministers – today – agenda includes trade-related agricultural issues Council: Trade Policy Committee - 15 July - agenda includes in services and and investment formation. On the agenda: "Strategic Debate on the future of EU Investment protection policy", and EU Indonesia IPA. Trade Policy Committee - 16 July - agenda includes the EU Malaysia FTA tariff offer question. World Trade Organization General Council meeting tomorrow and Wednesday (14-15 July) – Final session before the summer break. On the agenda: the newly-relaunched discussions on WTO reform, and a bid to resuscitate stalled negotiations on fisheries subsidies. India will also demand explanations from the 68 WTO members who announced at the Yaoundé ministerial that they would press ahead with implementation of the plurilateral e- commerce agreement despite New Delhi’s refusal to sanction it as a full WTO treaty. UK Wednesday – the new EU India free trade agreement called CEPA will enter into force, less than a year after negotiations on the agreement were concluded. Missed our articles late last week? Here they are EU anti-dumping tariffs on tyres, and other updates on a busy TDI week. UK update on slew of FTAs: Türkiye, Canada, Switzerland WTO panel clears EU approach to anti-dumping investigations.
- [Quick duty reduction, softer tyre tariffs from Brussels](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/10/quick-duty-reduction-softer-tyre-tariffs-from-brussels.md): The news in trade defence in Europe was dominated by the launch of a ‘pekin duck’ anti-dumping investigation. Little attention was paid to the WTO report this week on fatty acids that largely cleared the EU’s ways of working in anti-dumping cases. The duck amusement factor may also have diverted attention away from three ‘pre-disclosures’ on cases covering tyres, benzyl alcohol and lightweight thermal paper - all targeting China. On the latter, countervailing duties announced range between 28% and 70.5% Up to 45.3% anti-dumping duties on rubber tyres from China The EU unveiled definitive anti-dumping duties on rubber pneumatic tyres from China on Tuesday (7 July). These range from 4.3% ad valorem duties applied to the Hankook group to 45.3% for Shandong Yongsheng Rubber Group and all other firms that did not cooperate in the EU’s investigation. The EU did, rather exceptionally did not apply provisional duties nine months into the case as the file was complex and contentious. These final duties are relatively low given the current trend in EU trade defence policy to ratchet up duty levels to record highs in the triple digits especially on imports from China. No provisional countervailing duties on car and light lorry tyres The European Commission disclosed at the same time that it would not apply provisional countervailing duties on car and light lorry tyres from China. This relates to an anti-subsidy case launched in parallel to the above anti-dumping case in November 2025. “Given the technical complexity of the case, the Commission has decided not to impose provisional measures and to continue the investigation,” reads the executive body's notice this week. We shall see where we end up on this tyre anti-subsidy case.... It would not be the first time the EU drops an anti-subsidy investigation once anti-dumping duties apply on the same or similar products from the same country. This happened in the above-mentioned fatty acids case, among others. It is also notable that thus far in 2026, the commission has not launched so far one single new anti-subsidy investigation. Mighty calculation error Since we mention the fatty acids case: The one matter the WTO panel took issue with was a calculation error and the trade defence authorities' way of handling it, disproportionately hitting one of the targeted Indonesian firms. Coincidence or not: the very same day the WTO report came out, the commission issued a correction to a pre-disclosed announcement of anti-dumping duties on benzyl alcohol. This involves a meaningful reduction of duties. On 2 July the pre-disclosure notice announced a duty range of 79.4% to 104.5%. Only six days later, the pre-announced duties were reduced to a 66.8% to 71.2% range. “Following comments received by the sampled exporting producers on the accuracy of calculations that were specifically disclosed to them, the Commission revised the dumping calculations and also corrected certain injury margin oversights,” the notice said. Well that’s unusual – and what an interesting coincidence with the WTO report!
- [UK FTA roundup: Switzerland, Türkiye, Canada/CPTPP](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/10/uk-fta-roundup-switzerland-turkiye-canada-cptpp.md): Earlier this week we reported on divergences within the UK government on whether to launch free trade negotiations with Mercosur. But there have been plenty of other developments on the FTA front as London seeks to forge meaningful trade relationships across the world. Our 'at-a-glance' roundup is below.
- [India questions Okonjo-Iweala’s role in e-commerce deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/09/india-questions-okonjo-iwealas-role-in-e-commerce-deal.md): India reignited its dispute with the World Trade Organization over plurilateral agreements, submitting a paper that questions the legality of a move by 68 members to apply a new e-commerce agreement on an 'interim' basis. New Delhi's paper also criticises WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for her role in facilitating the move.
- [Fatty acids: WTO clean slate to EU anti-dumping calculation methods](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/09/fatty-acids-wto-clean-slate-to-eu-anti-dumping-calculation-methods.md): A dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization gave the European Commission a largely clean slate in the way it routinely assesses dumping on imports in its trade defence investigations. The report published yesterday rejects almost all claims in a case brought by Indonesia in 2024 involving anti-dumping duties on fatty acids, a chemical obtained from vegetal and other fats.
- [EU opens anti-dumping probe into Chinese duck imports](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/09/eu-opens-anti-dumping-probe-into-chinese-duck-imports.md): 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 Chinese agricultural product. Provisional duties could follow within seven months if the investigation finds that imports are being sold below fair value and harming domestic industry.
- [EU-Mexico trade pact could apply from November](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/08/eu-mexico-trade-pact-could-apply-from-november.md): 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 parliament approved the pact.
- [EU plans reciprocal import curbs to enforce animal welfare rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/08/eu-plans-reciprocal-import-curbs-to-enforce-animal-welfare-rules.md): The European Commission promised to introduce ‘mirror measures’ for imports of pig and poultry products, as part of a new push for higher animal welfare standards in the EU livestock sector.
- [UK trade and farm ministries clash over Mercosur talks](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/08/uk-trade-and-farm-ministries-clash-over-mercosur-talks.md): The United Kingdom’s agriculture and trade ministries are at loggerheads over the launch of trade talks with the South American Mercosur bloc.
- [UK to recognise new EU ecodesign label on British market](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/07/uk-to-recognise-new-eu-ecodesign-label-on-british-market.md): The United Kingdom will legislate to let products bearing a new EU ecodesign label to enter the British market automatically. The move is a unilateral step by London to accept the new EU standard alongside Britain's own UK Conformity Assessment mark.
- [CBAM: MEPs against Paris Agreement credits, emergency safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/07/cbam-meps-against-paris-agreement-credits-emergency-safeguard.md): The European Parliament’s environment committee voted last night on its position on the European Commission's plans to amend legislation tied to its two-year-old carbon border measure. MEPs are set to clash with the other two EU institutions over a safeguard procedure that allows for exemptions to carbon border adjustment administrative requirements.
- [Alert: EU lawmakers back modernised Mexico trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/06/alert-eu-lawmakers-back-modernised-mexico-trade-deal.md): The European Parliament's international trade committee voted in favour of an interim modernised trade agreement with Mexico. The vote passed with 30 in favour, eight against, and two abstentions.
- [Ukraine steel firm says EU quota based on “data error”](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/06/ukraine-steel-firm-says-eu-quota-based-on-data-error.md): A leading steel pipe producer from Ukraine says a miscalculation by Brussels has left it with a duty-free quota at least 30% smaller than it should be, adding to industry complaints over the EU's new steel safeguard regime.
- [Week Ahead: Section 301s, EU Mexico, deforestation, WTO transparency](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/06/week-ahead-section-301s-eu-mexico-deforestation-wto-transparency.md): Brussels Section 301 watch EU players will be watching the proceedings in Washington as the International Trade Commission will hold three days of hearings related to the government's Section 301 findings that about 60 countries will face tariffs because they are not or not adequately banning forced labour. The EU faces potential 10% duties. The forced labour tariffs are widely seen as a way to replace the current US all-round tariffs of 10% which expire on 22 July. The world is also watching the release any moment of other US Section 301 findings on foreign industrial overcapacity, leading to potentially even more tariffs. Europeans are targeted here too, with EU members Germany and Ireland singled out in the documents so far. More on the state of EU US relations here. European Parliament Committee on International Trade – today – agenda includes a vote to approve the EU-Mexico Interim Trade Agreement European Parliament Committee on Environment, Climate and Food Safety – today – agenda includes a vote on the committee’s report on an expansion of the scope of the EU’s carbon border measure to downstream products and to strengthen anti-circumvention measures. European Parliament plenary session – this week – agenda includes votes on the EU-Mexico interim trade agreement on Wednesday (8 July) and a debate on relations with the United Kingdom tomorrow EU-United Arab Emirates negotiation round – let's see if the heat will make the glacial pace of the negotiations become warmer. Council Working Party on Trade Questions – tomorrow – agenda includes discussions on steel and the priorities of the Irish presidency Deforestation regulation – the European Commission will publish the delegated act amending the scope of the Deforestation Regulation. It is expected to exclude raw hides. The European Parliament has two months to oppose the measure, otherwise it enters into force. WTO WTO reform discussions kick off properly this week. General Council chair Clare Kelly kicked off a close to six month-long process of structured conversations on WTO reform. The structured conversations started last week, but parties are really getting into the weeds in earnest this week, with in particular a focus on the question of transparency, which will be the subject of an informal Heads of Delegation - aka WTO ambassadors - meeting to on Tuesday.
- [Editor’s Take: EU-US trade – the new permanent state of instability](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/03/editors-take-eu-us-trade-the-new-permanent-state-of-instability.md): Brussels is learning to live with the permanent state of tariff policy instability with the United States, as digital trade moves closer to the eye of the next brewing storm in the transatlantic relationship.
- [EFTA and Vietnam conclude free trade talks](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/03/efta-and-vietnam-conclude-free-trade-talks.md): The European Free Trade Association and Vietnam concluded negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement, the two sides said in a joint communiqué. The deal will cut customs duties and aims to ease trade and promote sustainable development between the EFTA states and Hanoi.
- [Commission proposes duty-free relief for Armenia exports](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/02/commission-proposes-duty-free-relief-for-armenia-exports.md): The European Commission proposed letting 80% of Armenia's exports enter the EU duty-free for two years, to help Yerevan withstand economic pressure from Russia.
- [Interview: ‘Free trade agreement’ is most beautiful phrase in Thai politics](https://borderlex.net/2026/07/01/interview-free-trade-agreement-is-most-beautiful-phrase-in-thai-politics.md): Beyond seeking a free trade agreement with the EU, Thailand is on a mission to diversify its economic relationships and is seeking to join the OECD. Thailand’s trade representative Werapong Art Prapha spoke to Rob Francis in Brussels about the state of ongoing negotiations with the EU and his country’s wider trade strategy.
- [EU reserves 50% of new steel quota for FTA partners](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/30/eu-reserves-50-of-new-steel-quota-for-fta-partners.md): The European Commission will reserve half of its newly reduced tariff-free steel import quota for countries that hold a free trade agreement with the bloc. The other half will be accessible to all trading partners – including those FTA partners. An implementing regulation published today by the commission sets out the detail of the new quotas, which total 18.3 million tonnes across 26 categories of steel products, and which take effect from tomorrow.
- [EU and China set up trade monitoring scheme](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/30/eu-and-china-set-up-trade-monitoring-scheme.md): The EU and China announced plans to set up a joint monitoring mechanism to provide early warning of any surges of Chinese imports into the bloc.
- [EU set to end ‘unjustifiable’ low-value parcel exemption on 1 July](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/29/eu-set-to-end-unjustifiable-low-value-parcel-exemption-on-1-july.md): The European Union’s duty exemption for low-value packages worth less than €150, which ends on 1 July, is "no longer justified", a senior commission official said.
- [Asia-Pacific trade bloc to start accession talks with UAE, Philippines and Indonesia](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/29/asia-pacific-trade-bloc-to-start-accession-talks-with-uae-philippines-and-indonesia.md): The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership is preparing to launch accession negotiations with the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Indonesia. A statement released by the bloc said that “preparatory discussions” were now under way. Accession negotiations with a fourth applicant country – Uruguay – are already in progress.
- [Perspectives: The EU is sliding into Trump-style trade politics](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/29/perspectives-the-eu-is-sliding-into-trump-style-trade-politics.md): The EU is following in President Trump’s footsteps by employing policies which result in a reduced commitment to WTO rules and a greater focus on bilateral partnerships. Entering such a game of power politics from a weak position is risky and needs far greater debate across Europe.
- [Week Ahead: Steel quotas, de minimis, China in town](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/29/week-ahead-steel-quotas-de-minimis-china-in-town.md): The EU’s new steel tariffs and tariff rate quotas are due to apply from Wednesday (1 July). The European Commission is yet to announce the details of the quotas as last minute polishing of quota sizes with trading partners and internally were still pending. More details here. Japan threatened to sue the EU over the quotas, what it sees as a breach of their free trade agreement. End of de minimis exemption for small parcels. The bloc’s de minimis exemption for low-value packages will also be abolished on Wednesday. A €3 interim duty will now be charged. More details here. European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to meet Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao today. The meeting is due to focus on “entirety of the trade and investment relationship” according to the European Commission. EU-Philippines trade negotiation round – this week Council Trade Policy Committee (services and investment) – Wednesday (1 July) – agenda includes discussions on the trade negotiations with Thailand, the EU-Canada Mutual Recognition Agreement on architects, WTO moratorium and E-Commerce Agreement and EU-Canada digital trade agreement negotiations Council Working Party on Customs – tomorrow – agenda includes World Customs Organization developments United Kingdom China in focus. Tomorrow – trade minister Chris Bryant will be grilled on the UK’s trade and economic security strategy towards China at a session of the House of Commons’ business and trade committee. The meeting will set the scene for a visit to London this week by Wang Wentao, China’s minister of commerce. Wang will attend a meeting of the UK-China joint economic and trade commission running from tomorrow until Thursday (2 July).
- [Week in Brussels: US, dual-use exports, anti-dumping](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/26/week-in-brussels-us-dual-use-exports-anti-dumping.md): This week EU member states backed the legislation implementing the Turnberry deal with the United States and extended the transatlantic tariff truce stemming from the Airbus-Boeing dispute. The European Commission also published details of its dual-use exports and imposed fresh anti-dumping duties on exports of a chemical from China, the US and Saudi Arabia.
- [Gains for EU as UK unveils final steel quotas](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/25/gains-for-eu-as-uk-unveils-final-steel-quotas.md): The EU negotiated an additional 450,000 tonnes of duty-free access to the UK steel market in the final weeks of talks leading up to the expiration of London's current safeguard quotas. The EU's quota for the 12-month period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 will now be around 40% lower than under the UK's current safeguard regime – rather than 53% lower as indicated previously.
- [EU business lobby seeks wide ‘made in Europe’ rule](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/25/eu-business-lobby-seeks-wide-made-in-europe-rule.md): BusinessEurope, the EU's largest business lobby, wants every country with a "comprehensive economic agreement" with the European Union to count as ‘European’ in origin when public contracts are awarded. The group’s stance puts it at odds with makers of car parts and parliamentarians who want a tighter test.
- [INTERVIEW: EU investment conditions for Chinese firms under IAA ‘will fall short’](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/24/interview-eu-investment-conditions-for-chinese-firms-under-iaa-will-fall-short.md): The European Commission’s proposed measures to control investment by China in key sectors of the European economy as part of the recent Industrial Accelerator Act may fail to deliver on their stated objectives, according to Jannik Jansen and Arthur Leichthammer, policy fellows at the Jacques Delors Centre.
- [UK to align deforestation rules with EU regime](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/24/uk-to-align-deforestation-rules-with-eu-regime.md): The United Kingdom announced plans for a due diligence framework for imported goods which will match the EU’s own deforestation regulation. London said aligning its legislation with the EU would minimise regulatory duplication for businesses and safeguard the functioning of the UK’s internal market, given that the EU Deforestation Regulation is set to apply automatically in Northern Ireland from 30 December 2026.
- [EU firms reluctant to use procurement shield](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/24/eu-firms-reluctant-to-use-procurement-shield.md): European businesses are so fearful of retaliatory action by foreign governments that they have made no use of the EU’s International Procurement Instrument, a European Commission official said yesterday. The EU executive is preparing a review of the instrument which came into force almost four years ago.
- [Exclusive: Japan threatens to sue EU over steel quota cuts](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/23/exclusive-japan-threatens-to-sue-eu-over-steel-quota-cuts.md): Japan is threatening to take legal action against the European Union over impending sharp cuts to its access to the EU steel market. Two sources told Borderlex that Tokyo is considering launching a dispute settlement case against the EU under its bilateral free trade agreement with Brussels.
- [Trade, foreign affairs committees back EU-Mexico pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/23/trade-foreign-affairs-committees-back-eu-mexico-pact.md): Two European Parliament committees jointly approved the modernised EU-Mexico global agreement, clearing the way for a plenary vote next month. Parliamentarians will vote on the bilateral interim trade agreement next month.
- [Starmer resignation delays EU-UK summit](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/23/starmer-resignation-delays-eu-uk-summit.md): Keir Starmer’s announcement yesterday that he will resign as prime minister forced the postponement of the EU-UK summit scheduled for 22 July.
- [UK and Malaysia launch digital trade talks](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/22/uk-and-malaysia-launch-digital-trade-talks.md): The United Kingdom and Malaysia announced the launch of negotiations on a new digital trade agreement, the latest step in London’s push to build a network of bilateral digital accords.
- [EU, Malaysia wrap up talks on three more FTA chapters](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/22/eu-malaysia-wrap-up-talks-on-three-more-fta-chapters.md): The European Union and Malaysia concluded negotiations on three further chapters of a possible free trade agreement during the fourth round of talks, held on 8-12 June in Malaysia. The two sides are also close to closing the digital trade chapter.
- [Caribbean bloc says EU trade deal falls short](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/22/caribbean-bloc-says-eu-trade-deal-falls-short.md): Fourteen Caribbean states said they cannot fully benefit from the trade agreement they signed with the EU in 2008, as the two sides launched a review of the deal at a meeting in the Dominican Republic on Friday (19 June).
- [Week Ahead: Mexico, Ten years of Brexit, EU steel, aluminium scrap, WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/22/week-ahead-mexico-ten-years-of-brexit-eu-steel-aluminium-scrap-wto.md): UK Ten Years of Brexit – tomorrow 23 June 2026 – a range of events will be held and papers published this week to mark the tenth anniversary of the 2016 referendum which set the UK on course to leave the EU. The UK may also lose its current prime minister, with a much more pro-EU successor waiting in line... EU Council – Working Group on Trade Questions – Tomorrow - Aluminium scrap export measure. Allocation of quotas under new steel regulation and FDI screening regulation review on the agenda. Council - Working Party on Dual Use Goods – Wednesday (24 June) – White Paper on Export Controls. Council - Trade Policy Committee – Thursday (25 June) WTO and mysterious other items – presumably US and China relations. EU agriculture council – today and tomorrow – the market situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is on the agenda. European Parliament Committee on International Trade – today and tomorrow – agenda includes vote on EU-Mexico upgraded trade agreement and the committee’s opinion on CBAM, as well as discussions on clean trade and investment partnerships and the International Procurement Instrument European Parliament Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection – Wednesday and Thursday (24-25 June) – agenda includes discussion with market surveillance authorities on illegal and dangerous products entering the Single Market EU-Thailand trade negotiation round – this week – our latest coverage here. World Trade Organization Tomorrow – Dispute Settlement Body. Creation of a dispute settlement panel in Chinese dispute against Indian subsidies and incentives to support its solar energy sector. The meeting will be followed by an ‘informal, open-ended’ meeting on possible reform of the dispute settlement system, as Brazilian ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota – the DSB chair, seeks to revive discussions in this area. UK Today – Mexico and the UK will start trading under the terms negotiated as part of the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- [Washington targets Germany over drug pricing](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/19/washington-targets-germany-over-drug-pricing.md): The United States launched a section 301 investigation into what it said was Germany’s “persistent underpayment” for innovative pharmaceutical products. The initiative could lead to tariffs on German exports to the US – but it seems more likely designed to pressure the German government into changing its national policy on payments for innovative drugs.
- [EU leaders demand new trade defence tools as China fears mount](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/19/eu-leaders-demand-new-trade-defence-tools-as-china-fears-mount.md): European Union leaders tasked the European Commission with developing new tools to strengthen the bloc's trade defences, in a move designed to counter a flood of Chinese imports.
- [MEPs back Türkiye customs overhaul, with conditions](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/18/meps-back-turkiye-customs-overhaul-with-conditions.md): The European Parliament called for a modernisation of the EU's 1995 customs union with Türkiye but said Ankara must first improve its human rights record and its respect for international law.
- [Borderlex summer party – Brussels – 1 July 2026](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/18/save-the-date-the-borderlex-summer-party-an-evening-of-drinks-conversation-and-insights.md): You are warmly invited to the Borderlex summer party An evening of drinks, conversation, and insights Join us for an informal gathering where we will share the latest news from Borderlex and engage in lively discussions with our editors on recent trade policy developments. Date: Wednesday, 1 July 2026 Time: 18:00-20:00 CET Venue: Press ...
- [Opinion: The EU–Central America agreement needs to evolve](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/18/opinion-the-eu-central-america-agreement-needs-to-evolve.md): The European Union–Central American trade relationship is entering a new phase. What was first centred around an agreement to reduce tariffs and stabilise market access is now being tested by a far more complex reality where regulation, investment, organised crime and geopolitical competition are redefining what economic partnerships actually deliver. ...
- [UK to suspend tariffs on 135 food and drink lines](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/17/uk-to-suspend-tariffs-on-135-food-and-drink-lines.md): The UK will suspend tariffs on 135 agri-food tariff lines from 21 June, as part of an initiative to keep food prices under control. The initiative covers tuna, pasta, couscous, cocoa butter, fruit juices and certain fruits. Tariffs will fall to zero on Sunday and remain suspended until 31 December 2028.
- [EU-UK summit to be held on 22 July](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/17/eu-uk-summit-to-be-held-on-22-july.md): The EU and UK will hold their long-awaited second summit meeting on Wednesday 22 July, UK prime minister Keir Starmer announced.
- [EU lawmakers approve US trade deal legislation](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/16/eu-lawmakers-approve-us-trade-deal-legislation.md): The European Parliament backed legislation implementing the EU's trade deal with the United States, clearing the way for the bloc to scrap tariffs on US industrial goods and open duty-free quotas for a range of farm products.
- [EU urged to broaden trade pacts with African regions](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/15/eu-urged-to-broaden-trade-pacts-with-african-regions.md): The chair of the European Parliament’s international trade committee wants the EU to turn its patchwork of trade deals with African regions into something far more ambitious — covering services, investment and intellectual property, and pointing towards a single continent-to-continent agreement.
- [Week Ahead: China, US, FTAS](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/15/week-ahead-china-us-ftas.md): A week of summitry with a strong trade dimension in Europe. Also our Academy in London and a 'trade war' book talk with Soumaya Keynes Global G7 Summit – today until Wednesday (17 June) - to take place at the French town of Évian- les-Bains – Chinese overcapacity will be one of the issues discussed EU EU Summit – Thursday and Friday (18-19 June) – leaders will discuss potential new trade defence measures targeting China, including a ‘diversification instrument’. See our reporting EU foreign affairs council – today – EU-China relations feature on the agenda European Parliament plenary session – this week – on the agenda: US tariffs legislation sign-off, EU digital sovereignty, economic security, Türkiye Council - Trade Policy Committee – Wednesday – includes discussions on FTA negotiations with Asian economies and WTO developments Council - Trade Policy Committee (services and investment) – Wednesday – see agenda United Kingdom UK parliament – tomorrow – the House of Lords will hold its first substantive debate on a draft law to enable nationalisation of UK steel companies. The bill, tabled last month, was already cleared by the House of Commons.
- [EU governments agree to widen carbon border scheme](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/12/eu-governments-agree-to-widen-carbon-border-scheme.md): European Union governments backed a broader version of the bloc's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, extending its scope to cover a long list of manufactured goods and tightening the rules against circumvention.
- [Opinion – Europe’s Pacific anchor: the case for CPTPP engagement](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/12/opinion-europes-pacific-anchor-the-case-for-cptpp-engagement.md): The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is the closest thing the world still has to a working rules-based trading order with teeth. Despite a recent rapprochement with this trading bloc, it is not clear Brussels fully understands its strategic significance. Yet bringing European regulatory weight into closer alignment with ...
- [CPTPP focus: Argentina applies to join Asia-Pacific trade bloc](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/12/cptpp-focus-argentina-applies-to-join-asia-pacific-trade-bloc.md): Argentina’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership underlines the bloc’s emerging status as a major force in global trade policy. The application also throws a spotlight on the bloc’s capacity to absorb new members, as CPTPP becomes an attractive option for a growing number of countries.
- [Mid-2027 target for entry into force of WTO e-commerce deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/11/mid-2027-target-for-entry-into-force-of-wto-e-commerce-deal.md): Sponsors of the World Trade Organization e-commerce agreement have set a target of mid-2027 to bring the accord into force. Tan Hung Seng, the Singaporean ambassador and one of three co-convenors for the talks, told a meeting of members backing the plurilateral agreement that the mid-2027 target was "ambitious but feasible".
- [Keep EU-China dialogue open despite tensions, lawmaker says](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/11/keep-eu-china-dialogue-open-despite-tensions-lawmaker-says.md): Brussels and Beijing should keep talking despite worsening trade tensions, a leading member of the European Parliament said, days before EU leaders meet to weigh how to counter Chinese subsidies and overcapacity. The plea for dialogue comes as the bloc's trade deficit with China tops €1 billion a day.
- [EU capitals push for clarity on ‘high risk’ cybersecurity rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/10/eu-capitals-push-for-clarity-on-high-risk-cybersecurity-rules.md): EU member state governments called for more clarity over the scope of new rules which seek to coordinate member states’ efforts to keep high-risk digital assets out of the hands of potentially hostile third countries. The discussions came as China continues to pursue an existing investor-state compensation claim for being denied access to key information and communications technology networks in Sweden.
- [EU, South Korea launch high-level economic dialogue](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/10/eu-south-korea-launch-high-level-economic-dialogue.md): Brussels and Seoul opened a new partnership on competitiveness at today’s bilateral summit and established a new high-level economic dialogue but revealed little detail on how either will work in practice. The parties also signed their digital trade pact which they agreed in March.
- [EU concludes enhanced trade pact with four African states](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/10/eu-concludes-enhanced-trade-pact-with-four-african-states.md): The European Union concluded talks on an enhanced economic partnership agreement with four countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region which will set new rules on services and investment, public procurement, intellectual property, digital trade and sustainability. The European Commission called the deal the first of its kind between the bloc and partners in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- [Tech industry condemns EU cloud data localisation plans](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/10/tech-industry-condemns-eu-cloud-data-localisation-plans.md): European Commission proposals to impose localisation requirements for the most sensitive government data will make that data “less safe, not more”, the American services industry warned.
- [Opinion: UK should resist the temptation of a ‘trade bazooka’](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/09/opinion-uk-should-resist-the-temptation-of-a-trade-bazooka.md): The UK is unlikely to adopt an instrument similar to the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, since it lacks the political and economic will. Instead, London should focus on adapting and expanding the UK’s existing defensive powers – including sanctions, investment screening and export controls – and deploy them more strategically in ...
- [EU capitals push to keep national systems in EU customs hub](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/08/eu-capitals-push-to-keep-national-systems-in-eu-customs-hub.md): National governments are fighting to keep their own customs IT systems inside the EU's future data hub — a move that is backed by businesses but could weaken a central plank of the bloc's customs reform.
- [Job: Regulatory reporter and analyst – junior](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/08/job-regulatory-reporter-and-analyst-junior.md): UPDATE: 29/06/2026 – We are no longer accepting applications for this position. Borderlex is recruiting a trade policy reporter & regulatory data analyst (junior). This is a full-time position in Brussels.
- [Job at Borderlex – Head of events and community engagement](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/08/head-of-events-and-community-engagement.md): We are no longer accepting applications for this position. Borderlex is hiring an organised, hands-on events and community engagement manager to run our events programme, lead our marketing and audience communications, and help grow our subscriber base.
- [Week Ahead: Korea, Malaysia](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/08/week-ahead-korea-malaysia.md): In case you've missed it: Šefčovič pushes EU supply chain diversification law Next week in London - Our Academy on 16 & 17 June 2026 and Book Talk with Soumaya Keynes (16 June in evening - free to attend). This week in EU EU-South Korea summit – Wednesday (10 June) – trade will be one of the topics on the agenda. EU-Malaysia FTA – this week – 4th negotiation round to take place in Malaysia - background here.
- [Šefčovič pushes EU supply chain diversification law](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/05/sefcovic-pushes-eu-supply-chain-diversification-law.md): EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič called for legislation to require EU businesses in critical sectors to de-risk trade by diversifying their supply base. "Diversification requires a dedicated instrument," he told the European Policy Centre's Brussels Economic Security Forum today.
- [Week in Brussels: Šefčovič at OECD, deforestation rules, steel quotas, UAE talks](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/05/week-in-brussels-sefcovic-at-oecd-deforestation-rules-steel-quotas-uae-talks.md): At this week’s OECD ministerial in Paris, EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič pressed the case for a global level playing field while reporting progress in talks with Washington. Also this week, lawmakers challenged the European Commission's decision to exclude leather from the Deforestation Regulation; the commission opened a consultation on traceability rules underpinning its new steel tariff rate quota regime; and negotiations with the United Arab Emirates on a free trade agreement inched forward.
- [EU Chips 2.0 act opens subsidies to FTA partners](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/03/eu-chips-2-0-act-opens-subsidies-to-fta-partners.md): The EU’s free trade agreement partners will be allowed to bid for government programmes designed to scale up semiconductor production in the EU.
- [Brussels to curb foreign data storage in new cloud and AI law](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/03/brussels-to-curb-foreign-data-storage-outside-eu-in-new-cloud-and-ai-law.md): The EU will impose data localisation requirements for sensitive data, under new measures designed to boost the bloc’s security against cyber-attack. The measures, which could involve overriding public procurement provisions in some existing trade agreements, are included in a new draft regulation unveiled by the European Commission.
- [Brussels tells Washington to honour Turnberry deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/03/brussels-tells-washington-to-honour-turnberry-deal.md): The European Commission urged the United States to stand by the Turnberry trade agreement after Washington moved to slap a 10% duty on EU imports over forced-labour rules.
- [EU lawmakers push ‘Made in Europe’ line in industry act](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/02/eu-lawmakers-push-made-in-europe-line-in-industry-act.md): The three parliamentarians responsible for steering the European Parliament's work on the draft Industrial Accelerator Act want to bar the EU's free trade partners from benefiting from the new rules.
- [EU parliament trade committee backs US tariff deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/02/eu-parliament-trade-committee-backs-us-tariff-deal.md): The European Parliament's international trade committee voted by a large majority to approve legislation implementing the Turnberry accord with the United States, clearing the way for a plenary vote on 16 June.
- [Global industrial subsidies hit post-crisis highs, OECD finds](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/01/global-industrial-subsidies-hit-post-crisis-highs-oecd-finds.md): State support for manufacturers reached $108 billion in 2024, with Chinese firms receiving far more government backing than rivals elsewhere, a new OECD report shows.
- [ASEAN seals world’s largest regional digital trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/01/asean-seals-worlds-largest-regional-digital-trade-pact.md): Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations completed negotiations over the weekend in the Philippines on what will be the world’s largest regional digital trade agreement. The agreement includes a ban on the imposition of import duties on cross-border digital transmissions.
- [Week Ahead: EU US vote, new leadership, IAA, deforestation, EU Switzerland](https://borderlex.net/2026/06/01/week-ahead-eu-us-vote-new-leadership-iaa-deforestation-eu-switzerland.md): A few meetings and dates to look to this week in trade policy in Europe. European Commission – today – Ditte Juul Jørgensen takes over as director general of the commission’s trade and economic security directorate. More here. EU-US vote - European Parliament - tomorrow – Committee on International Trade to vote on the deal struck with the council to eliminate tariffs on US industrial goods – agenda here. More details about the prospects of the vote here. European Parliament – tomorrow – joint meeting between committees on international trade, industry, and internal market dedicated to the Industrial Accelerator Act – agenda here. European Parliament – tomorrow – European Commission presents its review of the EU Deforestation Regulation. Agenda here ( EU-Switzerland – Wednesday (3 June) – Officials will meet in Bern for a session of the joint committee overseeing the EU-Switzerland free trade agreement. Negotiations on the updated agreement were completed last year, but the deal has yet to be ratified. Brussels Economic Security Forum – Thursday and Friday (4-5 June) – Speakers at the European Policy Centre event include EU trade commissioner Maroŝ Šefčovič, DG Trade’s economic security supremo Denis Redonnet, and US ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder.
- [EU ministers divided on EU Industrial Accelerator Act](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/28/eu-ministers-divided-on-eu-industrial-accelerator-act.md): EU industry commissioner Stéphane Séjourné faced pushback from multiple directions at the first formal ministerial debate on the Industrial Accelerator Act, as France sought to narrow the definition of 'Made in Europe' while others warned against supply chain fragmentation.
- [London Borderlex Academy 16, 17 June 2026](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/28/london-borderlex-academy-16-17-june-2026-new-speakers-announced.md): We are pleased to announce the very final version of the programme our coming Borderlex Academy! UK trade policy academyHow to navigate the trade wars 16 & 17 June 2026 – One George Street London
- [Argentina challenges India over WTO plurilaterals veto](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/27/argentina-challenges-india-over-wto-plurilaterals-veto.md): Argentina reignited the row over plurilateral agreements at the World Trade Organization by demanding that countries objecting to these agreements should be required to justify their veto. In a paper submitted to the General Council, Argentina said that any country blocking a widely supported plurilateral agreement should be required to “bear the burden of proof” in explaining why such an agreement would be contrary to its national interests.
- [Comment – Steel quotas: EU loses shine as reliable FTA partner](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/27/opinion-steel-quotas-eu-loses-shine-as-reliable-fta-partner.md): On 1 July, the European Union will enact a new, permanent trade protection regime for its steel sector. As it renegotiates its international commitments, the risk of undermining FTA commitments and coercive attempts by Brussels to induce its trading partners to accept lower market access could run afoul of the ...
- [Commission holds fire on Ukraine farm import bans](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/26/commission-holds-fire-on-ukraine-farm-import-bans.md): Three EU member states continue to defy Brussels over Ukrainian agricultural imports, as the commission opts for engagement over enforcement — despite mounting pressure from the European Parliament.
- [Five EU countries lean in on beefing up trade defence policy](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/25/five-eu-countries-lean-in-on-beefing-up-trade-defence-policy.md): France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Lithuania circulated a contribution to the ongoing debate in Brussels on what to do about a perceived surge of imports of industrial products due to overcapacities – with mainly Chinese products in mind. All this in the name of economic security: a 'resilience tool' is what these countries aim for in the mid-term. In the short term the five countries want tougher rules of origin for products covered by trade defence measures, and higher tariffs applied in anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases thanks to the waiving of an existing 'lesser duty rule'.
- [Week Ahead: China overcapacities, UK, FTAs, South Africa, Japan and more](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/25/week-ahead-china-overcapacities-uk-ftas-south-africa-japan-and-more.md): Today is a holiday in many EU member states. But the rest of the week may be intense on the trade front, with the China relationship and, exceptionally perhaps, the UK relationship on top of everyone’s mind in Brussels. Here is our curated trade policy agenda for this week. EU European Commission – Friday (29 May) – Orientation debate on China overcapacities. EU executive will hold a dedicated meeting on China, which will include discussions on a future instrument to stem the tide of imports from the country. Here what member states and the commisson discussed last Friday. Council – tomorrow - meeting of EU agriculture ministers – agenda here. Council – tomorrow - meeting of the ministers in the General Affairs Council - EU-UK relations features on the agenda. Council – Trade Policy Committee – Thursday 28 May – Agenda highlights: Steel quota negotiations @ WTO, FTA negotiations with Malaysia and the Philippines. Germany – German trade minister Katherina Reiche will visit China on Wednesday and Thursday (27-28 May). Reiche’s visit will coincide with a visit to China by a delegation from the European Parliament although the visits are separate. European Parliament –this week - a delegation of eleven members from the international trade committee will travel to South Africa to discuss bilateral trade relations and the implementation of the EU’s first ever Clean Trade and Investment Partnership. WTO WTO – Japan Trade Policy Review, Wednesday (27 May) - Japan’s trade policies will fall under the spotlight this week as the Asian country is the latest subject for the WTO’s regular series of trade policy reviews. Oh and in case you missed it: The new Dispute Settlement Body chair at the WTO in Geneva wants to revive reform talks.
- [Push to revive WTO dispute settlement reform talks](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/22/push-to-revive-wto-dispute-settlement-reform-talks.md): Stalled negotiations on reforms of the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement process may be revived in the coming months, as the global trade body battles to retain its relevance following the inconclusive MC14 ministerial conference in March. Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota, the Brazilian ambassador who recently took over as chair of the Dispute Settlement Body, said he would “take stock of members’ current positions on the work done thus far”.
- [Séjourné urges EU to rebalance trade relations with China](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/22/sejourne-urges-eu-to-rebalance-trade-relations-with-china.md): EU industry commissioner Stéphane Séjourné said the bloc needs to rebalance its trading relations with China, ahead of a crunch meeting of EU commissioners on 29 May and a leaders' summit in June. EU trade ministers at today’s council meeting echoed this sentiment – but the commission will need to walk a fine line between capitals that want the EU executive to take a strong stance to counter the EU’s trade deficit within Beijing, and those which want to preserve good relations with the Asian giant.
- [Perspectives: It’s decision time for the UK over its EU reset](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/21/perspectives-its-decision-time-for-the-uk-over-its-eu-reset.md): The British trade policy conversation is now dominated by the country’s relations with the European Union. Good progress is being made on a veterinary agreement and alignment of emissions trading scheme. There may be more challenges down the road on this reset as economic security issues loom large on both ...
- [Opinion: A new ‘geopolitical’ pact for EU-Central America relations](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/21/opinion-a-new-geopolitical-pact-for-eu-central-america-relations.md): European Council president António Costa visited Guatemala this week, in a sign of EU interest in Central America in geopolitically turbulent times. Alejandro Patiño Cruz argues that their association agreement has never been more important. The parties should get on with the task of agreeing a renewed EU–Central America compact.
- [UK and Gulf states seal trade deal with landmark data pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/21/uk-and-gulf-states-seal-trade-deal-with-landmark-data-pact.md): Gulf Cooperation Council countries have agreed to lift data localisation requirements for the financial services sector under a new free trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Full details of the agreement have yet to be released. But the London government hailed what it described as “first-of-its-kind” GCC commitments on data flows as a key part of the deal. The new free trade agreement, signed in London late yesterday, also features improved provisions on business mobility, as well as investor-state dispute settlement provisions.
- [Chinese investment in Europe falls as exports rise](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/20/chinese-investment-in-europe-falls-as-exports-rise.md): Chinese foreign direct investment in the EU has fallen as the bloc moves to strengthen local content requirements under its planned Industrial Accelerator Act. Chinese businesses are increasingly favouring exports of finished products to Europe over establishing a local presence there, a new report shows.
- [EU parliament trade chief expects majority to back US tariff deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/20/eu-parliament-trade-chief-expects-majority-to-back-us-tariff-deal.md): The chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee said he expects a majority of lawmakers to approve the provisional agreement struck overnight with EU institutions on eliminating tariffs on industrial goods from the United States. Bernd Lange also said he expects US president Donald Trump to accept the amendments introduced by Brussels-based lawmakers.
- [Alert: EU to pressure US to cut steel tariffs by end 2026](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/20/eu-to-pressure-us-to-cut-steel-tariffs-by-end-2026.md): The three European institutions agreed on the terms under which they will apply the EU-US deal agreed in Scotland in the summer 2025.
- [China puts EU, UK steel tariff plans under WTO spotlight](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/19/china-puts-eu-uk-steel-tariff-plans-under-wto-spotlight.md): China has requested technical discussions at the World Trade Organization on “the proper use” of the process used for modifying members’ existing tariff schedules. Beijing’s push to open a debate on the use of article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade comes as the EU and UK prepare to introduce new restrictive tariffs on steel imports as from 1 July. Brussels and London have both promised to open discussions under the GATT tariff rebalancing process with affected suppliers – which notably include China.
- [London Book Talk: How to Win a Trade War – with Soumaya Keynes – 16 June 2026](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/19/london-book-talk-how-to-win-a-trade-war-with-soumaya-keynes.md): Book Talk How to Win a Trade War 16 June 2026, 18.00 1 Great George Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA Borderlex is pleased to welcome Soumaya Keynes to a talk about How To Win a Trade War – A Friendly Guide to an Unfriendly World, to be published by Macmillan on 28 May ...
- [Von der Leyen pledges EU-India trade deal signature by year-end](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/18/von-der-leyen-pledges-eu-india-trade-deal-signature-by-year-end.md): The European Commission president committed to signing the trade pact with India by the end of 2026, potentially a year after the two sides concluded negotiations. Businesses eager for the deal to enter into force will face a longer wait. Ursula von der Leyen also said the next meeting of the EU-India Trade and Technology Council will take place in July.
- [Editor’s Take: EU’s China safeguard may disappoint – irk trading partners](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/18/eus-china-safeguard-may-disappoint-irk-trading-partners.md): The EU's embryonic plans to tackle industrial overcapacities from China may end up being underwhelming for proponents yet still create new trade frictions with non-Chinese EU trading partners.
- [British parliament to start examining steel nationalisation bill](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/18/british-parliament-to-start-examining-steel-nationalisation-bill.md): The British government is bent on rescuing British Steel, owned by Chinese steelmaker Jingye. To help it achieve this goal, legislation giving ministers wide-ranging powers to nationalise businesses this sector is now on the table and will be examined by members of the parliament. London’s nationalisation initiative has a clear economic security component — although its primary purpose is to prevent the closure of British Steel’s plant in Scunthorpe, with the attendant loss of both jobs and production capacity.
- [Week Ahead: EU-US, Mexico, fertilisers, overcapacities and more](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/18/week-ahead-eu-us-mexico-fertilisers-overcapacities-and-more.md): Packed week ahead! European Union EU institutions – tomorrow (19 May) - Trilogue on legislation to eliminate tariffs on US goods. Our latest article here Council - Friday 22 May – EU trade ministers meet in Brussels. On the agenda – WTO, economic security, impact of Middle East conflict on trade, ongoing trade negotiations. Agenda here. EU-Mexico summit - Friday 22 May - leaders will sign the interim trade agreement. Ratification will follow. Our coverage here. Council – Wednesday (20 May) – Trade Defence Instruments committee meeting – discussion will centre on overcapacity. Agenda here. European Parliament – plenary meeting in Strasbourg –Vote on FDI screening, new EU steel quotas. Agenda here. European Parliament - Thursday (21 May) - 5th meeting of the committee overseeing the EU Deforestation Regulation. Agenda here. European Commission – tomorrow - Commission will present its action plan on fertilisers. Trade elements will likely be included. WTO Dispute Settlement Body, Friday (22 May) – The latest regular monthly meeting of the DSB will feature a request by China to set up a panel to investigate the legality of Indian subsidies to solar panel manufacturers. Council for Trade in Goods, Tuesday-Thursday (19-21 May) – Recriminations will fly between the US, EU, China, India and others as a series of complaints are voiced about the tariff and other policies of geopolitical rivals. UK House of Commons, Thursday (21 May) – Parliamentarians will give a second reading to a bill to create the legal framework for nationalisation of the UK steel industry APEC APEC Annual meeting of trade ministers, Friday-Saturday (22-23 May) – The meeting in Suzhou, China, will feature a bid by China will open a dialogue between the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – RCEP – and the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Check out our Data Hub for agendas, trade policy regulations, MEP trade votes, trade think tank reports.***
- [Exclusive: China pushes for CPTPP dialogue at Asia-Pacific meeting](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/14/exclusive-china-pushes-for-cptpp-dialogue-at-asia-pacific-meeting.md): China will seek to initiate a dialogue between the 15-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – or RCEP - and the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- [EU institutions near agreement on US tariff elimination](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/13/eu-institutions-near-agreement-on-us-tariff-elimination.md): EU lawmakers are poised to reach agreement on legislation eliminating tariffs on US goods at the next trilogue meeting on 19 May, with the European Parliament under pressure from the council to drop a key demand concerning the conditions to lower the tariffs.
- [Brazil blindsided by EU animal product import ban](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/12/brazil-blindsided-by-eu-animal-product-import-ban.md): Brazil reacted with surprise after the European Union excluded the country from a list of third countries authorised to export food-producing animals and animal products to the EU, citing concerns over compliance with EU antimicrobial rules.
- [Opinion: EU deforestation regulation – smart calibration or regulatory defeat?](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/12/opinion-eu-deforestation-regulation-smart-calibration-or-regulatory-defeat.md): The European Commission’s proposal to amend and simplify the EU deforestation regulation is aimed at reducing compliance costs. But by making life easier for its importers, the EU executive risks watering down the ambition of the original legislation – and threatening the future of forests in the process.
- [Week Ahead: EU-US, King Charles](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/11/week-ahead-eu-us-king-charles.md): A fairly quiet week ahead given the Ascension holiday in many parts of Europe on Thursday. Council - Trade Policy Committee (Tuesday 12 May) - Featured: status of EU-US relations, WTO. EU-US Turnberry deal also on agenda at COREPER. Council - Working Party on EFTA, Tuesday (12 May) - Featured: Andorra framework agreement; 'homogenous extended internal market' with Switzerland, Faroe Islands. British Parliament: King Charles will ceremonially open a new session of parliament on Wednesday, with the traditional King’s Speech setting out the government’s new legislative programme. This may include new legislation to enable dynamic alignment of UK agri-food and carbon pricing law with that of the EU, as required by the forthcoming reset agreement. ***Catch up on the latest on EU-US, WTO, economic security, EU Japan. Check out our Data Hub for agendas, trade policy regulations, MEP trade votes, trade think tank reports.***
- [Week in Brussels: G7 in Paris, Trump tariffs, economic security, Weyand, EU Japan](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/08/week-in-brussels-g7-in-paris-trump-tariffs-economic-security-weyand-eu-japan.md): It’s been a long week in EU trade. Paris hosted a slew of events related to trade, including a G7 trade ministers meeting. The gathering's readout is here and contains familiar themes: complaints about industrial ‘overcapacities’ and coercion, critical raw materials cooperation, WTO reform. Here's what else happened - or didn't happen. By Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Updated: WTO stalemate: US-led group locks in e-commerce duty ban](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/08/wto-stalemate-us-led-group-locks-in-e-commerce-duty-ban.md): The United States and a group of 22 other members will apply an open-ended ban on imposing import duties on e-commerce transactions with immediate effect. The European Union, China and Canada are not part of it.
- [Opinion – Deliver now or drift further: the WTO’s moment of truth](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/07/opinion-deliver-now-or-drift-further-the-wtos-moment-of-truth.md): The General Council meeting in Geneva this week now has a narrow opportunity to restore confidence in the World Trade Organization. It must deliver on a reform programme and the e-commerce moratorium needs to be extended.
- [Israel: EU faces rising calls for settlement territory product ban](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/06/israel-eu-faces-rising-calls-for-settlement-territory-product-ban.md): The European Commission’s directorate-general for trade is not confident that a qualified majority of European Union member states is materialising to suspend the trade pillar of an association agreement with Israel over the country’s severe human rights violations in Palestine. But EU capitals are warming to the idea of restricting trade of products made in territories occupied by Israel.
- [EU, Korea eye electronics mutual recognition accord](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/06/eu-korea-eye-electronics-mutual-recognition-accord.md): The European Union expects that a future mutual recognition agreement for conformity assessment with South Korea will at least cover the electronics sector.
- [Asia Pacific CPTPP trade bloc admits Costa Rica](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/06/asia-pacific-cptpp-trade-bloc-admits-costa-rica.md): Costa Rica is set to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership after accession negotiations were substantially concluded in the early hours of this morning..
- [What you need to know about Singapore’s new economic resilience pacts](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/06/what-you-need-to-know-about-singapores-new-economic-resilience-pacts.md): Singapore inked agreements on ‘essential supplies’ with New Zealand and Australia. The European Union and the CPTPP Asia-Pacific trade group, of which these three countries are key players, are weighing agreements on supply chain resilience. So it’s worth having a closer look at what they agreed.
- [Editor’s Take: When Trump’s tariff threats start wearing thin](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/05/editors-take-when-trumps-tariff-threats-start-wearing-thin.md): This week there will be a showdown over the EU’s tariff eliminations promised to the United States at Turnberry in 2025. The related EU legislation to reduce industrial tariffs to zero and to open some agricultural quotas is in its closing stages as the three EU institutions negotiate the final ...
- [UPDATED: EU deforestation regulation: soluble coffee, soap to join list of covered products](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/04/eu-deforestation-regulation-soluble-coffee-soap-to-join-list-of-covered-products.md)
- [Week Ahead: Yaoundé follow up, Turnberry deal, deforestation and more](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/04/week-ahead-yaounde-follow-up-turnberry-deal-deforestation-and-more.md): WTO General Council: WTO Ambassadors will meet in Geneva on Wednesday (6 May) and Thursday (7 May) for what is intended to be a de facto continuation of the abortive MC14 meeting in Yaoundé. Hopes of a successful outcome this week are not high. The agenda is here. G7 trade ministers meeting – tomorrow and Wednesday (6 May) – To be held under the French G7 presidency in Paris. EU-US: Trilogue meeting between three EU institutions due on Wednesday on the EU’s legislation implementing the summer 2025 tariff deal with the US known as Turnberry deal. !! Last Friday, president Trump threatened to increase this coming week car tariffs from the EU – currently legislated under Section 232 national security legislation – to 25% up from the current 15% cap because he deems the EU "is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal". European car companies currently investing in the US would be exempted. EU Deforestation Regulation: New changes to be unveiled on Monday (4 May) European Parliament - Committee on International Trade – Wednesday Agenda here.. Featured items: Africa, South Korea, Israel, economic security, vote to approve the agreement on steel tariffs. European Parliament - Committee on Agriculture – tomorrow – Agenda includes discussion on China’s tariffs on EU pork. European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy – Wednesday – Agenda includes discussion on carbon border adjustment mechanism Council of the EU - Trade policy committee meeting (services, investment ) – Wednesday – Agenda includes discussions on United Arab Emirates, ASEAN digital talks, Australia, India investment protection talks Council of the EU - Trade Policy Committee (Full members) – Thursday (7 May): On the agenda: WTO reform, economic security, next FAC Trade meeting, “legislative work” (aka Turnberry deal).
- [US lifts tariffs on UK whisky after royal visit](https://borderlex.net/2026/05/01/us-lifts-tariffs-on-uk-whisky-after-royal-visit.md): The United States agreed to lift tariffs on UK whisky exports, following this week’s visit to Washington by Britain’s King Charles.
- [Legal cloud hangs over EU-Mercosur pact as deal takes effect](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/30/legal-cloud-hangs-over-eu-mercosur-pact-as-deal-takes-effect.md): The trade pillar of an EU-Mercosur partnership agreement will enter provisionally into force tomorrow, 1 May 2026. The deal still faces hurdles ahead, with legal challenges pending and yet uncertain European Parliament support.
- [Canada ratifies UK accession to trans-Pacific trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/29/canada-ratifies-uk-accession-to-trans-pacific-trade-deal.md): Canada’s parliament approved a bill to ratify the United Kingdom’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Canada becomes the eleventh and final CPTPP member to activate the provisions of the UK’s accession treaty, following the completion of similar procedures in Mexico.
- [Alert: Ditte Juul Jørgensen to head EU trade department](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/28/alert-ditte-juul-jorgensen-to-head-eu-trade-department.md): Ditte Juul Jørgensen will take over as director-general of the European Commission’s trade directorate-general, replacing Sabine Weyand. The commission confirmed that Jørgensen, who currently heads the directorate-general for energy, will assume her new role from 1 June.
- [EU lawmakers approve revamped developing-country trade scheme](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/28/eu-lawmakers-approve-revamped-developing-country-trade-scheme.md): The European Parliament backed a deal overhauling the EU’s preferential trading scheme for developing countries, clearing the way for the new rules to take effect on 1 January. The agreement introduces new conditionalities tied to migrant returns and rice imports — two of the most contentious issues in four ...
- [Confectionery makers warn EU sugar relief plan risks export damage](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/27/confectionery-makers-warn-eu-sugar-relief-plan-risks-export-damage.md): EU exports of high-value goods like chocolate could suffer from a European Commission proposal to end duty-free raw sugar imports, European confectionery manufacturers warned. The vote by member state officials on Thursday (30 April) is widely viewed as a conciliatory gesture towards EU sugar producers on the eve of the entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement.
- [EU, China at odds over ‘Made in Europe’ proposals](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/27/eu-china-at-odds-over-made-in-europe-proposals.md): The European Commission pushed back against Beijing’s claim that its draft Industrial Accelerator Act infringes World Trade Organization rules, as data showed China’s trade surplus with the EU hit a record high in the first quarter of this year.
- [Perspectives: EU needs partnerships not weaponisation](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/27/perspectives-eu-needs-partnerships-not-weaponisation.md): Talk of trade as a branch of security is increasingly routine across EU policy discussions. Such defensiveness is an obstacle to the deepening of partnerships that better address today’s challenges.
- [Week Ahead: GSP, fertilisers, ‘melt and pour’, UK trade](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/27/week-ahead-gsp-fertilisers-melt-and-pour.md): We are looking to a fairly short week ahead as this coming Friday is Mayday in most of Europe. European Parliament plenary session – today until Thursday (30 April). Agenda here. Featured trade policy items: GSP vote (more here ), fertiliser availability, e-commerce (aka "tackling unfair competition from third countries"). Council working party on trade questions – tomorrow – agenda here. Features a discussion on melt and pour criteria for the EU’s new steel regime. UK parliament - The House of Lords International Agreeements Committee will hold the latest in a series of evidence sessions tomorrow on how the UK should deploy its trade instruments.
- [US, EU to seek plurilateral pact on critical minerals trade and investment](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/25/us-eu-to-seek-plurilateral-pact-on-critical-minerals-trade-and-investment.md): The European Commission’s directorate-general for trade and economic security and the United States Trade Representative will start sharing notes on trade policy and other financial initiatives the two sides may take in order reduce their vulnerability to critical minerals shortages or export restrictions. What is more, they intend to work ...
- [Borderlex Academy – 16 & 17 June 2026](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/24/borderlex-academy-june-2026-full-programme-available.md): UK trade policy academyHow to navigate the trade wars UK trade policy is entering a period of rapid change amid rising geopolitical tensions and shifting global alliances. The resurgence of economic security concerns, growing trade fragmentation, and evolving relationships with key partners are reshaping how the UK approaches trade and ...
- [UK-Mexico CPTPP trade to begin in June](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/23/uk-mexico-cptpp-trade-to-begin-in-june.md): The United Kingdom and Mexico will begin trading under terms set out in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership from 22 June this year, following Mexico’s belated ratification of the UK’s accession protocol. The move will deliver benefits for access to government procurement contracts and for digital trade ...
- [EPP, far right MEPs push to tighten rice safeguard in new GSP](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/23/epp-far-right-meps-push-to-tighten-rice-safeguard-in-new-gsp.md): New amendments risk undoing the carefully crafted compromise reached in trilogue on the EU’s preferential trading scheme for developing countries. A group of centre right parliamentarians from Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece are calling for a stricter rice safeguard in the bloc’s new Generalised Scheme of Preferences, ahead of what ...
- [Common food safety area deal tipped for EU-UK reset](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/22/common-food-safety-area-deal-tipped-for-eu-uk-reset.md): The EU and UK are on course to strike a deal this summer on a package of measures covering food safety, emissions trading and mobility to align London more closely with the single market. But there are some tough nuts yet to crack.
- [Opinion: Provisional application – a major step for EU–Mercosur](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/22/opinion-provisional-application-a-major-step-for-eu-mercosur.md): The EU-Mercosur agreement will soon come into force. Nicolás Albertoni and Rupert Schlegelmilch reflect on what this historic milestone means for both regions.
- [EU and east African states near finish line on upgraded trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/21/eu-and-east-african-states-near-finish-line-on-upgraded-trade-deal.md): The European Union and five eastern and southern African countries are in the final stretch of negotiations to expand their trade partnership beyond goods, with a ministerial meeting now in sight to seal the deal.
- [EU clears Lisbon metro bid after Chinese firm exits consortium](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/21/eu-clears-lisbon-metro-bid-after-chinese-firm-exits-consortium.md): The European Commission closed its first in-depth foreign subsidies investigation in a public procurement case, clearing a consortium to bid for a Lisbon metro contract after its Chinese subcontractor withdrew.
- [Announcement: Borderlex survey relaunched!](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/20/announcement-borderlex-survey-relaunched.md): As our most valued readers, your perspective, shaped by your professional experience and sector, is of great importance to us at Borderlex. You may have previously received an invitation to complete our survey, which encountered some technical difficulties at the time. We are pleased to inform you that the survey ...
- [Week Ahead: UAE, EU-UK and more](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/20/week-ahead-uae-eu-uk-and-more.md): What to look out for this week in trade policy. Brussels EU-United Arab Emirates trade talks. More here. Trade Policy Committee – Wednesday (23 April). Agenda here Featured items: WTO, Australia, United States, Vietnam, Canada, Africa. Working Party on European Free Trade Association – Tomorrow (21 April)– Agenda here. United Kingdom As London and Brussels move towards a new post-Brexit sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, British parliamentarians are getting to grips with what dynamic alignment with EU SPS rules will mean in practice. House of Lords’ European Affairs Committee will hear evidence on this topic from a group of experts including William Bain, Ignacio García Bercero and Sam Lowe. WTO WTO Dispute Settlement Body – Tomorrow’s meeting of the DSB will feature a relatively light agenda.
- [Commission urges parliament, member states to finalise US tariff law](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/17/commission-urges-parliament-member-states-to-finalise-us-tariff-law.md): The European Commission pressed EU institutions to advance legislation reducing tariffs on US goods, warning that Washington does not consider itself bound by a 15% cap on steel under last summer’s joint statement.
- [European Parliament to push for new trade deals to boost economic security](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/17/european-parliament-to-push-for-new-trade-deals-to-boost-economic-security.md): The European Parliament is set to call on the European Commission to actively pursue “a new wave of ambitious trade agreements” as a means of bolstering EU trade flows against economic coercion by geopolitical rivals.
- [EU and Malaysia aim to seal trade deal by October 2027](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/16/eu-and-malaysia-aim-to-seal-trade-deal-by-october-2027.md): The EU and Malaysia are pushing to conclude a free trade agreement by October 2027 to mark the 50th anniversary of relations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Progress has been “satisfactory” but significant obstacles remain, a European Commission trade official told EU lawmakers.
- [CBAM review: MEPs baulk at commission’s urgency clause](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/16/cbam-review-meps-baulk-at-commissions-urgency-clause.md): Members of the European Parliament are gearing up to amend and adopt plans to revise the European Union’s flagship carbon border adjustment measure known under its acronym CBAM.
- [UK-built cars risk exclusion from EU industrial act, industry warns](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/16/uk-built-cars-risk-exclusion-from-eu-industrial-act-industry-warns.md): The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders called on the EU to grant UK-built vehicles equivalent status under its future industrial policy framework, warning that the current draft of the legislation risks undermining the two sides' trade relationship and damaging investment on both sides of the Channel. The SMMT also said it wants to “open a conversation” about rules of origin for electric vehicles traded under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement after 1 January 2027.
- [European Parliament braces for Mexico trade deal approval](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/15/european-parliament-braces-for-mexico-trade-deal-approval.md): The largest political groups in the European Parliament signalled support for ratifying the EU-Mexico upgraded trade agreement, with a plenary vote expected in July. Only the Greens and the Left voiced opposition.
- [EU business group urges Brussels to push back on China export controls](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/14/eu-business-group-urges-brussels-to-push-back-on-china-export-controls.md): The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China has warned Brussels not to let itself become a passive bystander as Washington leads negotiations with Beijing over its expanding export control regime.
- [EU permanent steel protection legislation nears finalisation](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/14/eu-permanent-steel-protection-legislation-nears-finalisation.md): EU institutions put the final touches on legislation making steel trade protection permanent. Steel import quotas initially set under a safeguard in 2018 will be halved and above-quota tariffs will be doubled compared to current levels. The three institutions - fine-tuning legislation tabled in October 2025 - agreed to roll over currently unused quotas for the first year of application.
- [EU firms in China face legal clash over supply chain rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/13/eu-firms-in-china-face-legal-clash-over-supply-chain-rules.md): European companies operating in China risk violating newly enacted Chinese legislation when carrying out supply chain audits required under EU law, the EU Chamber of Commerce in China has warned.
- [Week Ahead: Turnberry deal, EU steel, trade committees, EU UK Forum](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/13/week-ahead-turnberry-deal-eu-steel-trade-committees-eu-uk-forum.md): TODAY: EU-US - first trilogue meeting on Turnberry deal. More here and here. TODAY: EU steel quota and tariff trilogue agreement. Background here. INTA - European Parliament’s international trade committee - Wednesday and Thursday (16 April). Agenda here. Featured items: China, Australia, the United States, Malaysia and the WTO among others. Committees on international trade and foreign affairs AFET on EU-Mexico Global Agreement on Wednesday (15 April) Agenda here. EU-UK Forum - Prospects for the post-Brexit reset of the UK’s trade relationship with the EU will dominate the annual EU-UK Forum in Brussels on Thursday. Speakers include: Maroŝ Šefčovič, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Roberta Metsola, Lindsay Appleby
- [UK takes first steps towards anti-coercion trade powers](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/09/uk-takes-first-steps-towards-anti-coercion-trade-powers.md): The United Kingdom took the first steps towards developing an anti-coercion instrument to provide options for protecting the country against potential economic threats. The Department for Business and Trade launched a public consultation asking for stakeholder views on how such a policy should be crafted.
- [Exclusive: EU closes in on steel tariff deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/09/exclusive-eu-closes-in-on-steel-tariff-deal.md): EU institutions are set to conclude trilogue talks on Monday (13 April) on legislation to raise steel tariffs, with the European Parliament and EU member states broadly aligned — but a dispute over unused quotas has yet to be resolved.
- [EU access to UK steel market to fall by up to 53%](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/09/eu-access-to-uk-steel-market-to-fall-by-up-to-53.md): EU access to the United Kingdom's steel market will fall by up to 53% from 1 July, when the country's new tariff rate quota regime for steel comes into effect. Analysis of London's new regime shows that EU exporters will benefit from country-specific tariff-free quotas totalling 1.635 million tonnes in the marketing year from July 2026 to June 2027. This compares with EU quotas totalling 3.467 million tonnes in the current 2025-2026 year – the last one under the current steel safeguard regime.
- [Borderlex Academy London 2026](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/07/speaker-line-up-announced-borderlex-academy-london-2026.md): How to navigate the trade wars Borderlex is pleased to announce the confirmed speakers for the Borderlex Academy 2026, taking place on 16–17 June 2026 in London. As global trade enters a new era shaped by geopolitics, economic security, and shifting alliances, this two-day in-person event will provide in-depth analysis ...
- [EU signals US pharma tariffs comply with Turnberry deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/07/eu-signals-us-pharma-tariffs-comply-with-turnberry-deal.md): The European Commission signalled that US tariffs on pharmaceutical products, announced last week, are consistent with the EU-US joint trade statement agreed last summer. But industry groups and steel producers warned the measures still threaten supply chains and European competitiveness. It is also unclear whether last week's announcements will influence talks between the EU institutions to finalise the bloc's legislation on lowering tariffs on US goods.
- [Australia gets EU to talk fintech as part of their FTA](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/07/australia-gets-eu-to-talk-fintech-as-part-of-their-fta.md): In its free trade agreement with the EU, Australia managed to slip in a regulatory dialogue on fintech. Fintech is one of Australia’s strengths. The country has a market access interest with the EU that it has been pursuing for a long time, ever since there have been conversations on ...
- [EU-Australia FTA: Six things to know about goods trade](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/03/eu-australia-fta-six-things-to-know-about-goods-trade.md): Brussels and Canberra have now published most of the legal texts to implement the deal, which was concluded last week. The accord is shaping up to be standard deal between the EU and an advanced economy, with new surprising twists tied to changes in the direction of trade policy taken ...
- [US leads group of 23 WTO members pledging to maintain moratorium](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/02/alert-us-leads-group-of-23-wto-members-pledging-to-maintain-moratorium.md): A group of 23 WTO members has signed a pledge not to impose duties on e-commerce transactions between them. The group includes the US and the UK - but does not include either the EU or China.
- [EU says China drops patent anti-suit policy following MPIA ruling](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/02/china-drops-patent-anti-suit-policy-following-wto-ruling.md): The European Commission said China agreed to abandon its policy of blocking foreign patent holders from pursuing lawsuits in non-Chinese courts, following the EU's victory in a WTO dispute settlement case last year.
- [EU, Korea to launch mutual recognition talks for conformity assessment](https://borderlex.net/2026/04/01/eu-korea-to-launch-mutual-recognition-talks-for-conformity-assessment.md): The European Union is preparing to negotiate a conformity assessment mutual recognition agreement with South Korea. Its member states are due to greenlight a negotiating mandate for the European Commission in the coming weeks.
- [UK launches first anti-dumping duty absorption review](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/31/uk-launches-first-anti-dumping-duty-absorption-review.md): The UK Trade Remedies Authority has launched its first ever absorption review, after a British excavator manufacturer claimed that anti-dumping duties imposed on Chinese suppliers last year were having no effect on market competition.
- [Business leaders sound alarm as e-commerce moratorium lapses](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/30/business-leaders-sound-alarm-as-e-commerce-moratorium-lapses.md): Business leaders expressed dismay at the inconclusive outcome of the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The meeting ended early this morning with no agreement on a work plan for reform of the world trade body.
- [WTO investment facilitation: still no bid for provisional implementation](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/30/wto-investment-facilitation-still-no-bid-for-provisional-implementation.md): Signatories to the World Trade Organization's plurilateral Investment Facilitation for Development agreement pledged to continue fighting to have the deal incorporated into the WTO's treaty architecture after having their latest request blocked once again by India at the MC14 ministerial conference in Yaoundé. Chile and South Korea said members would "continue to explore practical pathways for its effective implementation".
- [Week Ahead – pre-Easter week-end agenda](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/30/week-ahead-pre-easter-week-end-agenda.md): WTO members will be reflecting on the failed MC14 WTO ministerial conference in Yaoundé in a comparatively quiet work week that leads up to a long Easter week-end. The only concrete outcome of this ministerial is fragmentation: 66 members are creating a new digital treaty that will use WTO facilities for dispute settlement. Even the long-standing moratorium on custom duties has lapsed. The EU and the CPTPP trade bloc members agreed to work together. A recap of key Cameroon WTO ministerial conference outcomes here, covered on-the-ground by Robert Francis: WTO e-commerce moratorium lapse WTO plurilateral digital pact to go ahead EU-CPTPP sign joint declaration on sidelines of MC14 Back in Brussels Comitology EU Ambassadors in Geneva will debrief on MC14 at the next Coreper meeting on Wednesday (1 April). On that Coreper agenda too: EU steel duties and quotas trilogue, customs reform package, MoU with United States on critical minerals. UK Working party: SPS and Windsor Framework. Working Party on EFTA – ratification of Andorra and San Marino deals Agriculture ministers Meeting of EU Agriculture ministers today in Brussels – Italy wants to change the GSP regime’s safeguard provisions.
- [WTO e-commerce duty moratorium lapses as ministerial talks collapse](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/30/wto-e-commerce-duty-moratorium-lapses-as-ministerial-talks-collapse.md): World Trade Organization members failed to extend the moratorium on e-commerce duties at this week's 14th ministerial conference, which concluded in the early hours of today. Members will relaunch negotiations on this topic, and the linked issue of WTO reform, at a General Council meeting in May.
- [MC14 runs runs into overtime as members bicker over moratorium](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/29/mc14-runs-runs-into-overtime-as-members-bicker-over-moratorium.md): It is not the first time that the planned closing ceremony of a World Trade Organization ministerial conference is postponed. It happened yet again this time round, as its starting time, originally planned for 11 AM local time, was rescheduled twice at the time of writing. This comes as members continue to bicker over the terms for extending the traditional moratorium on duties on digital transactions.
- [WTO e-commerce deal to go ahead without full membership backing](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/28/wto-e-commerce-deal-to-go-ahead-without-full-membership-backing.md): Co-convenors of a plurilateral digital trade agreement said they will press ahead with implementation despite failing to secure approval from all 166 World Trade Organization members.
- [EU pushes for digital trade deal with trans-Pacific bloc](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/27/eu-pushes-for-digital-trade-deal-with-trans-pacific-bloc.md): 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. This follows a meeting between trade ministers from the two blocs this morning in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in the margins of the MC14 WTO ministerial conference. A joint communiqué issued by the two sides following the meeting lists digital trade as one of the areas where the two blocs will "continue cooperating", following initial contacts over the past few months.
- [India wargames scenarios for joining WTO investment pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/27/india-wargames-scenarios-for-joining-wto-investment-pact.md): New Delhi is quietly mapping out conditions under which it could drop its long-standing opposition to incorporating a plurilateral investment facilitation deal into the World Trade Organization's rulebook, Borderlex has learnt.
- [EU launches new steel product safeguard probe](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/27/eu-launches-new-steel-product-safeguard.md): The European Commission has launched a new safeguard investigation, making this type of measure an increasingly regular feature of its trade defence toolkit. The probe, announced this morning in the EU’s rule-book, covers imports grain-oriented flat-rolled products of silicon-electrical steel and steel laminations and cores, whether or not stacked or wound for transformers and inductors.
- [EU customs reform: small parcel handling takes precedence](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/27/eu-customs-reform-small-parcel-handling-takes-precedence.md): The three EU institutions have agreed on the general terms of a wide-ranging customs system overhaul announced in 2023. The reform’s main aim is to harmonise, simplify and digitalise customs procedures across the bloc’s 27 member states. It establishes an EU-wide customs authority, provides for a centralised digital customs data hub and establishes an enhanced trusted trader scheme for firms providing extensive data on their supply chains.
- [MC14 Day 1: DG wants reform, Türkiye okays IFD, e-commerce battle](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/26/mc14-day-1-dg-wants-reform-turkiye-okays-plurilaterals-e-commerce-battle.md): 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. Türkiye lifted its opposition to including the plurilateral on investment facilitation for development in the WTO legal architecture. Businesses worry that Washington's position on the e-commerce moratorium may backfire.
- [MC14 Blog: Yaoundé rolls out the welcome mat for WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/26/mc14-blog-yaounde-rolls-out-the-welcome-mat-for-wto.md): Cameroon is hosting the first WTO ministerial conference on Sub-Saharan African soil. The symbolism is clear. So are the challenges.
- [Alert: MEPs approve Lange report on US tariff eliminations](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/26/alert-meps-approve-lange-report-on-us-tariff-eliminations.md): The European Parliament has voted in favour of proceeding with industrial tariff eliminations and quota openings for some agricultural products in favour of the US. The vote approving the so-called Turnberry deal concluded between the EU and the US in the summer of 2025 is tied to conditions set by MEPs. Rapporteur Bernd Lange's strategy of tying a plenary vote to stringent conditionality has ensured that a divisive vote garnered a solid majority. The two pieces of legislation tied to this file were adopted by a strong majority of 417 and 437 respectively in favour.
- [EU customs reform package edges closer to finalisation](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/25/eu-customs-reform-package-edges-closer-to-finalisation.md): Member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission have agreed where the location of a new EU-wide customs authority will be established: Lille. The northern French port city is located strategically close to Brussels and in a large EU member state known for seeking stringent application of customs rules and norms across the bloc.
- [Opinion: The WTO should do more of what it’s good at](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/25/opinion-the-wto-should-do-more-of-what-its-good-at.md): The World Trade Organization is under strain. As trade ministers meet in Cameroon this week amid rising tariffs, geopolitical tensions and a surge in bilateral trade deals, questions about the WTO’s relevance have never been louder. Rather than lamenting what the organisation can no longer do, it is time to ...
- [EU, Australia exclude steel from trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/24/eu-australia-exclude-steel-from-trade-pact.md): The European Union wrapped up a new trade agreement with Australia, liberalising trade in all industrial goods except steel. The deal, signed off overnight, opens up limited tariff rate quotas for Australian agricultural exporters and exempts some high-end European electric vehicles from an Australian luxury goods tax. Canberra also agreed not to impose any restrictions on exports of its abundant critical raw materials.
- [WTO: US doubles down on MFN reform and other demands](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/23/wto-us-doubles-down-on-mfn-reform-and-other-demands.md): The United States reiterated key demands for changes to the way the World Trade Organization operates in a new paper released days before the start of the MC14 ministerial in Yaoundé on 26 March. Washington’s new text introduces the notion of ‘interim plurilaterals’, which it sees as a possible way ...
- [Alert: EU-Mercosur trade deal to apply provisionally from 1 May](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/23/alert-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-to-enter-into-force-1-may.md): The EU and Mercosur countries will provisionally apply their interim trade agreement from 1 May, after three of the four Mercosur members ratified the broader partnership agreement, the European Commission confirmed.
- [Opinion: Europe must show up to play the ASEAN game](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/23/opinion-europe-must-show-up-to-play-the-asean-game.md): The EU wants to raise its profile in the Asia-Pacific region and build longstanding relations with key countries. But the EU needs to up its commitment and increase cooperation with both southeast Asian governments and EU businesses operating in the region. By Chris Humphrey, executive director, EU-ASEAN Business Council. ...
- [Week Ahead: WTO @ Yaoundé, MEPs vote on US deal, Australia pact, EU customs authority](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/23/week-ahead-wto-yaounde-meps-vote-on-us-deal-australia-pact-eu-customs-authority.md): Good morning: Big week ahead in trade. World Trade Organization Ministerial – Yaoundé, Cameroon A meeting in Cameroon under the shadow of China’s surge in the system: Taiwan, a full-fledged member of the WTO, will not attend as Cameroon pressed on a country name – “Province of China” - on its diplomats’ visas that Taiwan cannot accept. Detailed MC14 meeting agenda here. EU trade ministers will meet on the sidelines of MC14 in Yaoundé, Cameroon – agenda here. Trade Policy meetings, featuring trade attachés from EU member states, will also take place on the sidelines of MC14 – agenda here. Our managing editor Rob Francis will be at MC14 and is open to meetings. Drop him an email at robert.francis@borderlex.net MEPs to vote on US deal The European Parliament plenary will adopt its position on eliminating tariffs on US goods, in line with the Turnberry accord. The committee adopted its position last week. This week’s plenary agenda is here. If the vote goes through - nothing is a given these days - trilogue negotiations with the council will follow. EU-Australia FTA conclusion European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will travel to Australia at the start of this week to conclude negotiations on a free trade agreement. Preview here. Decision on location of new EU customs authority The EU institutions will on Wednesday (25 March) agree on the host city of the future European Customs Authority. Both the European Parliament and the member states will have a say. More here.
- [Week in Brussels: Ukraine bans, steel trilogue, domestic advisory group update, China](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/20/week-in-brussels-ukraine-bans-steel-trilogue-domestic-advisory-group-update-china-anti-dumping.md): It was a busy week in the European Parliament’s international trade committee. Lawmakers grilled commission officials over the bans on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products introduced by Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. The committee also heard from the chairs of the domestic advisory groups, and there was an update on the steel trilogue. Elsewhere the commission slapped more anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports of phosphorus.
- [Palm oil: Indonesia presses $ 5.6bn tariff claim against EU](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/19/palm-oil-indonesia-presses-5-6bn-tariff-claim-against-eu.md): A World Trade Organization arbitration panel will adjudicate Indonesia's request to impose tariffs on EU imports worth up to $5.6 billion. The Dispute Settlement Body approved the request after Jakarta claimed the EU has not brought the relevant provisions in its renewable fuels directive into line with a panel ruling from January 2025.
- [WTO: Hormuz crisis could cut global trade growth by half a point](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/19/wto-hormuz-crisis-could-cut-global-trade-growth-by-half-a-point.md): The crisis in the Straits of Hormuz could reduce global merchandise trade by half of one percent in 2026, the World Trade Organization said. Severe restrictions on exports of products such as oil, gas and fertiliser from the Gulf region could depress trade volume growth, which is already set to ...
- [UK raises steel tariff to 50%, cuts import quotas by 60%](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/19/uk-raises-steel-tariff-to-50-cuts-import-quotas-by-60.md): 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. Quotas for steel imports exempted from the new tariff will be cut by 60% compared with current quotas – a sharper reduction than the 47% quota cut announced by Brussels last October.
- [MEPs back Turnberry deal with sunset, sunrise and steel conditions](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/19/meps-back-turnberry-deal-with-sunset-sunrise-and-steel-conditions.md): Members of the international trade committee voted in favour of regulations enacting the European Union side of the Turnberry accord of August 2025, whereby in return for the United States maintaining a cap of 15% on most of its tariffs, the EU would eliminate all its industrial tariffs and open quotas to US fish and certain agricultural products. But strings are attached.
- [In-depth: EU, Australia on brink of concluding trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/18/in-depth-eu-australia-on-brink-of-concluding-trade-pact.md): 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. Here’s the current state of the talks and what’s still to be ironed out in areas ranging from beef and sugar to geographical indications and a luxury car tax. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman
- [EU lawmakers to vote on US tariff deal, insist on safeguards](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/17/eu-lawmakers-to-vote-on-us-tariff-deal-insist-on-safeguards.md): 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. Lawmakers are expected to insert a so-called “sunrise clause” in the legislation that ensures the EU will only implement its commitments in the Turnberry agreement if the United States keeps to its obligations.
- [Colombia lifts anti-dumping duties on EU frozen fries](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/17/colombia-lifts-anti-dumping-duties-on-eu-frozen-fries.md): 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 Colombian move follows a WTO dispute settlement panel ruling that the duties had been applied illegally. It brings an end to a six-year-long legal tussle between Brussels and Bogotá at the World Trade Organization.
- [Business leaders call for action on WTO reform](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/16/business-leaders-call-for-action-on-wto-reform.md): Business leaders from across the globe urged trade ministers to act to prevent the World Trade Organization sliding into irrelevance when they meet in Yaoundé, Cameroon, next week.
- [Exclusive: Martin-Prat to be new EU ambassador to WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/16/exclusive-martin-prat-to-be-new-eu-ambassador-to-wto.md): 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. Martin-Prat, who will take over from current ambassador João Aguiar Machado, will take up her post on 1 May.
- [Week Ahead – Key trade meetings in EU, UK, WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/16/week-ahead-key-trade-meetings-in-eu-uk-wto-this-week.md): European Parliament US tariff decision time The European Parliament’s international trade committee will meet on Wednesday and Thursday (18-19 March). Tomorrow its political groups are to determine if the committee will vote on doing the EU’s side of the Turnberry tariff deal by cutting tariffs on industrial products and opening some agriculture markets to US exports. Later this week committee chair Bernd Lange and the chair of the parliament’s US delegation Brando Benifei will meet representatives of the Trump administration, including US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The committee agenda - which so far includes the vote – is here. Committee highlights: Critical minerals, member state bans on imports from Ukraine, forestry and cocoa, East Asia, BITs and sanctions on Russia and Belarus. The European Parliament’s environment committee will discuss the EU’s carbon border measure tomorrow – agenda here. British parliamentarians will visit MEPs in Brussels for the seventh meeting of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly today and tomorrow. Discussions are expected to cover the state of EU-UK relations, economic security, and trade and defence cooperation. Agenda here: EU member states trade meetings The Council’s Working Party on Trade Question will meet today – agenda here. Highlights: Steel safeguard - rebars. The Trade Policy Committee will meet on Wednesday – agenda here. Highlights: UAE, Philippines. WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting On the agenda at the meeting on Thursday: an Indonesian challenge to the EU’s Renewable Fuel Directive, and an EU request to create a panel to review China’s intellectual property regime.
- [WTO: Signatories plan to enact e-commerce plurilateral deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/13/wto-signatories-plan-to-enact-e-commerce-plurilateral-deal.md): 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. At least 70 of the 72 countries backing the plurilateral e-commerce agreement — or ECA — have promised to sign a declaration to that effect at the ...
- [European countries targeted in forced labour Section 301 probe](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/13/european-countries-targeted-in-forced-labour-section-301-probe.md): The United States launched another Section 301 probe targeting 60 economies including the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This latest investigation focuses on whether the economies in question fail to “impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labour”.
- [US Section 301 probe: Commission vows ‘firm’ response](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/12/us-section-301-probe-commission-vows-firm-response.md): 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 that could result in a fresh round of unilateral tariffs imposed on European exporters. The probe into so-called unfair trading practices threatens to further delay a European Parliament vote that would eliminate duties on US industrial goods and some agricultural products as part of the accord.
- [Perspectives: The EU should change its approach to WTO reform](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/12/perspectives-the-eu-should-change-its-approach-to-wto-reform.md): The next World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Cameroon has little chance of success. The root of failure lies with the world’s richest countries fearing loss of status. The EU should – and can – do better in its efforts to advance reform discussions.
- [EU, Switzerland and Norway targeted by US Section 301 probes](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/12/eu-switzerland-and-norway-targeted-by-us-section-301-probes.md): The United States launched trade investigations into sixteen economies, including the European Union, Switzerland and Norway, targeting what Washington describes as structural excess capacity in certain manufacturing sectors.
- [WTO members deadlocked on reform ahead of MC14](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/11/wto-members-deadlocked-on-reform-ahead-of-mc14.md): WTO members remain deadlocked on how to overhaul the organisation’s internal processes. With just two weeks remaining before the 14th WTO ministerial conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, ambassadors were unable to reach consensus on a draft work plan and ministerial statement tabled at today’s general council meeting.
- [Spectre of ‘unholy alliance’ hovers over EU parliament vote on Turnberry](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/11/spectre-of-unholy-alliance-hovers-over-eu-parliament-vote-on-turnberry.md): Lawmakers in the European Parliament continue to debate whether to hold a vote on legislation to eliminate tariffs on American imports. The European People’s Party’s Jörgen Warborn appeared to suggest yesterday that a vote in the international trade committee will take place on 19 March with a plenary vote on ...
- [UK sets stage for food safety rule alignment with EU](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/10/uk-sets-stage-for-food-safety-rule-alignment-with-eu.md): 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.
- [Opinion: Abandon ‘most favoured nation’ at your peril](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/10/opinion-abandon-most-favoured-nation-at-your-peril.md): The EU and United States are both calling for a review of the WTO’s ‘most favoured nation’ rule. But the proposals could poison relations with developing countries, jeopardise talks on WTO reform and risk undermining a major plank of the multilateral world order.
- [WTO ambassadors to review plan to keep reform talks alive](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/09/wto-ambassadors-to-review-plan-to-keep-reform-talks-alive.md): 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. A paper to be submitted to this week’s General Council, the last such meeting before the 14th WTO ministerial meeting from 26-29 March, will urge delegations ...
- [UK ‘ready to engage’ on MFN review ahead of WTO ministerial](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/09/uk-ready-to-engage-on-mfn-review-ahead-of-wto-ministerial.md): 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.
- [Anti-dumping: ECJ sets limits to EU anti-circumvention duties](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/09/anti-dumping-ecj-sets-limits-to-eu-anti-circumvention-duties.md): The General Court in Luxembourg annulled EU anti-circumvention duties applied to imports of stainless steel from Türkiye containing slabs from Indonesia. The judges found that the European Commission misapplied EU trade law by stretching the concept of an 'assembly operation' beyond its legal meaning.
- [Your voice matters, tell us how we can improve at Borderlex!](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/09/your-voice-matters-tell-us-how-we-can-improve-at-borderlex.md): It's been weeks, months, perhaps years since you first subscribed to Borderlex. During that time, we hope our coverage has helped you stay informed about the fast-changing world of trade policy. Now we would love to hear from you! Trade policy continues to evolve rapidly, and understanding what matters most to our readers — what you enjoy, what you find useful, and where we can improve — helps us make Borderlex even better for you. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete the short multiple-choice survey below. As a thank you for your time, you will receive an exclusive invitation to join a webinar with the Borderlex editorial team on 23 April 2026. During this session, we will discuss the latest developments in trade policy and exchange views directly with our readers. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts — we look forward to hearing from you. To fill the survey click this link or scan the QR code to participate
- [Week Ahead: WTO focus on ministerial, EU-US tariffs, UK position](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/09/week-ahead-wto-focus-on-ministerial-eu-us-tariffs-uk-position.md): While the world will be focused on the perilous new war in the Middle East and the EU obsessed with the related new surge in energy prices, some in the trade policy world will continue to look at what happens to the world trading system and to the WTO in Geneva, only weeks before its next ministerial conference in Cameroon. The week ahead by Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [‘Left-right’ divide in European Parliament over US tariff vote](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/06/left-right-divide-in-european-parliament-over-us-tariff-vote.md): The European Parliament's political groups in the international trade committee will convene again next week after they postponed yet again a decision on whether to adopt legislation that eliminates tariffs and quotas on goods from the United States following the 2025 EU-US Turnberry deal.
- [EU and Canada launch digital trade talks](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/06/eu-and-canada-launch-digital-trade-talks.md): The European Union and Canada launched negotiations on a digital trade agreement at this week's joint committee meeting in Toronto, a development that had been in the pipeline since the EU-Canada summit in June last year.
- [Global business groups push back against EU industrial accelerator act](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/05/global-business-groups-push-back-against-eu-industrial-accelerator-act.md): British, American and Chinese industry associations said the European Commission’s sweeping new industrial legislation risks chilling investment, raising costs and breaching existing trade agreements. By Chris Horseman and Rob Francis
- [EU targets unfair shipbuilding competition and port access](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/04/eu-targets-unfair-shipbuilding-competition-and-port-access.md): The European Commission unveiled plans to shield the EU's shipbuilding industry from unfair overseas competition and make access to European ports conditional on reciprocal treatment of EU operators abroad.
- [EU ties procurement access to reciprocity in new act](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/04/eu-ties-procurement-access-to-reciprocity-in-new-act.md): The EU's key trading partners will retain wide-ranging access to EU public procurement programmes and will continue to be able to invest in strategic industries under the bloc's new Industrial Accelerator Act. The IAA, adopted by the European Commission today after weeks of delay, will preserve access to EU procurement markets for all countries with "reciprocal" agreements with EU investors.
- [Bernd Lange: We need to be fast in ratifying our trade agreements](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/04/bernd-lange-we-need-to-be-fast-in-ratifying-our-trade-agreements.md): The European Parliament’s international trade committee chair sat down with Borderlex to discuss implementing EU free trade agreements with India and Indonesia, Mercosur – and living up to the EU-US Turnberry deal after the US Supreme Court ruling.
- [UK-EU reset talks lack direction, say MPs](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/04/uk-eu-reset-talks-lack-direction-say-mps.md): The United Kingdom government lacks clear strategic priorities for its ‘reset’ negotiations with the EU, said the House of Commons foreign affairs committee. The government’s push to align UK regulations more closely with those of the EU in areas such as food and energy are laudable in principle, but London’s ...
- [EU, Thailand close chapters but market access issues still pending](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/03/eu-thailand-close-chapters-but-market-access-issues-still-pending.md): The EU and Thailand closed "in principle" the main text of three chapters — trade in goods, trade remedies and exceptions — during the eighth round of negotiations in Chiang Mai in the week of 2 February. The two sides also agreed to make the Paris climate agreement an essential element of the future trade pact. But market access agreements for goods, services, investment and procurement are still pending.
- [Von der Leyen signals Swiss inclusion in ‘buy European’ rules](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/02/von-der-leyen-signals-swiss-inclusion-in-buy-european-rules.md): Switzerland is set to be included in the scope of the EU’s ‘buy European’ programme when the bloc unveils its Industrial Accelerator Act in the coming days. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen dropped a broad hint that Swiss companies would have access to EU public procurement programmes under the forthcoming 'made in Europe' provisions in the act, even though the country is not part of the European Economic Area.
- [Week Ahead : EU Switzerland, EU US tariff vote, IAA, EU ports strategy](https://borderlex.net/2026/03/02/week-ahead-eu-switzerland-eu-us-tariff-vote-iaa-eu-ports-strategy.md): Happy Monday waking up to a new international war. This time in the Middle East. For Europe-focused trade people to watch: any supply chain disruptions due to shipping difficulties in the Straits of Hormuz to what happens to trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates - these haven't gone well so far. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [EU to provisionally apply Mercosur trade agreement: how and when](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/27/eu-to-provisionally-apply-mercosur-pact-after-uruguay-argentina-ratify-deal.md): The European Commission said it will provisionally apply the trade elements of the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement in the coming months, even though the European Parliament has yet to approve the deal. This comes after two of the Mercosur member states — Uruguay and Argentina — ratified the pact yesterday. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman
- [EU-Indonesia trade agreement: the final tariff deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/27/eu-indonesia-trade-agreement-the-final-tariff-deal.md): The European Commission finally published the market access schedules for services, public procurement and goods tariffs of the EU Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement concluded in September 2025. Here's what you need to know.
- [Gibraltar to introduce VAT as new trade deal set for April implementation](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/27/gibraltar-to-introduce-vat-as-new-trade-deal-set-for-april-implementation.md): The UK-owned territory of Gibraltar must introduce value added tax at minimum EU levels within three years, as a precondition for borderless trade with neighbouring Spain and the rest of the bloc. This is clear from the text of the agreement between the EU and the UK, published yesterday — more than seven months after London and Brussels reached a political agreement on the future of the UK exclave last June.
- [Rules of the road: EU trade policy for the electric vehicle era](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/26/rules-of-the-road-eu-trade-policy-for-the-electric-vehicle-era.md): The success of the European Union’s transition to electric vehicles depends on forging trade partnerships. But this transition risks being stymied by restrictive rules of origin, as well as the EU’s intention to bolster its own manufacturing base at the expense of trade partners. A middle way is needed.
- [EU parliament, capitals agree deal on customs authority seat](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/25/eu-parliament-eu-member-states-agree-equal-say-on-customs-authority-seat.md): The European Parliament and EU member states struck a deal giving both institutions an equal role in picking the home city for the bloc's new customs authority. A final vote is set for 25 March.
- [US challenges transnational subsidies ruling in Indonesia-EU WTO dispute](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/24/us-challenges-transnational-subsidies-ruling-in-indonesia-eu-wto-dispute.md): The United States raised objections to a WTO dispute settlement panel verdict on transnational subsidies, saying the outcome in a case brought by Indonesia against the EU was “troubling” and “incorrect”.
- [EU proposes duty-free fertiliser import quotas to cut costs for farmers](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/24/eu-proposes-duty-free-fertiliser-import-quotas-to-cut-costs-for-farmers.md): The European Commission proposed duty-free tariff rate quotas until mid-2027 for several nitrogen fertilisers and inputs for their production, including ammonia and urea. Out-of-quota imports will be subject to standard most favoured nation tariffs. The duty suspension will cover imports from all countries except Russia and Belarus.
- [EU risks losing deterrent effect of economic security tools, lawmaker warns](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/24/eu-risks-losing-deterrent-effect-of-economic-security-tools-lawmaker-warns.md): The European Commission must deploy the various economic security tools at its disposal in a timely and consistent way, or risk weakening their deterrent effect, an EU lawmaker said. In a report presented to the European Parliament's international trade committee, Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez of the European People's Party criticised the EU's responses to hostile economic activity by its rivals.
- [EU parliament delays vote on EU-US trade deal ratification amid tariff turmoil](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/23/eu-parliament-delays-vote-on-eu-us-trade-deal-ratification-amid-tariff-turmoil.md): Political groups agreed to postpone a vote in the European Parliament’s international trade committee that would eliminate tariffs on industrial goods from the United States and establish import quotas for certain agricultural and seafood products. The vote, which would have implemented some of the EU’s obligations under last summer’s so-called Turnberry agreement, had been scheduled for tomorrow. The plenary vote, due on 11 March, will likely also be pushed back. Group leaders will reconvene on 4 March to assess the situation.
- [Editor’s Take: Turnberry after Supreme Court ruling – Sit back and do nothing](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/23/editors-take-turnberry-after-supreme-court-ruling-sit-back-and-do-nothing.md): The most realistic course for Brussels to take in the interest of long-term stability of European business relationships with the United States should be to do exactly nothing after the Supreme Court ruling on Washington’s IEEPA tariffs. Or perhaps suggest a real reciprocal FTA for once the dust settles.
- [Week Ahead: EU to mull response to Supreme Court ruling, INTA, WTO disputes, UK FTAS](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/23/week-ahead-eu-to-mull-response-to-supreme-court-ruling-inta-wto-disputes-uk-ftas.md): In case you missed our latest update on the status of EU free trade agreement negotiations and ratifications last Friday, don’t hesitate to click on this round-up from the last trade ministers’ meeting in Cyprus on Friday. Also this week doesn’t look like it will be the week when the European Commission will unveil the long-anticipated Industrial Accelerator Act with its controversial local content requirements.
- [UPDATED: Week in Brussels: China, Supreme Court, Asian FTA ratifications, ASEAN deals](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/20/week-in-brussels-china-supreme-court-asian-fta-ratifications-asean-deals.md): A short and sweet edition of the Week in Brussels column, focused on the next steps for the EU's FTAs and the debate among capitals on China relations and the US – without forgetting the WTO. Few ministers showed up in Cyprus for a planned informal meeting of trade ministers. Ministers debriefed with the European Commission the EU's approach to WTO reform questions about one month ahead of the next ministerial conference in Cameroon.
- [China defends MFN principle in WTO reform paper](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/19/china-defends-mfn-principle-in-wto-reform-paper.md): China has distanced itself from European Union and United States deliberations on the future of the most favoured nation principle in a new contribution to the ongoing WTO reform debate.
- [INTERVIEW: UK traders still need single trade window despite government pause](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/19/interview-uk-traders-still-need-single-trade-window-despite-government-pause.md): Anna Doherty, customs practice director at the UK Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade, spoke to Borderlex about the frustrations of adapting to constantly changing border processes, the reasons why use of electronic trade documentation is still limited, and the continued uncertainties around future EU-UK customs border frictions and ...
- [THINK TANK: Scrapping MFN, trailblazing digital trade rules, EU India FTA](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/18/think-tank-scrapping-mfn-trailblazing-digital-trade-rules-eu-india-fta.md): In this new edition of our Think Tank column: the Peterson Institute's Alan Wolff on the US and now EU idea of making do with the most-favoured nation principle in the WTO. Stephanie Honey on the proliferation of digital trade agreements at the Hinrich Foundation and Achyuth Anil and Sunayana Sasmal on the EU-India free trade agreement at the UK Trade Policy Observatory.
- [Perspectives: EU economic security begins with neighbours](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/17/perspectives-eu-economic-security-begins-with-neighbours.md): The EU wants to tackle issues such as economic coercion and dependencies and would do so in a setting such as the World Trade Organization. But it will only succeed if it starts by stopping coercing its direct neighbours and shift to greater openness and cooperation with them. ***
- [Opinion: No full stops in India](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/16/opinion-no-full-stops-in-india.md): India signed an ‘interim’ trade agreement with the United States right after the free trade agreement it concluded with the European Union. If both sides seriously implement what they have declared they will do, a real FTA could emerge, that compares well with the EU-India agreement in terms of market ...
- [Week Ahead: EU trade minister meet, EU-Philippines, WTO MC14](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/16/week-ahead-eu-trade-minister-meet-eu-philippines-wto-mc14.md): It's a winter holiday week in Brussels and other European countries, hence few formal meetings to look out for. But the trade policy churn continues. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: Industry views on ‘made in Europe’, EU persists on China patents](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/13/week-in-brussels-industry-views-on-made-in-europe-eu-persists-on-china-patents.md): Talks between the EU and Australia on a trade agreement wrapped up a few minutes ago without agreement. The European Commission said the two-day engagement was "constructive and positive and allowed the two sides to converge positions on a range of issues". Also this week, industry is divided on its asks ahead of the much-awaited Industrial Accelerator Act which the commission is expected to publish on 25 February. The EU is continuing its pushback against China’s patent policies: it formally requested a WTO panel to rule on a second dispute with China over its “standard essential” tech patents. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [China confirms countervailing duties on EU dairy exports](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/12/china-confirms-countervailing-duties-on-eu-dairy-exports.md): China will tomorrow impose countervailing duties on cream and cheese from the European Union despite opposition from the European Commission and EU industry.
- [Turnberry deal – MEP sunset clause likely flashpoint with EU capitals](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/11/turnberry-deal-mep-sunset-clause-likely-flashpoint-with-eu-capitals.md): The European Parliament will table amendments to a European Commission proposal to implement the bloc's commitments under the tariff deal agreed with the Trump administration last summer. But will member states just go along with them? Political groups including the European People's Party, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe and the Greens agreed on Tuesday evening a common position on the legislation ahead of a vote in the parliament’s international trade committee scheduled for 24 February.
- [Commission agrees first price undertaking with China-based EV maker](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/10/commission-agrees-first-price-undertaking-with-china-based-ev-maker.md): The European Commission agreed its first price undertaking deal with a China-based battery electric vehicle manufacturer following a probe it launched in December. The maker of the CUPRA Tavascan, Volkswagen Anhui – a joint venture formed in 2017 between JAC Motors and Volkswagen – will now be exempt from the ...
- [EPP’s Mato regrets potential provisional application of Mercosur trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/10/epp-opposed-to-provisional-application-of-mercosur-trade-pact.md): The European Parliament's rapporteur on the Mercosur agreement signalled his regret that the EU and Mercosur blocs may choose to provisionally apply their bilateral trade agreement. Gabriel Mato, whose group is the largest in the parliament and to which European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen belongs, said the EPP "weren't the ones who decided on that way forward".
- [INTERVIEW: Message to EU – don’t delay Mercosur ratification](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/10/interview-message-to-eu-dont-delay-mercosur-ratification.md): Former Uruguayan vice minister of foreign affairs and centre right senator from the Colorado Party Nicolás Albertoni is visiting the EU institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg to call on lawmakers to support the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Albertoni spoke to Rob Francis about how the agreement—which he helped bring to conclusion ...
- [Week Ahead: EU competitiveness, EU Australia, Mercosur safeguard, UK India, MC14](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/09/week-ahead-eu-competitiveness-eu-australia-mercosur-safeguard-uk-india-mc14.md): The week ahead in EU and UK trade as well as at the WTO in Geneva. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [EU extends suspension of US retaliation measures to August](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/05/eu-extends-suspension-of-us-retaliation-measures-to-august.md): The European Commission extended the suspension of its trade retaliation measures against the United States until 6 August. In an implementing regulation published today, the commission says it will "keep the suspension under review in light of further developments in the trade relations with the United States and may take further actions".
- [EU, US move to secure critical minerals supply chains amid China concerns](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/05/eu-us-push-for-critical-minerals-agreement.md): The EU and United States will conclude an agreement within the next 30 days on a memorandum of understanding on supply chain security for critical minerals. The announcement was made following discussions between more than 50 governments in Washington this week.
- [UK risks being “weak link” for western economic security, MPs warn](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/05/uk-risks-being-weak-link-for-western-economic-security-mps-warn.md): A parliamentary committee in London warned that the United Kingdom risks becoming “the weak link in western economic security defences” due to its inadequate response to economic coercion threats. The warning from the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee came after the government confirmed it was not planning legislation ...
- [Washington welcomes EU rethink of ‘most favoured nation’ principle](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/05/washington-welcomes-eu-rethink-of-most-favoured-nation-principle.md): Washington welcomed a recent official EU position paper on WTO reform which it said reflected many of its own views on the 'most favoured nation' principle. Participating in an online webinar, Joseph Barloon, the US ambassador to the WTO, said he was "pleased" that the EU paper echoed United States' misgivings about the functioning of the international trading system.
- [MEPs resume work on US trade accord](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/04/meps-resume-work-on-us-trade-accord.md): The European Parliament's international trade committee agreed to resume work on enacting the Turnberry agreement between the EU and United States, following the political upheavals of recent weeks. Representatives of the parliament's political groups lifted the suspension which the committee imposed last month in protest at president Trump's territorial claims on Greenland. A vote in the committee is now pencilled in for 24 February.
- [EU will struggle to meet critical raw materials targets, auditors warn](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/04/eu-will-struggle-to-meet-critical-raw-materials-targets-auditors-warn.md): The EU will struggle to meet its targets for safeguarding the supply of critical and strategic raw materials by 2030, the European Court of Auditors said. A report published by the court found that EU member states were unlikely to fully meet the legal target for no more than 65% of supplies of any one strategic raw material to be sourced from a single non-EU country.
- [EU, UK schedule intensive talks on reset as May summit looms](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/03/eu-uk-schedule-intensive-talks-on-reset-as-may-summit-looms.md): EU and UK ministers committed to meeting every two weeks in a push to conclude the 'reset' talks between London and Brussels by the time of the next EU-UK summit in May. This followed a meeting in London yesterday between EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and UK cabinet office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds.
- [EU deepens anti-subsidy probe into Chinese wind turbine maker](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/03/eu-deepens-anti-subsidy-probe-into-chinese-wind-turbine-maker.md): The European Commission announced an in-depth investigation into a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer suspected of unfairly subsidising its European subsidiary. This followed the conclusion of a preliminary investigation into the company in question -- Goldwind -- which the executive launched on an ex officio basis in 2024.
- [European dairy traders unhappy over new Chinese tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/02/european-dairy-traders-unhappy-over-new-chinese-tariffs.md): The European dairy trade association Eucolait said it "regrets" China's decision to impose countervailing duties on certain European dairy products, even though the duties are substantially lower than those provisionally imposed in December.
- [UK China: Beijing cuts whisky tariff, pledges talks on services trade](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/02/uk-china-beijing-cuts-whisky-tariff-pledges-talks-on-services-trade.md): China cut its import tariff on whisky from 10% to 5% following prime minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing at the end of last week. The agreement on whisky was the headline outcome in a package of trade facilitation agreements which included the launch of a feasibility study to consider a bilateral agreement on trade in services.
- [Week Ahead: Getting real on Turnberry, EU UK talks, EU-UAE round](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/02/week-ahead-getting-real-on-turnberry-eu-uk-talks-eu-uae-round.md): The Week Ahead in EU and UK trade. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman with some contributions by Iana Dreyer.
- [WTO panel: US IRA local content requirements are illegal](https://borderlex.net/2026/02/02/wto-panel-us-ira-local-content-requirements-are-illegal.md): The Biden-era United States’ Inflation Reduction Act is in contravention of World Trade Organization rules due to its local content requirements. A panel in Geneva ruled that subsidies payable by the US government to renewable energy producers are illegal on the basis that they granted enhanced rates to producers who used primarily US-sourced materials.
- [Week in Brussels: US ambo in the EP, Vietnam, industry concerns about IAA](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/30/week-in-brussels-us-ambo-in-the-ep-vietnam-industry-concerns-about-iaa.md): This week the US ambassador to the EU urged the bloc to implement its commitments under the ‘Turnberry agreement’ after lawmakers had paused the process following Trump’s threat to purchase Greenland. Also this week, the EU and Vietnam upgraded their relationship despite ongoing trade irritants, and a Japanese automaker shared its concerns about the “made in Europe” provisions in the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act. By Chris Horseman and Rob Francis
- [The EU-India FTA: A new model linking trade, climate and industrial policy?](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/30/the-eu-india-fta-a-new-model-linking-trade-climate-and-industrial-policy.md): Sustainability and climate provisions were a key sticking point in the recently concluded India-EU trade negotiations. The final outcome includes fewer binding climate commitments than other EU free trade agreements, but it does offer a pathway to better integrating the trade, climate and industrial policy objectives of two vastly different ...
- [UK FTAs with Australia, NZ boost services but goods exports fall](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/29/uk-ftas-with-australia-nz-boost-services-but-goods-exports-fall.md): The United Kingdom's services exports to Australia and New Zealand rose significantly in the two years since its free trade agreements with the two countries entered into force. Goods exports fell over the same period despite the removal of all tariffs. UK trade with Japan also increased after the entry into force of the bilateral trade agreement, but at a lower rate compared with the country's trade with the rest of the world.
- [Brazil joins Argentina, Uruguay in EU data adequacy framework](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/28/brazil-joins-argentina-uruguay-in-eu-data-adequacy-decision-framework.md): The European Union granted Brazil an ‘adequacy decision’ regarding its domestic regulations on personal data protection a status equivalent to that of the EU’s. Brazil reciprocated. This mutual recognition of their respective rules framework, announced on Wednesday in Brasilia, will partly make up for the lack of commitments on data flows included in the EU Mercosur trade agreement.
- [EU launches task force on agri-food import controls](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/28/eu-launches-task-force-on-agri-food-import-controls.md): The EU launched a task force to monitor the safety of imported food products, in a move designed primarily to reassure nervous European farmers. The new body will bring together experts from both the European Commission and member state governments to oversee rules and processes for checking agri-food imports.
- [EU sugar users slam commission plan to suspend duty relief](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/28/eu-sugar-users-slam-commission-plan-to-suspend-duty-relief.md): Sugar-using industries strongly criticised European Commission plans to suspend duty-free imports of sugar which EU companies can process and then export as food products to third countries. The European Fermentation Group, European Sugar Refineries Association and Committee of European Sugar Users said the suspension of the inward processing relief scheme would undermine industrial competitiveness and lead to unemployment.
- [Lange: EU risks ‘opening Pandora’s box’ on MFN rethink](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/27/lange-eu-risks-opening-pandoras-box-on-mfn-rethink.md): The EU risks "opening Pandora's box" by calling for a rethink of the 'most favoured nation' principle as part of plans to reform the World Trade Organization, the chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee warned.
- [MEPs tighten up EU steel quota regulation](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/27/meps-tighten-up-eu-steel-quota-regulation.md): The international trade committee of the European Parliament is ready to enter into inter-institutional trilogue negotiations with member states on EU plans to introduce permanent quotas and high tariffs on steel in a regulation aiming at addressing overcapacities in the sector.
- [EU, India seal largest-ever free trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/27/eu-india-seal-largest-ever-free-trade-pact-as-both-sides-seek-trade-diversification.md): The European Union and India concluded talks on a free trade agreement, as both Brussels and New Delhi seek to diversify their trade away from China and increasingly the United States. The European Commission said the pact, which would be the largest agreement ever concluded by each side, would double EU goods exports to India by 2032, with tariffs either eliminated or reduced on 96.6% of the bloc's goods exports.
- [EU customs reform talks pushed to March as decision on host of customs authority looms](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/26/eu-customs-reform-talks-pushed-to-march-as-decision-on-host-of-customs-authority-looms.md): The EU institutions remain far from agreement on legislation to reform the bloc's customs framework, with the next trilogue meeting pushed back to March. But the European Parliament and EU member states could agree later today on a process to decide the location of the future European Customs Authority.
- [Week Ahead: Closing in on India deal, US relations, Ecuador, customs, Indian EVs](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/26/week-ahead-closing-in-on-india-deal-us-relations-customs-indian-evs.md): A thought for Canada, which came next in line for new US president tariff threats over the week-end - 100% uttered by mad King Trump - for daring to reach a settlement with China over electric vehicle trade and investment. In Europe, after the Greenland psychodrama of last week, all eyes will be turning to India and a likely deal announcement on a trade accord. Other trade files will be continuing their churn in Brussels, and, tentatively also at the WTO in Geneva. The week ahead by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman with some support from Iana Dreyer.
- [EU to extend suspension of US retaliatory tariffs for six months](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/23/eu-to-extend-suspension-of-us-retaliatory-tariffs-for-six-months.md): The European Commission announced it will "soon" table a proposal to prolong the suspension of retaliatory tariffs against the United States by six months, spokesperson Olof Gill said. The current suspension is due to expire on 7 February. The EU executive also insisted that it had not yet taken a decision on whether to provisionally apply the EU-Mercosur pact.
- [EU lawmakers to weigh vote timing on US trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/22/eu-lawmakers-to-weigh-vote-timing-on-us-trade-deal.md): Leading members of the European Parliament will discuss on Monday (27 January) whether to reschedule the vote on legislation to eliminate tariffs on industrial goods from the United States and establish import quotas for certain agricultural and seafood products. EU leaders will also discuss this evening whether to prolong the suspension of the bloc’s retaliatory tariffs against American goods after US president Donald Trump withdrew his threat to levy tariffs on eight European countries.
- [WTO: EU also calls for rethink of MFN principle](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/21/wto-eu-also-calls-for-rethink-of-mfn-principle.md): The EU is calling for a "rethink" of the most favoured nation principle, in comments which appeared to partly support the latest position of the United States.
- [UPDATED: EU parliament votes to refer Mercosur pact to ECJ](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/21/eu-parliament-votes-to-refer-mercosur-pact-to-top-court-threatening-two-year-delay.md): The European Parliament narrowly voted to request an opinion from the European Court of Justice on whether the EU-Mercosur agreement is compatible with EU law. The vote could delay parliament's ratification of the trade elements of the pact by up to two years. If the ECJ finds the pact incompatible, it cannot enter into force. The European Commission can choose to provisionally apply the pact as soon as one Mercosur country ratifies it, but has yet to decide whether to do so.
- [UK export staff cuts ‘threaten India trade deal benefits’](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/21/uk-export-staff-cuts-threaten-india-trade-deal-benefits.md): Planned staff cuts of 40% at the United Kingdom's Department of Business and Trade could jeopardise the delivery of billions of pounds worth of benefits to the UK economy from its new free trade agreement with India. This is the warning issued in a new report on the UK-India FTA published by the House of Commons' Business and Trade Committee.
- [Think tank: Bruegel on EU response to US tariffs, ECIPE counts costs of Mercosur delay, EU-CPTPP](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/20/think-tank-bruegel-on-eu-response-to-us-tariffs-ecipe-counts-costs-of-mercosur-delay-eu-cptpp-cooperation.md): This week Bruegel’s Ignacio García Bercero calls on the EU to activate its anti-coercion instrument following Trump’s tariff threats linked to his desire to purchase Greenland. Also this week: an ECIPE paper calculates the costs of failing to ratify the EU-Mercosur deal, and the Swedish national board of trade proposes five areas for possible cooperation with the members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman
- [EU, India ‘on the cusp’ of sealing trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/20/eu-india-on-the-cusp-of-sealing-trade-pact.md): European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the EU and India were "on the cusp" of concluding a free trade agreement. Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, von der Leyen described the agreement as "the mother of all deals" but added there is "still work to do".
- [Indonesia to lose UK trade preferences from start of 2027](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/20/indonesia-to-lose-uk-trade-preferences-from-start-of-2027.md): Indonesia will lose its trade preferences with the United Kingdom from the start of next year, after the World Bank declared the Asian state to be an upper middle-income country.
- [Perspectives – Trump threats: Europe should focus on projecting certainty and reliability](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/19/perspectives-europe-should-focus-on-projecting-certainty-and-reliability-amid-trump-tariff-threats.md): President Trump’s announcement to impose tariffs on countries deploying troops to Greenland set off the biggest crisis in US-Europe relations since 1956. Direct retaliation will be damaging to the EU however attractive it may seem. Far better is to double down on being the only major continent that respects rules.
- [Starmer plays down UK tariff retaliation over Greenland](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/19/starmer-plays-down-uk-tariff-retaliation-over-greenland.md): UK prime minister Keir Starmer played down calls for London to impose trade sanctions on the United States over the Greenland issue, saying that a trade war would be "in nobody's interest".
- [Blog – EU trade defence: the small innovations that may grow big](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/19/blog-eu-trade-defence-the-small-innovations-that-may-grow-big.md): For those wanting a change from Trump tariffs and the never-ending Mercosur obsessions: here’s one for the trade defence nerds. Duty-free tariff rate quotas for anti-dumping measures anyone? Or record duties on a chemical imported from the United States? Here’s to another field day for the trade defence community in 2026.
- [Week Ahead: Greenland at Davos, Mercosur in the European Parliament, India FTAs](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/19/week-ahead-greenland-at-davos-mercosur-in-the-european-parliament-india-ftas.md): The signing of the long-sought EU-Mercosur agreement last Saturday 17 January 2026 – a key step towards seeing this deal come into force – went under in the news avalanche created by Trump's tariff threats on European countries not acquiescing to Denmark ceding Greenland to the United States. Now to what comes next on the EU trade front, by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Trump’s Greenland tariff threat prompts EU crisis response](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/18/trumps-greenland-tariff-threat-prompts-eu-crisis-response.md): The EU will spend this coming week planning a response to US president Donald Trump's latest tariff threats announced on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday (17 January). From resorting to anti-coercion legislation and letting retaliatory tariffs postponed last year snap back, to just waiting and seeing what actually happens given an imminent Supreme Court ruling: all options are open. One thing is clear: the EU will not implement its side of the current tariff bargain with the US by liberalising industrial tariffs and some agriculture quotas just this week.
- [UK opens first anti-subsidy investigation against EU member state](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/16/uk-opens-first-anti-subsidy-investigation-against-eu-member-state.md): The United Kingdom initiated an anti-subsidy investigation against imports of limestone from Portugal. If confirmed, this would be the first trade defence measure taken by the UK against an EU member state.
- [Comment: 2026 opens era of conditional multilateralism – Europe should take note](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/15/comment-2026-opens-era-of-conditional-multilateralism-europe-should-take-note.md): The United States’ decision to withdraw from some – but not all – international organisations has sent a strong signal to the world. US membership of multilateral organisations is now selective and no longer to be taken for granted. But how should other countries react to this change in approach? ...
- [EU, Ukraine clash over agricultural trade, export bans](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/15/eu-ukraine-clash-over-agricultural-trade-export-bans.md): The European Commission and Ukraine clashed over agricultural trade and export restrictions during a bilateral meeting on 2 December, with Kyiv saying the revised trade agreement has failed to deliver expected stability.
- [EU-US tariff deal faces delay as Trump’s Greenland threats anger lawmakers](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/14/eu-us-tariff-deal-faces-delay-as-trumps-greenland-threats-anger-lawmakers.md): Leading lawmakers in the European Parliament's trade committee are considering postponing a vote on legislation to eliminate tariffs on US industrial goods and establish import quotas for certain agricultural and seafood products. A meeting today between committee chair and rapporteur Bernd Lange and the shadow rapporteurs concluded without agreement. A second meeting is expected on Wednesday (21 January).
- [EU-Mercosur trade pact: A detailed overview](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/14/eu-mercosur-trade-pact-a-detailed-overview.md): As the EU and Mercosur blocs prepare to sign their landmark trade agreement this weekend, Borderlex goes beyond the – often alarmist – headlines and dives into the actual details of the provisions covering the tariff rate quotas for agriculture products, the trade and sustainable development chapter and annexes, and ...
- [Commission mulls ban on Russian nuclear imports as sanctions hit political deadlock](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/13/commission-mulls-ban-on-russian-nuclear-imports-as-sanctions-hit-political-deadlock.md): EU energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen announced the commission is considering a phase out of imports of Russian nuclear energy, as attempts to include them in the bloc's sanctions package continue to falter. The move follows a call from the European Parliament in October to urgently phase out Russian nuclear energy imports to achieve "full independence" from Moscow amid the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
- [EU sets framework for Chinese EV price pledges](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/12/eu-sets-framework-for-chinese-ev-price-pledges.md): The European Commission published guidelines for Chinese battery electric vehicle exporters that are seeking to negotiate price undertaking offers with the EU and thereby escape the bloc’s punishing countervailing duties. Price pledges can lead to lower duties for exporters and even refunds.
- [Week Ahead: Big push for Mercosur and India trade accords](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/12/week-ahead-big-push-for-mercosur-and-india-trade-accords.md): The year begins with a big rush in Brussels to get trade agreements over the finish line that are seen as critical to the EU's trade diversification agenda. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer. EU Mercosur agreement signature expected this week Following last Friday’s member state green light to sign off the EU-Mercosur accord – which involves a Partnership Agreement and an Interim Trade Agreement - after 25 years of negotiations, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is expected to travel to Paraguay this week. The signing is expected to take place next week-end on 17 January, according to Argentina’s foreign minister Pablo Quirno. The commission has yet to confirm a date. The drama is not over though, with the council and European Parliament due to discuss ratification of the pact in the coming months The commission has proposed splitting the agreement to facilitate ratification of the trade provisions. Under the procedure for seen by the splitting of the agreement into a partnership agreement and interim trade accord, the trade elements can enter into force if they receive support from a qualified majority of member states and a simple majority in the European Parliament. We had to dig very far back in our archive to fish out the articles that explain what the EU Mercosur agreement actually contains - most provisions have been negotiated long ago, the rest having been choreography to get the deal approved. Here a selection: On the rebalancing provision negotiated in 2024 in return for the EU asking for new climate and sustainability provisions On the critical minerals aspect of the agreement On the fine print on agriculture trade The gains for industry Pre-summit push for EU-India agreement
- [EU-Mercosur trade pact one step closer after member states back signature](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/09/eu-mercosur-trade-pact-one-step-closer-after-member-states-back-signature.md): EU member states gave the green light for the European Commission to sign the agreement with Mercosur.
- [Week in Brussels: Calls to freeze US deal, Jordan trade pact review, more fertiliser duties](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/09/week-in-brussels-calls-to-freeze-us-deal-jordan-trade-pact-review-more-fertiliser-duties.md): EU member states will today vote on whether to approve the signature of the EU-Mercosur agreement. France, Poland, Hungary, Austria and Ireland will vote against. But this will not be enough to block the signing of the agreement which is expected to happen next week in Paraguay. Also this week: MEPs are threatening to delay approving the lowering of tariffs on American goods amid Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland. The EU and Jordan agreed to launch discussions to review their trade agreement. The very same week Brussels announced it would suspend most favoured nation tariffs on fertilisers, the European Commission extended anti-dumping duties on two forms of fertilisers from Russia, the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.
- [UK sets sights on closer EU ties amid geopolitical pressures](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/08/uk-sets-sights-on-closer-eu-ties-amid-geopolitical-pressures.md): The United Kingdom entered 2026 with its strongest push yet to rebuild relations with the European Union since the 2016 Brexit referendum, driven by disappointing economic performance and mounting geopolitical threats. The EU relationship will be a dominant issue in a year which will also require London to take difficult decisions on steel tariffs and on wider questions of economic security in light of challenges from Russia, China and the United States. The UK must also prepare for the introduction of its carbon border adjustment mechanism at the start of next year, while continuing to actively pursue new free trade agreements with a range of countries.
- [Commission proposes tariff suspension on fertilisers to ease farmer costs](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/08/commission-proposes-tariff-suspension-on-fertilisers-to-ease-farmer-costs.md): The European Commission said it will table a proposal to temporarily suspend the EU's most favoured nation tariffs on fertilisers to lower costs for farmers. EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič also urged the EU institutions to quickly adopt a provision tabled by the EU executive last month which would temporarily exempt certain sectors, such as fertilisers, from the bloc’s carbon border measure.
- [EU trade policy 2026: De-risking, diversification and domestic pressures](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/07/eu-trade-policy-2026-de-risking-diversification-and-domestic-pressures.md): The EU will this year continue in its faltering attempts to ‘de-risk’ away from China and –increasingly – the United States.
- [China challenges local content requirements in WTO](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/06/china-challenges-indias-solar-subsidies-at-wto.md): China signalled its intention to push back against local content requirements in industrial sectors where it has established itself as the world's leading supplier. Beijing announced just before Christmas that it is bringing a case at the WTO which targets India’s subsidy programme for solar technologies.
- [France bans fruit imports amidst EU-Mercosur signature push](https://borderlex.net/2026/01/05/france-bans-fruit-imports-amidst-eu-mercosur-signature-push.md): The European Commission confirmed it had received a letter from the French government notifying it of Paris's intention to ban imports of products containing pesticides prohibited in the EU. France’s move appears to pre-empt the possible signature of the EU-Mercosur agreement later this month.
- [Season’s Greetings](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/19/seasons-greetings.md): Dear readers and subscribers, It's an understatement to say that it's been quite an incredible year for the international trade policy community. And it looks like 2026 won't be any more boring! We wish all of you a restful, restorative, happy Christmas break and a great transition to 2026. The editorial team at Borderlex will now be on a much-deserved break and return refreshed in the very early days of January 2026. Some of our regular products such as the Week Ahead and Week in Brussels will be back in the week of 12 January. If you need to contact the editorial team during this period, do whizz us an email to editor AT borderlex.net Happy Christmas in the meantime! With best wishes, Rob, Chris and Iana.
- [WTO authorises EU retaliation over Spanish olives dispute](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/19/wto-authorises-eu-retaliation-over-spanish-olives-dispute-2.md): The WTO's dispute settlement body authorised the EU to impose tariff surcharges on almost $14 million worth of imports from the United States in retaliation against US' anti-dumping and countervailing duties on ripe olives from Spain.
- [Week in Brussels: Due diligence, Russian gas, deforestation, customs authority bids](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/19/week-in-brussels-due-diligence-russian-gas-deforestation-customs-authority-bids.md): The EU and Mercosur will not sign their agreement this weekend after all, after Italy agreed with Brazil to push back the signing, ostensibly to give more time to Rome to persuade its faming community of the benefits of the deal. France remains implacably opposed. More information here. Also this week: EU lawmakers were able to finalise legislation on due diligence, the banning of Russian gas, and a delay to the application of the deforestation regulation. The bloc’s institutions also rushed to agree rules on how to implement the safeguards in the EU-Mercosur agreement. And the competition to see who gets to host the European Customs Authority is, if not in the finishing straight, then on the final bend.
- [WTO: US kills off least developed country graduation scheme](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/19/wto-us-kills-off-least-developed-country-graduation-scheme.md): The United States blocked a 2023 agreement in principle on treatment of countries 'graduating' away from their United Nations ‘least developed country status’.
- [EU postpones Mercosur trade pact signature to January](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/19/eu-postpones-mercosur-trade-pact-signature-to-january.md): The EU postponed the signature of its trade pact with Mercosur until January amid pressure from France and Italy to delay inking the agreement.
- [Contours of MC14 debate on WTO reform emerge](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/18/contours-of-mc14-debate-on-wto-reform-emerge.md): WTO members endorsed a framework for ministerial debate on reform at this week's general council meeting in Geneva, bringing into focus the issues ministers will confront at the 14th ministerial conference in Cameroon on 26-29 March. Divisions between key members of the global trade body remain acute following a fraught meeting which ran into an unscheduled third day.
- [Blog: Garibaldi’s ten thousand? Or Napoleon’s?](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/18/blog-garibaldis-ten-thousand-or-napoleons.md): Ten thousand farmers with their tractors, smoke bombs and rotten potatoes descended on Brussels today to protest an EU heads of state meeting to determine the funding of European farming for the next seven years. Also on the agenda: future funding of Ukraine. Europe’s farmers have two legitimate grievances – ...
- [Borderlex and Women in Trade drinks and fire-side chat- Registration now closed!](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/18/save-the-date-borderlex-and-women-in-trade-drinks-and-fire-side-chat.md): The Borderlex Academy evening receptions have become a yearly fixture in the trade policy community in Brussels. In 2026 we will be holding it with a special guest – Sabine Weyand of DG Trade and Economic Security – in partnership with the Women in Trade network of Brussels! ***
- [Editor’s Take – Economic security: Has the EU got what it takes?](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/18/editors-take-economic-security-has-the-eu-got-what-it-takes.md): Pursuing ‘economic security’ is a mission not foreseen in the European Union’s foundational treaties but imposed upon it by geopolitical realities – with the European Commission having to deal with matters it can’t really control. This week is a moment of truth for the EU as an entity that is ...
- [EU Mercosur deal: Council pushes back on MEP ‘mirror measures’ for safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/17/eu-pushes-back-on-mep-mirror-measures-in-mercosur-tied-import-safeguard.md): The European Union's institutions agreed not to impose 'mirror measures' on Mercosur countries in the context of its future trade agreement with the South American bloc. Instead, the European Commission is to "issue a statement ensuring stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products, notably on animal welfare and pesticides from Mercosur countries", according to a parliament press release.
- [British electricity exempted from EU CBAM charges](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/17/british-electricity-exempted-from-eu-cbam-charges.md): United Kingdom electricity exports to the EU will be exempted from carbon border adjustment levies as they kick in next January. This follows on the conclusion of a framework bilateral EU-UK agreement on electricity trading. British exports of iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers and hydrogen will however all be liable for charges. This will be the case until London and Brussels can reach agreement on the linking of the two sides' carbon emission schemes.
- [EU expands carbon border measure, proposes fund for producers](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/17/commission-expands-carbon-border-measure-proposes-fund-for-eu-producers.md): The European Commission proposed expanding the scope of the bloc's carbon border adjustment mechanism to include downstream products such as machinery and appliances. The EU executive also wants to introduce financial support for companies at risk of carbon leakage. Both proposals will go through the co-decision process and could be amended by the European Parliament and EU member states. The commission expects the changes to be applied from 1 January 2028.
- [Mercosur safeguard: EU parliament tables ‘mirror clause’ requirement](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/16/mercosur-safeguard-eu-parliament-tables-mirror-clause-requirement.md): The European Parliament adopted a position which introduces ‘mirror measures’ into an EU import safeguard mechanism devised to counter the potential negative impact of agricultural imports from Mercosur once the trade deal is in force.
- [Insight: US takes aim at MFN principle in WTO shake-up](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/16/insight-us-takes-aim-at-mfn-principle-in-wto-shake-up.md): The United States has declared that the World Trade Organization's most favoured nation principle is "unsuitable for this era" and should be abandoned as part of a fundamental overhaul of how the organisation operates.
- [London and Seoul modernise trade deal with auto, digital rules](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/16/london-and-seoul-modernise-trade-deal-with-auto-digital-rules.md): The UK and South Korea upgraded their free trade agreement, an accord initially 'rolled over' from the existing EU trade deal in 2020. The novelties include rules on digital trade, financial and telecommunications services, customs facilitation, movement of company personnel, food safety, investment protection and sustainability.
- [Perspectives: UK trade policy sets sights on Brussels](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/16/perspectives-uk-trade-policy-sets-sights-on-brussels.md): The United Kingdom’s post-Brexit ‘global Britain’ trade policy has not delivered the expected results nor offered a good alternative to deep ties with the European Union. In the British debate, ten years after the referendum, all roads are leading back to Brussels.
- [EU capitals approve steel safeguard overhaul, add quarterly quota flexibility](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/15/eu-capitals-approve-steel-safeguard-overhaul-add-quarterly-quota-flexibility.md): EU member states agreed to make trade protection for steel permanent from July by approving the key elements of a proposal tabled by the European Commission in October. Attention now turns to the European Parliament which is expected to adopt its position in the first quarter of 2026. Trilogue talks between the institutions will follow.
- [Week Ahead: EU Mercosur moment of truth, sustainability legislation, WTO ministerial](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/15/week-ahead-eu-mercosur-moment-of-truth-sustainability-legislation-wto-ministerial.md): This week will be a moment of truth for the EU. Can it clinch a long-sought deal with a South American trading block at a time when it seeks to diversify its partnerships and trade opportunities in a turbulent geopolitical environment? The jury is still out. The week ahead in EU trade and at the WTO in Geneva by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [EU member states agree €3 flat customs fee for small parcels](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/12/eu-member-states-agree-e3-flat-customs-fee-for-small-parcels.md): EU member states agreed to introduce a fixed customs duty of €3 per item for small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the bloc from third countries. The duty will apply from 1 July 2026. Currently such packages can enter the European Union duty-free.
- [Week in Brussels: Foreign subsidies regulation focus, Mercosur uncertainty](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/12/week-in-brussels-foreign-subsidies-regulation-focus-mercosur-uncertainty.md): As the year draws to a close the EU institutions are racing to finalise legislation. This week alone saw the European Parliament and council conclude negotiations on the review of investment screening rules and new rules in corporate sustainability due diligence. But it is still not clear if the EU will approve for signature the EU-Mercosur pact before year-end. The Mercosur bloc want to sign the agreement. Also this week: international business groups called for an “ambitious” review of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation, the European Commission launched a probe under this very regulation into Chinese business Nuctech and business groups are pushing the EU institutions to approve the EU-Mercosur pact.
- [UK strengthens trade defence regime with ministerial intervention rights](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/11/uk-strengthens-trade-defence-regime-with-ministerial-intervention-rights.md): UK trade ministers will gain new powers to initiate trade defence investigations under their own authority, under directives issued today by the London government.
- [EU agrees mandatory FDI screening for sensitive sectors](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/11/eu-agrees-mandatory-fdi-screening-for-sensitive-sectors.md): Screening of foreign direct investment in strategically important parts of the economy is to become mandatory for all EU member states under a new agreement reached between EU governments and the European Parliament. Negotiators agreed that capitals will retain full and exclusive responsibility for deciding whether a proposed investment should be permitted, under a revision to the existing 2020 regulation on FDI screening.
- [Blog: Race to host European Customs Authority hots up](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/11/blog-race-to-host-european-customs-authority-hots-up.md): Nine cities are competing for hosting rights to the brand new European Customs Authority as the council prepares to take a decision by early February. Bucharest, Liège, Lille, Málaga, Porto, Rome, The Hague, Warsaw and Zagreb are all in the running for the agency, which will house one of Europe’s ...
- [Commission official warns parliament amendment violates Mercosur deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/11/commission-official-warns-parliament-amendment-violates-mercosur-deal.md): The European Commission official who negotiated the EU-Mercosur trade agreement warned that changes requested by the European Parliament’s international trade committee on a safeguard regulation tied to the deal is “inapplicable” and contradicts the text agreed with South American partners last year.
- [EU Chamber: China may have overreached on export controls](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/10/eu-chamber-china-may-have-overreached-on-export-controls.md): A new report by the European Chamber of Commerce in China argues that China has overreached in exerting its trade leverage this year. It may well, as a result, lose control and influence over critical supply chains in future.
- [EU to ramp up agri-food import audits as Mercosur deal looms](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/09/eu-to-ramp-up-agri-food-import-audits-as-mercosur-deal-looms.md): The European Union will significantly increase audits of third countries supplying agri-food products to the bloc as part of efforts to clamp down on products that do not meet European food standards. The European Commission announced the creation of a new task force to oversee the stricter controls which will specifically target "non-compliant commodities and countries".
- [EXPLAINER: What’s in the new due diligence agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/09/explainer-whats-in-the-new-due-diligence-agreement.md): A comprehensive overview of the provisional agreement struck overnight by the EU institutions which significantly dilutes the requirements in the EU corporate sustainability due diligence directive.
- [Trade committee tightens safeguard tied to EU Mercosur deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/09/ttrade-committee-tightens-safeguard-tied-to-eu-mercosur-deal.md): The European Parliament's international trade committee amended the European Commission's proposal to codify safeguard provisions in the EU-Mercosur agreement. The adoption of this safeguard regulation is seen by its proponents as a political reassurance message to critics in Europe ahead of the full trade agreement's formally signature, currently pencilled in for 20 December in South America. The changes will delay the decision-making process in Brussels - and hence put in question the signature date.
- [Week Ahead: EU local content, Mercosur, CSDDD, e-commerce, WTO reform](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/08/week-ahead-eu-local-content-mercosur-csddd-e-commerce-wto-reform-2.md): European Union political leaders are reeling from the release of the White House’s National Security Strategy late last week. Meanwhile the EU is closing in on key trade policy files it has put on its fast track ahead of the year-end. Key among them this week: CSDDD and Mercosur. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: Mercosur, Vietnam, Ecuador](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/05/week-in-brussels-mercosur-vietnam-ecuador.md): As the year draws to a close the EU institutions are working hard to finalise legislation. This week alone saw agreements on the bloc’s future trading arrangements with developing countries, a future ban on Russian gas, and another delay to the deforestation regulation. Also this week, the European Parliament is as divided as ever over the EU-Mercosur pact, the EU and Vietnam are taking steps to tackle the trade irritants affecting the implementation of their bilateral trade agreement, and the European Commission reported back on the first round of negotiations with Ecuador on a sustainable investment facilitation agreement.
- [EU delays deforestation regulation application date to end-2026](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/05/eu-delays-deforestation-regulation-application-date-to-end-2026.md): The European Parliament and EU member states reached agreement last night to postpone the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year to 30 December 2026. Small and micro operators will also have an extra year until 30 June 2027 to apply the rules. For micro and small operators covered by the EU timber regulation the entry into application will be 30 December 2026.
- [Think Tank: Economic security, Supreme Court on IEEPA, Pagan on MC14](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/05/think-tank-economic-security-supreme-court-on-ieepa-pagan-on-mc14.md): In this week’s think tank column: initial takes on the EU’s new economic security communication – no longer a doctrine! - speculation around the consequences of a possibly imminent Supreme Court ruling on the United States' president’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs and a former US trade representative envoy in Geneva on how to get something done at the next WTO ministerial.
- [Commission opens review of China EV duties after Volkswagen, JAC offer price pledge](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/04/commission-opens-review-of-china-ev-duties-after-volkswagen-jac-offer-price-pledge.md): The European Commission launched a partial review of countervailing measures against Chinese-made battery electric vehicles focusing on a price undertaking offer from Volkswagen Anhui, a joint venture between JAC Motors and Volkswagen. The review will examine whether the price pledge is acceptable and practical. It could result in lower duties on the joint venture's vehicles and possibly even refunds.
- [US pushes for permanent WTO e-commerce moratorium](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/03/us-pushes-for-permanent-wto-e-commerce-moratorium.md): The United States is set to demand a permanent moratorium on import duties for e-commerce transactions at the WTO's ministerial meeting in Cameroon next March. A paper submitted by Washington to WTO members calls for an indefinite extension of "the current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions".
- [Brussels proposes export curbs on critical raw material scrap](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/03/brussels-proposes-export-curbs-on-critical-raw-material-scrap.md): The European Commission will propose restrictions on exports of scrap and waste from permanent magnets in the first half of next year, part of efforts to boost access to critical raw materials within the bloc.
- [EU signals ‘paradigm shift’ in economic security approach](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/03/eu-signals-paradigm-shift-in-economic-security-approach.md): The European Commission will deploy existing policy tools more proactively to defend EU economic interests against growing external threats. A communication published today signalled a 'paradigm shift' in the commission's approach to economic security.
- [EU to phase out Russian gas by end 2027](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/03/eu-to-phase-out-russian-gas-by-end-2027.md): EU institutions agreed in the early hours of this morning on the fine print of a plan to fully ban imports of Russian gas, whether through pipelines or in liquefied form.
- [EU GSP compromise: what’s in it](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/02/eu-gsp-compromise-whats-in-it.md): The three EU institutions agreed after four years of wrangling on new unilateral arrangements for preferential trade with developing countries. The key outcome of this negotiation is a new conditionality, linking preferential market access to home countries’ cooperation on returning migrants. The EU institutions introduced an automatic import safeguard for rice and added new international conventions, including the Paris climate agreement, which beneficiaries must ratify for them to continue to benefit from trade preferences.
- [EU drops WTO case against China over Lithuania](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/01/eu-drops-wto-case-against-china-over-lithuania.md): The European Union formally withdrew its World Trade Organization dispute settlement case against China over trade restrictions targeting Lithuania, stating that the "key objectives behind this dispute have been met". The case, which had been suspended for almost two years, would have lapsed automatically if it had not been reactivated by the end of January 2026.
- [US Section 232s: United Kingdom secures duty free pharma access – at a price](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/01/us-section-232s-united-kingdom-secures-duty-free-pharma-access-at-a-price.md): The United States will guarantee tariff-free access for British pharmaceutical exports for the next three years, in return for higher payments by the UK healthcare service for American medicines.
- [EU customs reform process to spill over into 2026](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/01/eu-customs-reform-process-to-spill-over-into-2026.md): All signs are the Danish presidency of the Council will not be able to close ongoing interinstitutional negotiations over the final fine print of an ongoing complex reform of the European Union’s customs code that would establish a common data hub and a centralised customs authority. The package also includes ...
- [Week Ahead: Economic Security doctrine, WTO, EU-UK, deforestation, Mercosur](https://borderlex.net/2025/12/01/week-ahead-economic-security-doctrine-wto-eu-uk-deforestation-mercosure.md): We are looking at another dense pre-Christmas week in Brussels, Geneva and to some extent London around trade policy matters. We are expecting the release of a long-awaited economic security doctrine from the European Commission, and the WTO community is engaging in valiant efforts to bring its reform forward. The week's preview brought to you by Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [EU member states push for safeguard clause in US tariff deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/28/eu-member-states-push-for-safeguard-clause-in-us-tariff-deal.md): EU member states want to insert a safeguard into the European Commission’s proposed legislation which reduces tariffs on industrial goods from the United States and introduces tariff rate quotas on certain US seafood and agricultural products. The council also called on the commission to publish a report on the economic impact of the tariff reductions by 31 December 2028. A fight could be looming in future trilogue talks. The European Parliament is threatening to go further than the council and introduce amendments which oblige the bloc to only lower its tariffs if the US reduces its own duties on steel and aluminium and their derivatives.
- [Week in Brussels: Mercosur, Africa, Western Sahara, e-commerce](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/28/week-in-brussels-mercosur-africa-western-sahara-e-commerce.md): The EU-Mercosur agreement continues to create drama and controversy as the potential date for signature – 20 December – draws ever closer. The European Parliament, which must ratify the pact before it can enter into force, appears fractured along national lines, rather than political divisions. How parliamentarians vote on the European Commission’s proposal to codify the agriculture safeguards in the agreement will tell us much about the prospects for lawmakers in Strasbourg ratifying the deal next year. Also this week – a brief review of the trade takeaways from the EU-Africa summit, MEPs narrowly reject a resolution to overturn the agreement with Morocco on Western Saharan goods and parliamentarians took a strong stance against Shein and other e-commerce firms. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer
- [Borderlex Academy, February 2026 – full programme available – registration now closed!](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/27/borderlex-academy-february-2026-full-programme-available.md): Borderlex Academy, Brussels, 3 & 4 Feb 2026 Quo Vadis, EU trade policy? EU trade policy has changed direction in an unusually fast way since 2024. EU elections offered a strong populist showing, leading to major policy shifts,. The return of Donald Trump to the White House turned the tables ...
- [COMMENT: Despatches from the War on Terroir](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/27/comment-despatches-from-the-war-on-terroir.md): The recent attempt by the United States to prevent its trade partners in South East Asia from accepting the EU’s list of geographical indications could yet jeopardise ongoing free trade negotiations between ASEAN countries and Brussels. But there may be a solution at hand which both protects the EU’s iconic ...
- [UK to increase sugar import quota](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/27/uk-to-increase-sugar-import-quota.md): The United Kingdom announced it will increase its autonomous tariff quota on imports of raw cane sugar by 25% with effect from next year, likely benefiting mainly Brazil, hitting EU refined sugar.
- [UK to scrap ‘de minimis’ duty relief for small parcels](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/26/uk-to-scrap-de-minimis-duty-relief-for-small-parcels.md): The United Kingdom is following the example of the United States and the European Union by removing de minimis import duty relief on low-value goods consignments. Finance minister Rachel Reeves announced the end of the de minimis rule in her annual budget speech in Westminster today. The change may not be put fully into effect until March 2029.
- [Think Tank: EU and CPTPP need to walk talk, EU Thailand, UK strategy](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/26/think-tank-eu-and-cptpp-need-to-walk-talk-eu-thailand-uk-strategy.md): Think tankers have reacted to the establishment of an EU-CPTPP cooperation platform. There has been some deep thinking on a flailing UK trade strategy, and some suggestions on how to advance the trade and environmental sustainability agenda between the EU and Thailand. This week’s Think Tank column was brought to you by Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [In brief: MEPs vote for one year extra delay to deforestation regulation](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/26/in-brief-meps-vote-for-one-year-extra-delay-to-deforestation-regulation.md): The European Parliament voted by 402 votes in favour and 205 against on its position on an EU simplification drive on its 2023 deforestation regulation. It is now fairly certain that the regulation's coming into force will be delayed by another year to 2027.
- [EP rapporteur on steel tariffs: spare Ukraine, ban Russia](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/26/ep-rapporteur-on-steel-tariffs-spare-ukraine-ban-russia.md): The European Parliament's rapporteur on the EU’s coming permanent steel quotas and tariffs wants to spare Ukraine. Karin Karlsbro, from the centre Renew Europe group, also calls for imports of steel melted and poured in Russia and Belarus to be banned entirely and for unused quotas to be carried over to the next quarter.
- [EU, India ditch another chapter as trade deal deadline nears](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/25/eu-india-ditch-another-chapter-as-trade-deal-deadline-nears.md): The European Union and India continue to eye agreement on a free trade pact before the end of the year. But to get the deal over the line, the two sides have agreed to cut corners. As a result they are leaving out some chapters, the latest being provisions on state-owned enterprises, which the EU usually pursues in its bilateral free trade agreements.
- [EU appeals Indonesian steel case ‘into the void’ at WTO](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/24/eu-appeals-indonesian-steel-case-into-the-void-at-wto.md): The EU has appealed a World Trade Organization dispute settlement case on imports of stainless steel from Indonesia ‘into the void’.
- [WTO: EU pulls Spanish olives retaliation from DSB agenda](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/24/wto-eu-pulls-spanish-olives-retaliation-from-dsb-agenda.md): The Dispute Settlement Body was scheduled to approve at a meeting today EU retaliation against the US for Washington's failure to bring its countervailing duties on Spanish ripe olives into compliance with WTO law. But the item was pulled from the agenda at the EU's request.
- [EU, US agree to disagree on tariffs, digital rules](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/24/eu-us-agree-to-disagree-on-tariffs-digital-rules.md): Washington will not lower tariffs on European steel and derivates exports until Brussels rolls back its digital legislation and implements lower tariffs on American exports as laid down in the August joint statement, US officials told ministers at a gathering in Brussels today.
- [UK sets 60% supply diversification target for critical minerals](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/24/uk-sets-60-supply-diversification-target-for-critical-minerals.md): The United Kingdom government will aim to ensure that no more than 60% of British supplies of any one critical mineral are sourced from a single supplier country by 2035, as part of a new new critical minerals strategy.
- [UK MPs call for economic security doctrine and anti-coercion instrument](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/24/uk-mps-call-for-economic-security-doctrine-and-anti-coercion-instrument.md): A UK parliamentary committee called on the British government to develop its own economic security ‘doctrine' to protect the country against harm caused by geopolitical adversaries. The House of Commons' business and trade committee said in a report that London needed to be more proactive in understanding and responding to current and emerging threats.
- [Week Ahead: EU-US trade diplomacy, MEP vote on deforestation, WTO disputes](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/24/week-ahead-eu-us-trade-diplomacy-mep-vote-on-deforestation-wto-disputes.md): The US boycotted the G20 meeting that took place in South Africa this week-end. The G20 parties pledged cooperation on climate, critical minerals and development and related financial questions more broadly against the will of Washington. Even more importantly for Europe, the United States presented a peace plan to Ukraine it agreed with Russia that crosses many of Kyiv's red lines. This is the context for what's coming this week on trade in the EU this week.
- [Week in Brussels: Mercosur not to ECJ, EU Philippines, China trade defence](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/21/week-in-brussels-mercosur-not-to-ecj-eu-philippines-china-trade-defence.md): News on EU Mercosur, EU Philippines, EU trade defence. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [EU, South Africa ink trade and investment deal, metals and minerals MoU](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/21/eu-south-africa-ink-trade-and-investment-deal-metals-and-minerals-mou.md): The EU inked its first ever ‘Clean Trade and Investment Partnership’ agreement with South Africa on Thursday. Brussels and Pretoria also signed an MOU on sustainable minerals and metals value chains.
- [CPTPP to open accession talks with Uruguay, UAE, Philippines, Indonesia](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/21/52526.md): The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership is to open accession negotiations with four new countries: Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Indonesia. The group reported at the close of their annual commission meeting in Melbourne today that talks with current accession candidate Costa Rica are nearing completion. But negotiations with longstanding applicants China and Taiwan remain firmly in the diplomatic deep freeze. The 12-nation bloc also agreed to launch a work programme to 'upgrade' the agreement in five areas: digital trade, services, customs administration and trade facilitation, competitiveness and trade and women's economic empowerment.
- [EU alloys trade protection saga expected to continue](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/20/eu-alloys-trade-protection-saga-expected-to-continue.md)
- [EU-CPTPP: Ministers launch dialogue with focus on digital trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/20/eu-cptpp-ministers-launch-dialogue-with-focus-on-digital-trade.md): The EU formally launched a trade and investment dialogue with the countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The discussions, initiated in the margins of this week's CPTPP ministerial meeting in Melbourne, Australia, will focus on ways of boosting digital trade between the two blocs.
- [EU deforestation regulation – capitals rally behind extra one year extension](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/19/eu-deforestation-regulation-capitals-rally-behind-extra-one-year-extension.md): EU member states have rallied around requests in some capitals and large political groups in the European Parliament to extend by another year the coming into force of the EU's deforestation regulation.
- [EU-US Turnberry deal: MEPs aim for time limit and suspension clause](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/19/eu-us-turnberry-deal-meps-aim-for-time-limit-and-suspension-clause.md): The main political groups in the European Parliament want tariff eliminations on US imports - granted as part of a trade accord concluded this summer - to be time-limited and potentially suspended under certain conditions. Most of the mainstream parties are also calling for imports of steel and aluminium and their derivatives from the US to continue to fetch tariffs until Washington reduces its own duties on these products from 50% to 15%. These are only some of their many demands.
- [Implications of a precedent-setting EU ferro-alloys safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/19/implications-of-a-precedent-setting-eu-ferro-alloys-safeguard.md): The European Union enacted its second import safeguard almost seven years after one on steel. The protection the latter offers is now in the process of becoming permanent. So what next and why all the fuss about the ferro-alloys case?
- [Perspectives: The EU is not a trade superpower – how to make the best of it](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/19/perspectives-the-eu-is-not-a-trade-superpower-how-to-make-the-best-of-it.md): Brussels is institutionally under-powered and over-fragmented to take on the existential trade and related security challenges it is facing. Reshuffling the same old approaches is not working. Continued juggling is simply diminishing further the power of the bloc.
- [Business left in dark as CBAM payment start date looms](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/18/business-left-in-dark-as-cbam-payment-start-date-looms.md): Six weeks before first payments are due, the European Commission continues to fine-tune the final details of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, leaving companies in the dark as to how much they will need to pay when shipping cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen into the bloc. The fee-paying period begins on 1 January 2026, and businesses say they still don't know the level of the costs they will incur. Information about how the EU executive plans to oblige importers to pay for their emissions, as well as the default value for embedded emissions, is only seeping out through online leaks.
- [Seventeen EU member states back ferro-alloys measure](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/18/seventeen-eu-member-states-back-ferro-alloys-measure.md): The European Commission managed to obtain a last-minute positive vote in favour of a new import safeguard on ferro-alloys. The measure is due to come into force later today.*
- [European Commission revives aluminium export restriction plans](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/18/european-commission-revives-aluminium-export-restriction-plans.md): Speaking to the aluminium industry on Tuesday in Brussels EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič announced that aluminium export restrictions would now be unveiled in the spring 2026. Earlier in November, the European Commission decided to postpone announcing legislation aimed at restricting exports of aluminium, initially planned this autumn. The measure was initially announced in a metals action plan in March.
- [Ireland to ratify EU-Canada trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/17/ireland-to-ratify-eu-canada-trade-deal.md): Ireland is set to ratify the EU's trade agreement with Canada more than eight years after the agreement provisionally entered into force. This will make Ireland the eighteenth EU member state to formally approve the 2017 comprehensive economic and trade agreement known as CETA.
- [EU sets hope on trade deals to brighten trade outlook](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/17/eu-trade-outlook-brightens-despite-lingering-tariff-concerns-commission-says.md): Recent trade agreements between the United States and its partners, including the European Union, have "alleviated" some uncertainties surrounding the EU's economic outlook, the European Commission said. However, growth in the EU's export markets is expected to slow due to elevated global tariffs, which will in turn dampen growth in goods exports.
- [Comment: OECD needs European leadership, not just European funding](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/17/comment-oecd-needs-european-leadership-not-just-european-funding.md): Geopolitics are posing a challenge to the independence and credibility of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The EU needs to lead a reform process to revive the institution’s core missions. Here’s how to do it.
- [Week Ahead: ferro-alloys, CPTPP, EU Malaysia, customs, CSDDD, Russian gas ban](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/17/week-ahead-ferro-alloys-cptpp-eu-malaysia-customs-csddd-russian-gas-ban.md): -If you were lucky enough to go into the week-end early last Friday, here's a recap of news and insights from an end-of-week crunch before you even envisage looking ahead to the crunch week that is coming. US Swiss napkin “deal” on Friday Economic security and export controls : the latest. Week in Brussels: Mercosur to the ECJ? MEPs sign off on Singapore digital pact, Ecuador sustainable investment negotiations, Belgian pork. Now to what to look out for this week:
- [US promises to cut Swiss tariffs to 15% in deal tied to $200 billion investment pledge](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/14/us-cuts-swiss-tariffs-to-15-in-deal-tied-to-200-billion-investment-pledge.md): The United States agreed in principle to reduce tariffs on Swiss goods imports from 39% to 15% as part of a non-binding agreement between Bern and Washington. This brings the Swiss tariffs into line with those imposed earlier this year on the EU.
- [Blog – EU economic security, export controls : three things to know](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/14/blog-eu-economic-security-export-controls-three-things-to-know.md): As we write these lines, the European Commission’s annual Export Control Forum was still going on in Brussels. There’s plenty to see and hear at this event this year. Given the ongoing US-China technology race and the war in Ukraine, the matter is front-and-centre on the usually more civilian-oriented trade people’s minds. Export controls are no longer the stuff of weapons-of-mass-destruction-control geeks but anyone managing supply chains. Here are the three essential pieces of news our readers need to take away with them today.
- [THINK TANK: Impact of Supreme Court ruling, services trade, Turnberry agreement fallout](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/14/think-tank-impact-of-supreme-court-ruling-services-trade-turnberrry-agreement-fallout.md): It’s been such a tremendously busy week in EU trade that the topics covered by think tanks earlier this week feel far away in the past already. They stay highly relevant for what’s coming though. Readers might want to peruse them over a hopefully quieter weekend.
- [Week in Brussels: Mercosur to ECJ?, Singapore digital, Ecuador, Belgian pork](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/14/week-in-brussels-mercosur-to-ecj-singapore-digital-ecuador-belgian-pork.md): It’s been a momentous week in EU trade policy. Catch up on our coverage on corporate sustainability due diligence, EU-UK relations, the end of EU de minimis customs duty exemption and last but not least the most likely introduction of a safeguard on ferro-alloys. Some members of the European Parliament want the European Court of Justice to rule on the legality of the EU-Mercosur pact, potentially scuppering the bloc’s hopes of signing the deal before the end of the year. Lawmakers will vote on the resolution later this month. Parliamentarians convincingly waved through the EU’s digital trade agreement with Singapore. Brussels also launched negotiations with Ecuador on a sustainable investment facilitation agreement. Also this week, Belgium railed against anti-dumping duties imposed by China against EU pork exports. By Chris Horseman and Rob Francis
- [WTO: G20 trade restrictions surge fourfold in 2025](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/14/wto-g20-trade-restrictions-surge-fourfold-in-2025.md): The value of trade between G20 countries subject to tariffs more than quadrupled over the past twelve months. This is largely due to United States trade policies and international reactions to them. The WTO also noted many trade liberalising measures.
- [E-commerce: EU eyes early end of ‘de minimis’ tariff exemption](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/13/e-commerce-eu-eyes-early-end-of-de-minimis-tariff-exemption.md): EU member states agreed to eliminate customs duty relief for goods arriving into the bloc worth less than €150 – known as the de minimis rule. Capitals want the measure to come on stream next year, rather than in 2028 as foreseen in an EU customs reform package initially announced in 2023.
- [European Union to proceed with ferro-alloys safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/13/european-union-to-proceed-with-ferro-alloys-safeguard.md): The European Commission circulated details of a precedent-setting safeguard on ferro-alloys to EU member states as well as to the World Trade Organization’s committee on safeguards. The measure applies to ferro-managnese, ferro-silicon, ferro-silico-magnesium and ferro-silico manganese. The process to get to this outcome has been particularly eventful, with the commission breaking its own internal procedural rules to achieve a political goal.
- [Parliament doubles down on reducing scope of corporate sustainability due diligence rules](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/13/parliament-doubles-down-on-reducing-scope-of-corporate-sustainability-due-diligence-rules.md): The European Parliament adopted its position on the European Commission's proposed modifications to the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. The centre-right European People's Party and far-right groups, together with some members of the centre-left and centre parties, teamed up to reduce the number of companies in the scope of the new rules. Last month the parliament failed to pass a vote on a position that is based on an agreement between the political groups in the centre. As a result, the main political group, the centre-right EPP, sought support from the far right.
- [EU member states approve mandate for UK reset talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/13/eu-member-states-approve-mandate-for-uk-reset-talks.md): EU member states formally approved a negotiating mandate for reset talks with the UK on food standards and emissions pricing. This comes as the House of Lords in London asks more clarity from its government on its negotiating objectives.
- [Chinese firms cite rising unpredictability, political targeting in EU](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/12/chinese-firms-cite-rising-unpredictability-political-targeting-in-eu.md): 81% of Chinese firms say their operations are hindered by uncertainty in the EU business environment, whilst 40% say they are targeted due to their nationality, according to a new survey.
- [UK steel trade double whammy amidst US protection, looming EU charges](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/12/uk-steel-trade-double-whammy-amidst-us-protection-looming-eu-charges.md): The United Kingdom has no guarantees that it will avoid either tariffs of 50% on steel exports to the EU or payment of EU carbon border adjustment mechanism charges next year. Speaking to members of the House of Commons' business and trade committee, Peter Kyle said that London was "fulsomely" engaged in discussions with Brussels on both the steel and CBAM issues. But the international trade secretary made clear that no agreements had been reached on either dossier, despite a much-improved post Brexit relationship with the EU.
- [New deforestation law changes open ‘Pandora’s box’, MEPs warn](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/11/new-deforestation-law-changes-open-pandoras-box-meps-warn.md): By proposing to reopen the deforestation regulation to accommodate demands for implementation time and bureaucratic easements, the European Commission opened a pandora's box that may scupper its strategy, several members of the environment committee said. That seems to be a correct assessment of the situation, as high-stakes decision-making process lies ahead in the last weeks of the year 2025.
- [Editor’s Take: MEP far-right mainstreaming in trade – the Israel case](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/11/editors-take-mep-far-right-mainstreaming-in-trade-the-israel-case.md): The mainstreaming of the far right into EU-level discourse was on full display during last week’s discussion on trade relations with Israel. It starts with the far right de-legitimising the process – but then the centre right jumps onto the bandwagon.
- [UK launches safeguard review of Vietnamese steel imports](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/10/uk-launches-safeguard-review-of-vietnamese-steel-imports.md): The United Kingdom opened an investigation into tariff rate quotas for steel imports from Vietnam following an increase in shipments from the south-east Asian country.
- [EU TDI update: 2025’s first anti-subsidy investigations target China](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/10/eu-tdi-update-2025s-first-anti-subsidy-investigations-target-china.md): The European Commission waited until November to launch its first two anti-subsidy investigations for 2025. Both target imports from China.
- [COMMENT: The quiet alliance that could save the global economy](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/10/comment-the-quiet-alliance-that-could-save-the-global-economy.md): NATO and G7 countries should learn from how the EU was founded in the 1950s and take steps to align policies on subsidies, emissions and steel output. Such coordination could shore up alliances between the world’s democracies and function as protection against coercion from other states.
- [Week Ahead: CSDDD, EU-Singapore digital pact, de minimis, UK trade secretary](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/10/week-ahead-csddd-eu-singapore-digital-pact-uk-trade-secretary-first-parliament-appearance.md): While exports of auto chips from Nexperia in China are resuming against conditions that remain unspecified - an apparent promise by the Netherlands to discuss restoring Wingtech's ownership of the group, here's what else one can look to in EU trade. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and a little bit of Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: Foreign subsidies probe, UK, EC FTA report, aluminium update](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/07/week-in-brussels-foreign-subsidies-probe-uk-ec-fta-report-aluminium-update.md): This week the European Commission launched another probe under the bloc’s foreign subsidies regulation. The European Parliament committees adopted a report on relations with the United Kingdom, the commission highlighted the benefits of free trade agreements in a report – and we are still waiting for the EU executive to table an export duty measure for aluminium. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman
- [UK signs trade cooperation deal with Oregon](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/06/uk-signs-trade-cooperation-deal-with-oregon.md): The United Kingdom signed a trade cooperation agreement with the United States' state of Oregon, bringing to eleven the number of US states with which London has inked such deals.
- [ACP group backs extending WTO e-commerce moratorium](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/06/acp-group-backs-extending-wto-e-commerce-moratorium.md): A coalition of 79 developing nations indicated support for prolonging the World Trade Organization's ban on customs duties for digital trade transactions.
- [EU prepares strategic partnership deals with Gulf states as backup to FTA talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/06/eu-prepares-strategic-partnership-deals-with-gulf-states-as-backup-to-fta-talks.md): The European Commission is preparing to table draft strategic partnership agreements to each of the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the coming weeks in case talks on bilateral free trade agreements are not possible.
- [Rules of origin: UK, South Korea extend EU-inherited cumulation deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/05/rules-of-origin-uk-south-korea-extend-eu-inherited-cumulation-deal.md): London and Seoul have extended special trade provisions allowing EU-origin intermediate goods to count towards preferential tariff treatment under their bilateral agreement. This will avoid British carmakers from facing 8% duties on their exports to South Korea in the short term.
- [Member states urge 12-month delay to EU deforestation initiative](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/05/member-states-urge-12-month-delay-to-eu-deforestation-initiative.md): Sixteen EU member states backed Austria's call to delay implementation of the EU deforestation regulation by a further year at a meeting of environment ministers. The European Commission rejected the proposal to 'stop the clock' on the regulation, with environment commissioner Jessika Roswall warning that such an approach was "not politically viable".
- [COMMENT: End of empire](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/05/comment-end-of-empire.md): The deal struck in Korea between the United States and China is just the latest step in Beijing’s attempts to wrest global hegemony from Washington. China’s apparent retreat is merely tactical. Its long-term objective remains unchanged.
- [MEPs back commission’s steel tariff hike despite WTO friction](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/05/meps-back-commissions-steel-tariff-hike-despite-wto-friction.md): The European Parliament's rapporteur for the draft legislation to increase the EU's steel tariffs and reduce duty-free quotas said she backs the main elements of the proposal. During the same exchange a commission official admitted that the subsequent discussions with the bloc’s trade partners at the World Trade Organization will be “difficult”.
- [THINK TANK: Geopolitical FTAs, EU economic security, Malaysian Trump deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/04/think-tank-geopolitical-ftas-eu-economic-security-malaysian-trump-deal.md): Here’s a curation of recent think tank reports of potential interest to the international trade policy community in Europe. On the menu this week: the EU’s revived free trade agreement agenda seen from an international relations expert lens, Swedish National Board of Trade proposals for a sound economic security strategy in the EU, and an analysis of ASEAN’s recent trade deals with Trump as seen through the Malaysian example.
- [MEPs divided on approach to continued US steel and aluminium tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/04/meps-divided-on-approach-to-continued-us-steel-and-aluminium-tariffs.md): Members of the European Parliament have started debating the regulations needed to eliminate tariffs on US imports as part of this summer’s Turnberry deal between president Trump and the EU’s Ursula von der Leyen.
- [UK SMEs struggle to capture international trade opportunities](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/03/uk-smes-struggle-to-capture-international-trade-opportunities.md): Small businesses in the UK are finding it disproportionately difficult to capitalise on opportunities for international trade growth, a leading British business group has warned. The British Chambers of Commerce also urged for a reform of the UK’s customs system, with “rules to get ahead of the curve on customs affecting ...
- [CPTPP members mull forming secretariat as applicant numbers swell](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/03/cptpp-members-mull-forming-secretariat-as-applicant-numbers-swell.md): Members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership are for the first time considering establishing a secretariat to handle the increasing number of applicants to the trade bloc, Borderlex has learnt. The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates are the latest countries to signal their intention to join the CPTPP, bringing the total number of applicants to nine.
- [Analysis: The EU-Indonesia Investment Protection Agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/03/analysis-the-eu-indonesia-investment-protection-agreement.md): The EU released the text of the investment protection agreement agreed with Indonesia last September. This could be the likely template for multiple ongoing EU treaty negotiations with other ASEAN countries as well as with India.
- [Comment: China export controls: EU unable to resolve problems autonomously](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/03/comment-china-export-controls-eu-unable-to-resolve-problems-autonomously.md): It appears the EU has escaped the worst in terms of an imminent crunch on imports of automotive related semiconductors in the wake of China’s response to the Netherlands’ expelling of the Chinese investor Wingtech in its flagship semiconductor company Nexperia.
- [Week Ahead: Tariffs on US, Mercosur, Russian gas ban](https://borderlex.net/2025/11/03/week-ahead-tariffs-on-us-mercosur-russian-gas-ban.md): It is only this week that the European Parliament will formally start looking into the two regulations that enact the EU’s side of this summer’s Turnberry deal with the United States. More on what's on the agenda for trade policy this week by Rob Francis and Chris Horseman below.
- [India trade deal poses no animal welfare risk: UK panel](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/31/india-trade-deal-poses-no-animal-welfare-risk-uk-panel.md): The UK-India free trade agreement poses no risk to the UK's ability to regulate on animal health and welfare or environmental protection, said the UK's statutory advisory panel of trade and agriculture experts.
- [Week in Brussels: China saga, Mercosur, Hungary and Ukraine trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/31/week-in-brussels-china-saga-mercosur-hungary-and-ukraine-trade.md): This week in Brussels trade news: the EU has the green light to slap tariffs on the US for in response to the latter's countervailing duties on Spanish olives. Europeans may or may not have noticed the swipes against them contained in the US' latest trade 'deals' with Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.. Brussels is doubling down on getting that deal with India over the line in the two months that remain before this year ends. Here's what else can be said about trade policy in the EU this week: the China question still looms large, EU Mercosur ratification is becoming a serious prospect as France shows signs of relenting, and Hungary is still banning agriculture imports from Ukraine as the new trade agreement terms came into force this week. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [WTO faces zero-growth budget in 2026-2027](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/30/wto-faces-zero-growth-budget-in-2026-2027.md): The World Trade Organization's operating budget will be held unchanged for the next two years, under a plan approved this week. WTO members signed off a proposal by the secretariat to hold the budget at 205 million Swiss francs (€221 million) in both 2026 and 2027. The budget is due to be formally adopted by ambassadors at the organisation's general council meeting on 28 November. Meanwhile, the United States finally paid its membership dues for 2024, in a move which will alleviate some of the short-term financial pressures facing the global trade body.
- [EU trade defence: all eyes on China chemicals](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/30/eu-trade-defence-all-eyes-on-china-chemicals.md): While the year 2025 will not bring as many new anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases as 2024, with its record 33 new initiations, the trade policy community in Brussels expects that activity in this field will remain brisk amidst today's geoeconomic turbulence. So what's next until the end of 2025? One thing is clear: chemicals are expected to remain the key focus for new cases as trade protection in the steel sector becomes more entrenched – as seen in the transition from a steel safeguard to permanent quota announced this month.
- [WTO authorises EU retaliation over Spanish olives dispute](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/29/wto-authorises-eu-retaliation-over-spanish-olives-dispute.md): The World Trade Organization has authorised the EU to impose retaliatory tariffs on US imports worth up to $13.64 million per year due to Washington's failure to change its countervailing duties on ripe olives from Spain. A WTO panel judged these to be inconsistent with WTO law in 2021. The EU sees the case as an important precedent in establishing that the economic benefits of EU subsidies to agricultural producers do not extend to processed agri-food goods.
- [Carmakers warn assembly lines face imminent shutdown over China chip blockade](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/29/carmakers-warn-assembly-lines-face-imminent-shutdown-over-china-chip-blockade.md): European carmakers warned that assembly line stoppages are “days away” as China continues to block exports of basic chips produced by the Dutch company Nexperia.
- [EU sends top trade official to India to break tariff deadlock](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/28/eu-sends-top-trade-official-to-india-to-break-tariff-deadlock.md): An EU team led by the commission’s top trade official will travel to India next week in an attempt to conclude talks on industrial tariffs, with both sides aiming to conclude a trade agreement by the end of the year.
- [UK free trade agreements: more deals in the pipeline](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/28/uk-free-trade-agreements-more-deals-in-the-pipeline.md): Since leaving the EU almost five years ago, the United Kingdom has concluded only three new bilateral free trade agreements. Of these, only two – those with Australia and New Zealand – have entered into force. But more agreements are in the pipeline. The UK and India concluded an FTA in May which should become operational in the first half of next year. Below is a stocktake of the UK’s FTA negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, South Korea, Switzerland, Türkiye and Canada - assessing the progress made so far, the issues encountered and when to expect new deals to emerge.
- [UK, Switzerland extend services mobility deal until 2029](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/28/uk-switzerland-extend-services-mobility-deal-until-2029.md): The UK and Switzerland agreed to extend their agreement on services mobility for a further four years. The deal is seen by both sides as a "downpayment" towards permanent arrangements on labour mobility as part of the upgraded free trade accord which the two sides are currently negotiating.
- [US tariffs erode EU business confidence in transatlantic trade, survey finds](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/27/us-tariffs-erode-eu-business-confidence-in-transatlantic-trade-survey-finds.md): The tariff policies of the United States have reduced business confidence in the transatlantic trade relationship, according to a survey of EU businesses conducted by BusinessEurope. Companies surveyed said the main challenges in EU-US trade include tariff volatility, uncertainty and instability in US trade policy, and administrative and customs burdens.
- [Trump’s deals with three ASEAN countries target European competition](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/27/trumps-deals-with-three-asean-countries-target-european-competition.md): The United States yesterday clinched three handshake deals with Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia at a summit in Kuala Lumpur. The three handshake deals prohibit these countries from adopting digital services taxes and regulations on digital sector competition that are deemed contrary to US interests. They also prohibit these countries from ...
- [Week Ahead: EU China, EU India, UK scrutinised in Geneva](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/27/week-ahead-eu-china-eu-india-uk-scrutinised-in-geneva.md): In a relatively calm week in Europe due to the All Saints holiday school break, the wheels of trade policy will continue to churn. The few items on the Brussels trade bureaucrat and politician menu will be rather chunky ones: China and India. Since it will be comparably quiet, Europeans may want to take the opportunity look into the agreements the Trump administration signed in Malaysia over the week-end at the occasion of an ASEAN summit with said country, Thailand and Cambodia. The United States has imposed provisions on these countries that may hurt EU interests in the region as it seeks to sign trade accords with Thailand and Malaysia. More from us soon. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer
- [Week in Brussels: Chinese export controls, EU summit, Egypt, Russian gas](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/24/week-in-brussels-chinese-export-controls-eu-summit-egypt-russian-gas.md): As Chinese export controls begin to bite, the EU invited the Chinese authorities to Brussels to discuss the matter urgently. Now the talk in town is whether to launch the bloc’s anti-coercion instrument in response. Also this week – the European Council discussed competitiveness, the EU and Egypt are eyeing a sustainable investment facilitation agreement and the European Parliament adopted without fanfare (unlike its vote on the due diligence omnibus!) its report on curbing Russian gas imports. By Iana Dreyer, Chris Horseman, and Rob Francis.
- [Editor’s Take – Emergency Europe must end: Lessons from the Nexperia crisis](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/23/editors-take-emergency-europe-must-end-lessons-from-the-nexperia-crisis.md): The Nexperia episode shows that there is no miracle cure for the EU’s predicament as it is caught in the middle of the ever-sharpening China-US tech rivalry. But there are some obvious ways to avoid being caught by surprise time and again and be able to respond more proactively to ...
- [Colombia loses WTO frozen fries dispute as compliance panel backs EU](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/23/colombia-loses-wto-frozen-fries-dispute-as-compliance-panel-backs-eu.md): A WTO dispute settlement panel upheld the European Union's complaint against Colombia in the long-running legal battle over Colombian anti-dumping duties on EU frozen french fries. The panel ruled today that Bogotá had not amended its methodology for calculating the duties to bring them into compliance with WTO law, as required by a previous panel verdict.
- [Think Tank: MAD with China, Latin America focus](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/23/think-tank-mad-with-china-latin-america-focus.md): The world is going mad. And the global trade war is madness too... Yours truly's curation of what think tankers are writing on trade policy this week.
- [EU-US tariffs – Parliament trade chief: US needs to reduce steel tariffs first](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/23/eu-us-tariffs-parliament-trade-chief-us-needs-to-reduce-steel-tariffs-first.md): The chair of the European Parliament's international trade committee said the European Union should not eliminate its tariffs on imports from the United States unless Washington first reduces its 50% tariffs on steel and aluminium.
- [EU data protection watchdog warns over UK adequacy extension](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/22/eu-data-protection-watchdog-warns-over-uk-adequacy-extension.md): The European Commission is set to offer the United Kingdom a six-year extension to its data adequacy ruling when the current authorisation expires on 27 December this year. But in a report circulated to EU member states this week, the European Data Protection Board urged the EU executive to monitor UK legislation closely in the meantime, as Britain continues to operate its own post-Brexit data protection regime.
- [Parliament rejects CSDDD compromise, throwing simplification efforts into doubt](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/22/parliament-rejects-csddd-compromise-throwing-simplification-efforts-into-doubt.md): The European Parliament narrowly rejected an agreement struck by three major political groups to simplify corporate sustainability due diligence and reporting laws. Today’s vote in the Strasbourg plenary casts doubt on the future of the legislation and the bloc's broader attempts to roll back environmental laws and ease bureaucratic burdens for businesses.
- [Crunch time for EU ferro-alloys safeguard measure](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/21/crunch-time-for-eu-ferro-alloys-safeguard-measure.md): It’s crunch time for the European Union's next safeguard measure: the one on ferro-alloys. Insiders say the European Commission has until about Friday this week (24 October) to take a final decision on what it wants to do about imports of silicon, ferro-manganese, ferro-silicon, ferro-silico-manganese, ferro-silico-magnesium and calcium-silicon.
- [Canada tables bill to ratify UK accession to CPTPP](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/21/canada-tables-bill-to-ratify-uk-accession-to-cptpp.md): Canada launched the process to approve the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. But amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States, Ottawa is also eyeing a larger quota for its agricultural exports, notably beef, should talks on a free trade agreement with London restart next year.
- [EU deforestation regulation: compliance terms eased, deadline maintained](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/21/eu-deforestation-regulation-compliance-terms-eased-deadline-maintained.md): The European Commission has now formally moved to further simplify the application of its highly contested deforestation regulation. But it has walked back a recently floated idea to delay the entry into force of the legislation by another year.
- [Blog: On China’s WTO case against Indian electric vehicle local content requirements](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/21/blog-on-chinas-wto-case-against-indian-electric-vehicle-local-content-requirements.md): China is suing India at the WTO over its domestic content rules for electric vehicle investors. The move was announced on Friday but the legal submission only circulated to the dispute settlement body in Geneva on Monday. The move echoes China's case brought against the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act.
- [EU puts Israel trade benefit suspension on hold for now](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/20/eu-puts-israel-trade-suspension-on-hold-for-now.md): EU member states agreed to halt talks over a proposed partial suspension of the EU's association agreement with Israel, following last week's announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza. But EU capitals agreed to keep the planned suspension on the table.
- [EU and Thailand close capital movements chapter as FTA talks progress](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/20/eu-and-thailand-close-capital-movements-chapter-as-fta-talks-progress.md): The European Union and Thailand closed one chapter during the seventh round of negotiations on a trade agreement which took place in the week of 29 September. This brings the number of chapters concluded to eight. With the more straightforward chapters now complete, negotiators are turning their focus to more difficult issues such as market access.
- [EU ministers back more gradual Russian energy phase-out plan](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/20/eu-ministers-back-more-gradual-russian-energy-phase-out-plan.md): EU member states are poised for a battle with the European Parliament over the speed and scope of new legislation to phase out imports of fossil fuels from Russia. At a meeting today in Luxembourg, energy ministers agreed a common position which would give EU importers almost six extra months to wean themselves off short-term supply contracts for Russian gas, as compared with the European Commission's initial proposal.
- [Week Ahead: China squeeze, Russian gas, EU-Philippines, Northern Ireland, omnibus](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/20/week-ahead-china-squeeze-russian-gas-eu-philippines-northern-ireland-omnibus.md): What's up in trade policy in Europe this week? A selected preview by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: Ukraine agriculture, CSDDD, customs, Mercosur, ferro-alloys](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/17/week-in-brussels-ukraine-agriculture-csddd-customs-mercosur-ferro-alloys.md): The week was dominated by discussions on how the EU will respond to China’s expansion of export controls on rare earths – check out our piece from this week’s informal trade ministers meeting in Denmark for a full rundown. Also this week: EU capitals okayed the new trade arrangements for Ukrainian agriculture products, CSDDD simplification is on track, customs reform winds its way through the legislative process, businesses call for swift EU Mercosur trade agreement ratification – and last but not least the European Commission is still fumbling around with its planned new ferro-alloys import safeguard. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer
- [Borderlex Academy: February 2026, Brussels](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/17/borderlex-academy-february-2026-brussels.md): Borderlex Academy, Brussels, 3 & 4 Feb 2026 EU trade policy has changed direction in an unusually fast way since 2024. EU elections offered a strong populist showing, leading to major policy shifts, not least in the environmental policy field.
- [Vietnam joins WTO interim arbitration system](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/16/vietnam-joins-wto-interim-arbitration-system.md): Vietnam announced it is joining the World Trade Organization's interim arbitration system for dispute settlement.
- [EU, India ditch formal negotiation rounds as year-end trade deal deadline nears](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/16/eu-india-ditch-formal-negotiation-rounds-as-year-end-trade-deal-deadline-nears.md): The EU and India will no longer hold formal negotiation rounds as the self-imposed year-end deadline to conclude a trade agreement approaches. Chief negotiators from both sides will instead engage continuously until the end of the year, according to the commission report from the 14th negotiation round which took place in the week of 6 October.
- [MEP vote confirms demand for Russian oil ban](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/16/mep-vote-confirms-demand-for-russian-oil-ban.md): The European Parliament is demanding a more comprehensive and accelerated ban on Russian fossil fuel imports than the European Commission has proposed. MEPs want to include oil and petroleum products in the import prohibition and bring forward the deadline for terminating existing supply contracts by a year to 1 January 2027.
- [Perspectives: Resetting EU economic approaches](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/16/perspectives-resetting-eu-economic-approaches.md): Protectionism is a bad response to a world where growth happens elsewhere and other powers are rising. The EU needs to reassess where it stands in today’s world and tomorrow’s economy – and act accordingly.
- [China, EU agree WTO panel to hear electric vehicle duties dispute](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/15/china-eu-agree-wto-panel-to-hear-electric-vehicle-duties-dispute.md): China's WTO dispute settlement case against the EU's countervailing duties on electric vehicles is up and running after Brussels and Beijing reached agreement on the composition of the three-person panel charged with assessing China's claims.
- [Member states greenlight 92% of foreign direct investments in 2024](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/14/member-states-greenlight-92-of-foreign-direct-investments-in-2024.md): European governments continued to authorise the vast majority of foreign direct investment applications last year, despite heightened concerns about economic security. The European Commission revealed that 92% of the 477 FDI transactions notified to governments in 2024 were approved within 15 days, with only 8% referred for closer scrutiny.
- [EU capitals line up behind United States amidst growing tensions with Beijing](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/14/eu-capitals-line-up-behind-united-states-amidst-growing-tensions-with-beijing.md): EU member states gathered in Denmark today in a meeting dominated by the political ramifications of the Dutch decision to cut out the Chinese investor in its semiconductor firm Nexperia – partly under pressure from a United States' threat to put the latter on its Entity of Concern list, which would expose the firm to export restrictions. In the background, capitals called on the European Commission to table its long-announced but yet-to-be-delivered economic security doctrine as soon as possible. The EU executive intends to publish the paper by the end of the year. In the short term, all capitals signal that alignment with US policies is the path to go.
- [Global steel excess capacity forum puts China, Iran, Egypt on notice](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/13/global-steel-excess-capacity-forum-puts-china-iran-egypt-on-notice.md)
- [Week Ahead: EU trade ministers, EU ferro-alloys safeguard, CSDDD, WTO reform](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/13/week-ahead-eu-trade-ministers-eu-ferro-alloys-safeguard-csddd-wto-reform.md): Another week in European trade in Trumpian times, to be overshadowed by China questions in the EU. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and a little input from Iana Dreyer. EU trade ministers – just back from South Africa - to convene in Denmark There is not much that came out of a G20 trade ministers meeting held on Friday and Saturday on the Eastern Cape in South Africa except for general calls for WTO reform. USTR Jamieson Greer was not present in person – which speaks volumes about US engagement and the general atmosphere in global trade diplomacy. The most valuable meetings were those that we held on the sidelines, such as the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity between the EU and South Africa, announcing they have the contours of a Clean Trade and Investment Partnership, to be unveiled later this year.
- [Think Tank: EU steel quotas go too far, China rare earth security threat, ASEAN](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/10/think-tank-eu-steel-quotas-go-too-far-china-rare-earth-security-threat-asean.md): We didn't want to wait before highlighting a few think tank pieces that came out in reaction to two key news stories this week: the EU's new permanent steel quotas and China's restrictions on exports of rare earths.
- [Week in Brussels: Due diligence, deforestation, Singapore](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/10/week-in-brussels-due-diligence-deforestation-singapore.md): Three big stories dominated the news agenda this week in Brussels – the European Commission’s increase in steel tariffs, a proposal to codify the safeguards in the Mercosur agreement, and China’s far-reaching export controls on rare earths. Also this week – political groups in the European Parliament finally reached an ...
- [China rare earth export controls: EU Commission “concerned”](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/09/commission-concerned-by-chinese-extraterritorial-export-controls-on-rare-earths.md): The European Commission expressed concern over China's announcement that it would expand export controls with extraterritorial reach concerning products containing Chinese rare earths.
- [WTO still pursuing reform agenda despite ‘deep divergences’](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/09/wto-still-pursuing-reform-agenda-despite-deep-divergences.md): The World Trade Organization will continue to push for agreement on reforms to its internal processes at the next ministerial conference in March 2026, despite continuing disagreements among members over the scope and nature of these reforms.
- [UK mulls anti-coercion action, retaliation, in wake of US trade, EU steel action](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/08/uk-mulls-anti-coercion-action-retaliation-in-wake-of-us-trade-and-eu-steel-action.md): The United Kingdom refused to rule out retaliating against the European Union if Britain loses access to the EU steel market as a result of Brussels' planned new tariff rate quotas. London is also at the early stages of consulting on an instrument to counter economic pressure from a third country - a UK version of the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument.
- [Agriculture safeguard tied to EU-Mercosur trade deal now on track](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/08/agriculture-safeguard-tied-to-eu-mercosur-trade-deal-now-on-track.md): The European Commission tabled legislation to codify safeguard provisions in the EU-Mercosur agreement for sensitive agricultural products. “We believe that with this cast-iron legal guarantee, our farmers can now support the Mercosur deal with confidence,” EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said.
- [EU doubles down on steel protection](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/07/eu-doubles-down-on-steel-protection.md): The European Commission tabled a regulation that would tighten the levels of industry import protection afforded by an import safeguard introduced in 2019. Existing duty-free tariff rate quotas for twenty eight steel and steel product categories would be cut by almost half - by 47%. Out-of-quota tariffs will be doubled to 50%. The regulation, which needs to be adopted by the European Parliament and council, is flanked by a draft mandate for approval by EU member states to start consultations with WTO members. This process may lead trading partners to retaliate in an orderly fashion, after an agreed process, to compensate for market access loss in the EU. The procedure is foreseen under Article XXVIII of the GATT. The EU justifies the measure as a means to address overcapacities in the sector. It risks alienating countries which whom the bloc has a bilateral free trade agreement, as well as neighbours such as Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
- [WTO sees tariff impact deferred to 2026 following growth this year](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/07/wto-sees-tariff-impact-deferred-to-2026-following-growth-this-year.md): Global trade is set to grow faster in 2025 than previously feared - but the proliferation of US tariffs will take its toll on trade growth next year. The World Trade Organization forecast year-on-year growth in merchandise trade of 2.4% in 2025, compared with the contraction of 0.2% which it projected in its April 2025 forecast.
- [EU Commission draws fire for sidelining MEPs on Morocco trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/07/eu-commission-draws-fire-for-sidelining-meps-on-morocco-trade-deal.md): Lawmakers in the European Parliament's international trade committee are split over whether to approve an amended trade agreement with Morocco. Common to all political groups is frustration at the European Commission. Parliamentarians accuse the EU executive of sidelining the Parliament in a rushed renegotiation process with Rabat. But signs are the deal will still pass.
- [Week Ahead: Permanent EU steel protection, Singapore digital, UK trade defence, WTO](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/06/week-ahead-permanent-eu-steel-protection-singapore-digital-uk-trade-defence-wto.md): Trade protection in the steel sector: big time. And other items in Brussels and Geneva! That's this week in trade policy for you. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [UK and Greenland to resume trade talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/03/uk-and-greenland-to-resume-trade-talks.md): Britain will resume negotiations for a trade agreement with Greenland - one of the few territories for which EU trade arrangements were not rolled over after Brexit.
- [EU member states approve revised deal with Morocco](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/03/eu-member-states-approve-revised-deal-with-morocco.md): EU member states approved a revised trade agreement with Morocco which explicitly covers products from Western Sahara, following a 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice. NGOs criticised the pact, saying the Western Saharan population has not given its consent. They accuse the European Commission and member states of a lack of transparency.
- [Businesses urge EU Commission not to delay deforestation law](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/03/businesses-urge-commission-not-to-delay-deforestation-law.md): Businesses including Nestlé, Ferrero, Mars Wrigley and rubber producer SIPH urged the European Commission not to delay the application date of the EU deforestation regulation.
- [Week in Brussels: CBAM, Australia, due diligence](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/03/week-in-brussels-cbam-australia-due-diligence.md): The EU’s attempts to simplify its legislation to satisfy business demands is showing mixed results. This week EU member states agreed to reduce the number of companies in the scope of its carbon border measure. But discussions in the European Parliament on simplifying the bloc’s current rules on corporate sustainability due diligence are proving highly contentious. Also this week, Australian farmers re-tabled their demands on market access in any future trade pact with Brussels.
- [Think Tank: US tariffs all over](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/02/think-tank-us-tariffs-all-over.md): It’s been comparatively quiet on the trade policy think tank front this week, but here are some highlights: clearly everyone is obsessed with US trade policy.
- [WTO panel backs Indonesia in EU steel duties dispute](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/02/wto-panel-backs-indonesia-in-eu-steel-duties-dispute.md): A World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel ruled predominantly in Indonesia's favour in a case challenging EU anti-dumping and countervailing duties on steel goods. Panellists said the EU had breached WTO law in determining countervailing duties on stainless steel cold-rolled flat products imported from Indonesia.
- [EU to replace steel safeguard with country-specific quotas](https://borderlex.net/2025/10/01/eu-to-replace-steel-safeguard-with-country-specific-quotas.md): The European Commission will propose replacing the bloc's steel safeguard with tariff rate quotas for each trading partner on Tuesday (7 October). Europe's steel industry backs the move and wants the quotas in place at the start of next year.
- [EU trade defence 2025: real action yet to come](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/30/eu-trade-defence-2025-real-action-yet-to-come.md): EU trade defence activity has proven pretty uneventful so far this year. But the new quarter may bring exceptional changes with unusual decisions - extended tariff rate quotes and minimum import prices - awaiting on safeguards in the metals sector.
- [EU and UK strip trade preferences from Indonesia](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/30/eu-and-uk-strip-trade-preferences-from-indonesia.md): The EU and UK will amend their respective preferential trading schemes for developing countries, with Indonesia affected in both cases. Brussels and Jakarta are now in a race against time to ratify their bilateral trade agreement before Indonesia loses its current trade preferences in 2027. The European Commission also proposed to graduate São Tomé and Príncipe from the ‘Everything But Arms’ scheme. And an October trilogue between the EU institutions on the GSP reform could be decisive. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week Ahead: More EU ASEAN focus, WTO looks to Cameroon meeting](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/29/week-ahead-more-eu-asean-focus-wto-looks-to-cameroon-meeting.md): EU trade policy’s accelerated pace this autumn is set to bring us a range of new developments this week. In case you missed it, on Friday the European Union offered a new twist to the EU-Indonesia story by doing what it doesn’t like others to do at the WTO in Geneva: appeal a panel ruling ‘into the void’.
- [EU stalls WTO dispute with Indonesia over palm oil](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/28/eu-stalls-wto-dispute-with-indonesia-over-palm-oil.md): The European Union appealed a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel verdict 'into the void' – apparently in an attempt to persuade Indonesia, its opponent in the dispute, that it should have agreed to independent arbitration.
- [EU unmoved by new US pharma tariffs, UK more so](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/26/eu-unmoved-by-new-pharma-tariffs-uk-more-so.md): By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer. The world woke up again to a Truth Social posting by the US president announcing he will introduce 100% tariff on “any branded or patented pharmaceutical product” come next week. Firms which are building premises in the United States will be exempt.
- [Week in Brussels: EU-US continued, Ukraine, & CBAM, EU-Africa trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/26/week-in-brussels-eu-us-continued-ukraine-cbam-eu-africa-trade.md): Overnight United States president Donald Trump threatened 100% tariffs on branded or patented pharmaceutical imports unless the company is building a facility in the US. EU member states are on the brink of approving the new trade terms with Ukraine. A think tank indicates that the impact of the EU’s carbon border measure on US companies may be limited – and they may even benefit. BusinessEurope had some suggestions for EU-Africa trade.
- [EU, India negotiations “extremely challenging” as year-end deadline nears](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/25/eu-india-negotiations-extremely-challenging-as-year-end-deadline-nears.md): The EU and India failed to close any chapters during the 13th negotiation round which took place earlier this month. The European Commission’s lead negotiator Christophe Kiener also signalled that the bloc may have to accept a watered-down chapter on trade and sustainable development, with New Delhi reluctant to sign up to any sanctionable provisions.
- [MEPs start work on US tariff liberalisation](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/25/meps-start-work-on-us-tariff-liberalisation.md): International trade committee chair Bernd Lange was formally appointed rapporteur on Wednesday for the two regulatory proposals tabled by the commission on 28 August that liberalise tariffs on US industrial and selected agricultural goods as part of a political accord with the United States. A first exchange of views on the proposals in the parliament’s international trade committee gave an indication on what the European Parliament’s intentions are on these regulations, and what type of amendments MEPs might table.
- [Think Tank: EU-Indonesia, Trump visas, EU non-retaliation](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/24/think-tank-eu-indonesia-trump-visas-eu-non-retaliation.md): Here's a curation of what think tanks have written about international trade this week. On the menu: the EU-Indonesia trade agreement, US visa policy and the perpetual question of whether the EU should retaliate against unilateral US tariffs.
- [European Parliament eyes year-end agreements on investment screening and GSP](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/24/european-parliament-eyes-year-end-agreements-on-investment-screening-and-gsp.md): The European Parliament aims to reach agreement on new rules on inward investment screening and the review of the Generalised System of Preferences before the end of the year, two parliamentarians confirmed today.
- [China to renounce developing country benefits at World Trade Organization](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/24/china-drops-developing-country-status-at-world-trade-organization.md): China announced that it will relinquish its rights to special treatment as a developing country under World Trade Organization rules Chinese premier Li Qiang made the announcement on the sidelines of this week's UN general assembly in New York. Li Qiang emphasised that China’s status as a developing country was not affected by the initiative.
- [EU Commission tables second EUDR delay citing IT concerns](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/23/eu-commission-tables-second-eudr-delay-citing-it-concerns.md): The European Commission will table a proposal to delay the application date of the deforestation regulation by one year – officially due to IT issues.
- [Empty-handed ministers? WTO struggles to fill MC14 agenda](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/23/empty-handed-ministers-wto-struggles-to-fill-mc14-agenda.md): One nightmare scenario haunts World Trade Organization officials: 166 trade ministers arriving in Cameroon next March with nothing much to do.
- [EU Indonesia trade and investment deal: the details](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/23/eu-indonesia-trade-and-investment-deal-the-details.md): The European Commission and Indonesia concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement after nine years of talks in Jakarta today. There is also a parallel agreement on investment protection agreement on offer - with no investor-state dispute settlement of any kind. Among the big prizes for the EU in the deal: guarantee that there will be no duties on electronic transmissions, alignment to EU-preferred vehicle standards, almost comprehensive tariff eliminations, reduced export duties for crltical raw materials. Indonesia for its part secured in its talks with Brussels some market access for palm oil produced on the basis of its own sustainability standards, which represents a symbolically important concession. Jakarta also gets to keep its export duties on critical minerals – aka nickel - but the EU secured a reduced price.
- [INTERVIEW: EU remains ‘major force’ in WTO reform discussions](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/22/interview-eu-remains-major-force-in-wto-reform-discussions.md): The WTO’s ‘twentieth century’ operating rules urgently need updating – and the EU wants to be at the forefront of ongoing attempts to achieve reform, says its ambassador to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. João Aguiar Machado spoke to Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer about US tariffs, WTO reform, ...
- [Week Ahead: EU Indonesia deal, ASEAN focus, WTO reform and more](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/22/week-ahead-eu-indonesia-deal-asean-focus-wto-reform-and-more.md): It may turn out to be a big week for trade policy in the EU. And work on WTO reform is starting in Geneva. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: Ukraine, Moldova, investment screening, China export controls, Thailand](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/19/week-in-brussels-ukraine-moldova-investment-screening-china-export-controls-thailand.md): This week there was a reminder that concluding trade talks with a third country – in this case Ukraine – is not the end of the story. Slovakia came out against the deal struck with Kyiv over the summer, railing against the higher quotas afforded to Ukrainian agriculture products. EU member states also agreed their position in advance of talks with Moldova on agriculture quotas. Elsewhere the European Commission official responsible for investment screening called for a speedy conclusion to inter-institutional talks on new legislation, EU businesses continue to be hamstrung by Chinese export controls, and we said farewell to Thailand’s trade negotiator with the EU.
- [Blog: Business frustration mounts as WTO faces ‘most acute’ systemic crisis](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/18/blog-business-frustration-mounts-as-wto-faces-most-acute-systemic-crisis.md): Borderlex's editor and founder Iana Dreyer reflects on a sobering two days at this year's WTO Public Forum in Geneva.
- [UK steel tariffs held at 25% as Trump visit fails to deliver breakthrough](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/18/uk-steel-tariffs-held-at-25-as-trump-visit-fails-to-deliver-breakthrough.md): Talks between the United Kingdom and United States failed to deliver the promised zero tariff quota for steel as provided for in the UK-US trade deal struck in May. UK steel exports will continue to fetch a tariff of 25%.
- [EU releases India strategy as trade talks prove tough nut to crack](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/17/eu-releases-india-strategy-as-trade-talks-prove-tough-nut-to-crack.md): Presenting a new European Commission strategy for EU-India relations, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič expressed disappointment that the two sides could not close the agriculture chapter during last week's 13th round of trade negotiations in New Delhi.
- [Commission seeks suspension of preferential trade with Israel](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/17/commission-seeks-end-to-preferential-trade-with-israel.md): The European Commission tabled a proposal to suspend preferential trade in goods with Israel, in response to the country’s continuing bombardment of Gaza. The EU executive claimed Israel’s actions represented a breach of ‘essential’ elements in Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement, relating to respect for human rights and democratic principles.
- [New 14-nation trade partnership to counter global turmoil](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/17/new-14-nation-trade-partnership-to-counter-global-turmoil.md): A group of 14 small and medium-sized countries has created a new alliance on trade and investment in response to the current turmoil in global trade.
- [AI trade benefits require predictable regulatory framework, WTO warns](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/17/ai-trade-benefits-require-predictable-regulatory-framework-wto-warns.md): The full economic benefits of artificial intelligence will not be realised without a predictable trade and regulatory framework, the World Trade Organization warned.
- [THINK TANK: EU trade with Ukraine and India, US loses rock’n’ roll appeal](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/16/think-tank-eu-trade-with-ukraine-and-india-us-loses-rockn-roll-appeal.md): After a prolonged summer break, our Think Tank column is back ! Here are a few highlights from what various think tanks have said about international trade policy over the last week. In focus: the EU-Ukraine trade accord, EU-India and a US electric guitar and drum export slump.
- [EU textiles industry backs customs duties for low value packages](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/16/eu-textiles-industry-backs-customs-duties-for-low-value-packages.md): The European Union's leading textile and clothing federations backed a move by the European Commission to introduce customs duties for low value packages of €150 or less to help finance customs controls at the EU border.
- [Civil society groups call on EU and UK to halt trade with Israeli illegal settlements](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/15/civil-society-groups-call-on-eu-and-uk-to-halt-trade-with-israeli-illegal-settlements.md): Eighty civil society organisations are calling on the European Union and United Kingdom to ban all trade and investment with the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The signatories include humanitarian, development, human rights and faith-based groups. They say trade legitimises the settlements at great cost to the Palestinian economy.
- [British MPs call for doubling down on US tech cooperation](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/15/british-mps-call-for-doubling-down-on-us-tech-alliance.md): The United Kingdom should seek to deepen its partnership with the United States "to ensure Western leadership over China in the race for technological supremacy", a group of British MPs said in a report published in advance of this week's state visit by US president Donald Trump. An open question for the British government is how effectively the proposed policies can be pursued in light of reports that staffing levels at the Department for Business and Trade are to be cut by 20% over the coming year.
- [Week Ahead: More tariffs to tackle Ukraine war, WTO fish, EU-UAE](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/15/week-ahead-more-tariffs-to-tackle-ukraine-war-wto-fish-eu-uae.md): As geopolitics continues to darken, the international trade community will convene in Geneva this week for a lower-key World Trade Organization Public Forum edition than usual. A chance for many meetings in and around the WTO Atrium with our editors Iana Dreyer and Chris Horseman. Borderlex is pleased to be a media partner for this vital meeting for those seeking to support the multilateral trading system. Here's what else to watch this week. By Iana Dreyer and Rob Francis.
- [Perspectives: Mercosur ratification is a make or break moment for the EU](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/12/perspectives-mercosur-ratification-is-a-make-or-break-moment-for-the-eu.md): The debate over ratifying the EU-Mercosur agreement will form a major part of Brussels trade policy discussions for the rest of the year. Ratifying the agreement is more than about economics: the long-term viability of the EU is at stake.
- [Week in Brussels: CBAM, Chinese pork duties, “strategic foresight”](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/12/week-in-brussels-cbam-chinese-pork-duties-strategic-foresight.md): The trade focus this week was on Strasbourg, where the European Commission president gave her annual State of the Union speech. Another focus of attention was New Delhi where the 13th round of EU-India trade talks took place. The EU finds itself in a bind, with United States president Donald Trump pressing the bloc to impose 100% tariffs on India and China to wean them off Russian energy as part of ongoing conversations on sanctions targeting Moscow. Also this week: the European Parliament approved the agreement with the council to simplify the bloc’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, and Norway, which aligns its CBAM with the EU’s, said it backed a widening of the scope to downstream products. The commission appears reluctant to launch a WTO case following last week’s imposition by China of swingeing antidumping duties on pork. And in a report the commission signalled that the rules-based global order is at an end.
- [WTO fisheries subsidies agreement to enter into force](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/11/wto-fisheries-subsidies-agreement-to-enter-into-force.md): The World Trade Organization's agreement on fisheries subsidies is set to enter into force next week, when the number of countries ratifying the deal moves above the required two-thirds of the organisation's membership.
- [EU seeks UK style disciplines in coming digital trade pact with Canada](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/10/eu-seeks-uk-style-disciplines-in-coming-digital-trade-pact.md): The European Union and Canada will soon start negotiating a bilateral digital agreement to complement their existing trade agreement CETA. The European Commission released the negotiating mandate today, which it wants EU capitals to sign off on to get the talks with Ottawa underway.
- [Šefčovič: No appetite from member states to launch ‘trade bazooka’ against US](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/10/sefcovic-no-appetite-from-member-states-to-launch-trade-bazooka-against-us.md): EU member states refused to countenance initiating the bloc’s anti-coercion instrument to counter tariff threats from the United States during the summer, according to EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
- [UK carmakers: we can’t meet new rules of origin for UK-EU trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/10/new-rules-of-origin-for-uk-eu-trade-cant-be-met-say-uk-carmakers.md): The leading UK car industry association warned of a looming cliff-edge for trade in electric vehicles with the EU at the end of next year.
- [Commission eyes partial suspension of preferential trade arrangements with Israel](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/10/commission-eyes-partial-suspension-of-preferential-trade-arrangements-with-israel.md): The European Commission will table a proposal to partially suspend the trade-related provisions in the EU-Israel association agreement amid Israel's ongoing human rights abuses in Gaza, commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.
- [EU should prioritise European companies in public tenders, says parliament report](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/09/eu-should-prioritise-european-companies-in-public-tenders-says-parliament-report.md): Public authorities in the EU should prioritise European companies in public tenders, particularly in strategic sectors, according to a non-legislative report adopted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
- [India demands same CBAM concessions as US in EU trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/08/india-demands-same-cbam-concessions-as-us-in-eu-trade-deal.md): India wants the EU to grant it the same concessions Brussels gave to the United States regarding the bloc’s carbon border measure as part of any future EU-India free trade agreement. As the 13th round of talks takes place this week in the Indian capital, the two sides appear to have removed from the scope of the talks sensitive agricultural products for the EU, such as dairy, rice and sugar.
- [Week Ahead: EU accelerates trade diversification, UK eyes EU rapprochement](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/08/week-ahead-eu-accelerates-trade-diversification-uk-eyes-eu-rapprochement.md): Brussels trade policy professionals will arrive at their desks with a possible new United States Section 301 investigation – with more trade barriers looming 12-18 months down the road - dangling over their heads. Meanwhile Brussels' trade diversification push is coming their way. An overview of the week ahead by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Peter Kyle appointed new UK trade secretary](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/05/peter-kyle-appointed-new-uk-trade-secretary.md): The government appointed Peter Kyle as the UK's new business and trade secretary, following an unscheduled reshuffle of prime minister Keir Starmer's government team. One key person retains his position: Nick Thomas-Symonds, the minister responsible for negotiating the forthcoming reset agreement with the European Union.
- [Week in Brussels: Bad week for EU machinery, big week for data flows](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/05/week-in-brussels-bad-week-for-eu-machinery-big-week-for-data-flows.md): The EU institutions are now into what could be termed the “meat” of their mandate. A year after the European Parliament held hearings for its commissioners-designate, this week the EU executive tabled for signature the agreements with Mercosur and Mexico. Signature, and then the ratification process, are expected to follow. This drive to diversify the bloc’s trade relations not only results from the need to reduce its dependency on China – which just now imposed preliminary anti-dumping duties of up to 62% on European pork, following a probe. It also results increasingly from the EU’s ongoing trade friction with the US. But there are moves to safeguard and ease digital trade elsewhere. A digital trade agreement with Korea is in the offing, and the commission tabled a draft data adequacy decision with Brazil. What is more, digital trade with the US is not in danger just now: the Court of Justice spared the world a Schrems III ruling this week, stating that the Biden era arrangement reached with Washington safeguarding EU citizens' fundamental data privacy rights was good enough. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer
- [US reverses threat to cut WTO funding](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/04/us-reverses-threat-to-cut-wto-funding.md): The United States reversed its threat to withdraw funding from the World Trade Organization, in what appears to be a policy U-turn by the White House. US officials quietly removed a reference to the Geneva-based organisation from the so-called 'rescission package' published by Washington last Friday (29 August).
- [Analysis: What you need to know about the EU-Korea digital trade agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/04/analysis-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-eu-korea-digital-trade-agreement.md): This week the European Commission not only released the final version of the texts of the EU-Mercosur trade and partnership agreement and an updated agreement with Mexico, with the aim of starting their ratification processes. Rather quietly, the EU executive published the text of the EU-Korea digital trade agreement, initially announced last March. The Korea agreement caps off a series of digital accords signed in recent years by the EU with countries in the Indo-Pacific - notably Singapore and Japan - and is part of the bloc's 2025 Indo-Pacific strategy. So what does the Korea digital deal do? How does it compare to others? And what next?
- [Weyand: We are still talking with the United States](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/03/weyand-we-are-still-talking-with-the-united-states.md): The European Commission’s director-general for trade Sabine Weyand defended the EU-US handshake agreement concluded this summer in front of the European Parliament's international trade committee.
- [Commission sets in train ratification process for Mercosur and Mexico pacts](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/03/commission-sets-in-train-ratification-process-for-mercosur-and-mexico-pacts.md): The European Commission adopted the agreements with Mercosur and Mexico, setting in train the process towards their signature and possible ratification within the EU.
- [EU-US deal: INTA chair Lange seeks “democratic participation and control”](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/03/eu-us-deal-inta-chair-lange-seeks-democratic-participation-and-control.md): European Parliament trade committee chair Bernd Lange expects the regulatory process to codify the EU’s tariff eliminations promised to the United States as part of the handshake deal between the European Commission and the White House last summer to take three to four months.
- [Garcia Bercero: European Parliament can help rebalance US deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/02/garcia-bercero-european-parliament-can-help-rebalance-us-deal.md): The European Union is about to enact tariff eliminations on the basis of the recently reached political agreement with the United States. The agreement is neither balanced nor does it guarantee stability for businesses – it is also in violation of World Trade Organization norms, argues Ignacio Garcia Bercero, a ...
- [Costa: Ukraine’s security a “top priority” for EU in US trade talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/01/costa-ukraines-security-a-top-priority-for-eu-in-us-trade-talks.md): The president of the European Council signalled that security concerns were a “top priority” in the EU’s thinking before it concluded a trade deal with the United States at the end of July.
- [White House blocks US 2025 financial contribution to WTO](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/01/white-house-blocks-us-2025-financial-contribution-to-wto.md): The United States refused to pay its dues to the World Trade Organization for 2025, depriving the Geneva-based global trade body of more than 11% of its funding for the current year.
- [Week Ahead: US relationship](https://borderlex.net/2025/09/01/week-ahead-us-relationship.md): Summer is over, it’s time to pack away your beach gear and suncream and prepare for what promises to be a frantic autumn. This week as in the coming months, relationships with the United States will take centre stage in both Brussels and London. Preview of the week by Rob Francis with Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: Aluminium export duty, Mercosur, Israel](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/29/week-in-brussels-aluminium-export-duty-mercosur-israel.md): The EU this week set in train the process to implement its trade deal with the United States. But with US president Donald Trump threatening additional tariffs unless Brussels unravels its digital legislation, uncertainty remains, despite what the European Commission may contend. Also this week, the commission is preparing to table a proposal for an export duty on aluminium scrap next month. The EU executive is also on the cusp of presenting the final draft of the EU-Mercosur agreement to member states. And former EU officials continue to call for the bloc to punish Israel for its ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
- [UK trade autumn preview: US turmoil risks overshadowing UK-EU reset talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/29/uk-trade-autumn-preview-us-turmoil-risks-overshadowing-uk-eu-reset-talks.md): The UK government hopes its plans for a 'reset' of Britain's relationship with the European Union will dominate the trade agenda over the next few months. But the global chaos unleashed by United States’ president Donald Trump's erratic trade policies is likely to elbow its way into the headlines and force London to respond.
- [EU sets ball rolling on liberalising tariffs on US goods](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/28/eu-sets-ball-rolling-on-liberalising-tariffs-on-us-goods.md): The European Commission is implementing its side of the recently agreed EU-US framework accord with the White House. Late today it published two legislative proposals to lower tariffs on imports of industrial goods as well as non-sensitive food and agriculture products from the United States.
- [Perspectives: After the Trump tariffs, the trade conversation needs a restart](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/28/after-the-trump-tariffs-the-trade-conversation-needs-a-restart.md): After Trump’s tariff ‘deals’, now is the time for a restatement and rethink of global trade rules.
- [EU industry chief calls for EU-US deal to be “reviewed” amid tariff threats](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/28/as-we-await-the-eus-tariff-elimination-proposal-to-honour-its-part-of-the-eu-us-deal-we-bring-you-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-the-eu-us-tariff-front.md): As we await the EU’s tariff elimination proposal to honour its part of the EU-US deal, we bring you a roundup of the latest news on the EU-US tariff front.
- [Autumn preview: EU to focus on trade diversification](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/26/borderlexs-curtain-raiser-to-eu-trade-policy-in-autumn-2025.md)
- [WTO Public Forum 2025](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/25/wto-public-forum-2025.md): Borderlex is pleased to partner with the World Trade Organization secretariat around the coming WTO Public Forum held on 17 and 18 September at headquarters in Geneva.
- [EU alloys import safeguard in limbo over territorial and product scope](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/25/eu-alloys-import-safeguard-in-limbo-over-territorial-and-product-scope.md): Robert Francis contributed to this article. The European Commission was expected to announce provisional import measures as part of an unprecedented safeguard investigation into imports of alloys. The move is proving more contentious than expected.*
- [WTO panel rules EU biodiesel duties on Indonesia unlawful](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/22/wto-panel-rules-eu-biodiesel-duties-on-indonesia-unlawful.md): The European Union acted unlawfully in imposing countervailing duties on imports of Indonesian biodiesel, a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel ruled today. The panel supported most of the claims brought by Jakarta in a legal case challenging the validity of duties introduced by Brussels in 2019.
- [EU-US joint statement on trade: a detailed summary](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/21/eu-us-joint-statement-on-trade-a-detailed-summary.md): The European Union and United States will consider joint cooperation to “ring-fence” their respective domestic markets for steel and aluminium, as part of a new bilateral agreement between Brussels and Washington. Tariffs on EU exports to the US are to be capped at 15% across the board, including for sectors currently subject to so-called Section 232 ‘national security’ investigations such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. The EU, for its part, will eliminate tariffs on all US industrial goods and provide preferential market access for a wide range of US agricultural and seafood products.
- [China launches WTO case against Canada over steel import curbs](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/21/china-launches-wto-case-against-canada-over-steel-import-curbs.md): China launched a fresh World Trade Organization dispute against Canada following Ottawa's decision to restrict imports of Chinese steel.
- [EU, US still haggling over trade deal fine print](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/19/eu-us-still-haggling-over-trade-deal-fine-print.md): The EU and United States are still haggling over the fine print of their trade agreement agreed by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and US president Donald Trump in Scotland on 27 July.
- [US Tariffs: Brazil says Washington should have filed a WTO dispute](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/12/us-tariffs-brazil-says-washington-should-have-filed-a-wto-dispute.md): Brazil has filed a WTO complaint in Geneva in response to Washington’s decision to slap a total of 50% ad valorem duties on a large palette of exports from the South American nation. The duties came into force only days ago.
- [No formal complaints made as part of flagship EU international procurement instrument](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/07/no-formal-complaints-made-as-part-of-flagship-eu-international-procurement-instrument.md): Tucked away in the Official Journal late last week, with no communication from the European Commission whatsoever on it, one can find the first evaluation report of the EU's international procurement instrument. The regulation is not proving very potent.
- [Blog: Commission reckons with reality of concessions to make to US](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/05/blog-commission-reckons-with-reality-of-concessions-to-make-to-us.md): The European Union is still hoping to issue a joint statement with the United States after Brussels clinched what the Hinrich Foundation's Deborah Elms termed a "napkin deal" with Donald Trump on 27 July. It is slowly admitting to the reality that it will be making significant unilateral tariff elimination concessions.
- [Borderlex in summer mode](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/04/borderlex-in-summer-mode.md): Dear readers, In August, very little usually happens in the trade policy field in Europe, as institutions go into summer recess. This year will not be as quiet as usual due to the consequences of the United States" trade policy. We expect movement in the EU on its own pledges made to the White House on tariffs after it secured to be charged "only" 15% duties on most of its exports as Donald Trump decreed individual tariffs. We also expect movement on the EU's import safeguards policy - not least provisional measures on a new ferro-alloys safeguards that may set a precedent for the EU's future metals industrial policy. We will be operating as we usually do this time of the year with reduced staff. But we will keep you abreast of key developments as they happen. Normal activity should resume in the latter part of August. With thanks for your understanding and wishing you a restful summer break. Iana Dreyer Founder and Editor
- [Week in Brussels : Watch out for the metals safeguards](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/01/week-in-brussels-watch-out-for-the-metals-safeguards.md): This week and particularly overnight we've all been glued to news about the United States' unilateral – not "reciprocal" as they say – tariffs coming into force against the world. These were set at a level established following concessions offered by third countries. Overall results? Pretty random. But readers, if you allow, let's take a bit of a break on that, as clarity on what is still not clear in the EU-US deal – and that is a lot – will become clearer over time. In the coming weeks and months trade policy professionals will need to pay close attention to the European Union's trade defence practices, spurred by low economic growth, a China shock and the ripple effects on global markets of Trump's tariffs.
- [Switzerland shocked by 39% US tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/08/01/switzerland-shocked-by-39-us-tariffs.md): Switzerland faces tariffs of 39% on its exports to the United States of America from 7 August – one of the highest rates imposed on any country. Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein face the new US 'baseline' tariff of 15%.
- [EU, CPTPP explore digital trade pact amid Trump policy shift](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/31/eu-cptpp-explore-digital-trade-pact-amid-trump-policy-shift.md): European and Asia-Pacific leaders are eyeing a possible pan-continental agreement on digital trade as part of a rapprochement between the EU and the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership. A digital trade deal is viewed as being one of the more feasible ‘deliverables’, as discussions on collaboration between the two blocs get under way. Talks are still at a very exploratory stage.
- [Trump adviser appointed as WTO deputy director-general](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/30/trump-adviser-appointed-as-wto-deputy-director-general.md): The World Trade Organization has appointed Jennifer Nordquist, an economic adviser to Donald Trump, as one of its deputy directors-general.
- [A few lessons from the UK-India deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/29/a-few-lessons-from-the-uk-india-deal.md): As the world pays attention to the United States asymmetric “deals” with key allies, and not least the European Union, one important piece of trade policy news has somewhat fallen under the radar: the final conclusion and publication of the UK-India free trade agreement on Thursday 24 July. The agreement ...
- [Blog: More details on the terms of the EU US “deal”](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/28/blog-more-details-on-the-terms-of-the-eu-us-deal.md): More information is trickling out on the EU-US settlement agreed in principle between Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump last night. Here a list of extra information on the next steps and the grey areas that need sorting out:
- [Week Ahead : Winding down into a summer dominated by the EU’s Trump deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/28/week-ahead-winding-down-into-a-summer-dominated-by-the-eus-trump-deal.md): There are few formal meetings in Brussels, London, Geneva related to international trade policy from this week on until late August. This will accordingly be our last “week ahead” column until then.
- [What’s still unresolved in the EU US ‘deal’ announcement](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/27/whats-still-unresolved-in-the-eu-us-deal-announcement.md): The European Union’s goods exports to the United States are set to fetch a 15% tariff almost across the board – presumably from 1 August, i.e. this coming Friday – as part of a framework agreement reached by US president Donald Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland this afternoon during a meeting arranged at the last minute. As with other agreements reached by the United States with other countries seeking to avert having to pay a maximum amount of duties set by the White House on them - such as with Japan, Indonesia and the United Kingdom - much remains unclear at this stage and will remain unclear for weeks to come.
- [Interview: Business is ‘thirsty for regulatory clarity’ on trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/25/interview-business-is-thirsty-for-regulatory-clarity-on-trade.md): Borderlex sat down with Valerie Picard, head of trade at the International Chamber of Commerce, to get her views on how companies are adapting to the current crisis in global trade and what needs to change at the WTO and elsewhere. ***
- [Week in Brussels: Moldova DCFTA update, preparing for metals trade action](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/25/week-in-brussels-moldova-dcfta-update-preparing-for-metals-trade-action.md): EU-US relations have once more dominated discussions in Brussels this week, with EU member states approving countermeasures if the two sides fail to reach agreement on a tariff truce by 1 August. Other important news went under the radar, though. For example, the EU agreed improved terms for Moldova’s agriculture exports, and the European Commission launched a new mechanism for monitoring the trade in scrap metals. By Rob Francis with some input from Iana Dreyer
- [The EU’s gradual plans for retaliation against the United States](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/25/the-eus-gradual-plans-for-retaliation-against-the-united-states.md): The EU published the regulation outlining its planned countermeasures against the United States, after member states gave their backing yesterday. The European Commission will only enact the countermeasures if no agreement can be reached with the United States by 1 August, a deadline set by the United States president. Deadlines can always shift. The timing of the countermeasures is staggered.
- [EU-China summit: rare earth and medical devices conversation to continue](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/24/eu-china-summit-rare-earth-and-medical-devices-conversation-to-continue.md): The EU and China have reached an “inflection point” in their trading relations, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in Beijing at an EU-China ostensibly held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations. The relationship between the two sides remains strained, both over trade as well as China’s ongoing support to Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.
- [EU-US: Majority of capitals now ready to back anti-coercion move if talks collapse](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/24/eu-us-majority-of-capitals-now-ready-to-back-anti-coercion-move-if-talks-collapse.md): EU member states overwhelmingly approved a wider range of countermeasures to hit United States’ imports in case negotiations with Washington break down before 1 August, a deadline set by president Donald Trump to reach a deal lest his country apply a 30% duty on EU exports. Council insiders now also consider there would be a majority of EU capitals ready to trigger an as yet untested anti-coercion instrument should the negotiations fail and those tariffs proceed.
- [WTO: Brazil condemns Trump tariffs as ‘dangerous shortcut to war’](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/24/wto-brazil-condemns-trump-tariffs-as-dangerous-shortcut-to-war.md): Brazil condemned the trade policies of the Trump administration as "a dangerous shortcut to instability and war". The remarks formed part of a strongly-worded statement by the Brazilian delegation at this week's meeting of the World Trade Organization general council.
- [UPDATED: EU-US – On the EU’s new focus on retaliation](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/23/eu-us-on-the-eus-new-focus-on-retaliation.md): By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer. The European Commission is sharpening its knives in preparation for a potential failure of ongoing negotiations with the United States over a settlement on tariffs by 1 August. This evening EU diplomats signalled that Brussels has given up fighting the 10% “baseline” set by the Trump administration and is willing to settle for a 15% rate instead. This has yet to be officially confirmed either by the EU or the White House.
- [EU, Japan to boost cooperation on trade and economic security](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/23/eu-japan-to-boost-cooperation-on-trade-and-economic-security.md)
- [Think Tank: Chinese EVs in Europe, Canada digital, US tariffs redux](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/22/think-tank-chinese-evs-in-europe-canada-digital-us-tariffs-redux.md): This week in think tanks: how to make the best of Chinese electric vehicle investments in Europe, boosting Canadian digital exports, and the usual commentary in Washington about president Donald Trump's tariffs.
- [Commission to launch strategic partnership talks with Gulf countries](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/22/commission-to-launch-strategic-partnership-talks-with-gulf-countries.md): EU member states authorised the European Commission to launch separate negotiations with each member of the Gulf Cooperation Council on a Strategic Partnership Agreement.
- [EU wins MPIA ruling over China patent protection rules](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/21/eu-wins-mpia-ruling-over-china-patent-protection-rules.md): The European Union has won an important victory against China in a World Trade Organization legal dispute over protection of its intellectual property rights. Arbitrators ruled that the five anti-suit in injunctions issued in and around the year 2020 by Chinese courts were part of an "anti-suit injunction" policy which seeks to prevent patent holders from litigating in foreign courts and hence upholding their intellectual property rights.
- [Week Ahead: WTO crisis, EU-US, China and Japan summits](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/21/week-ahead-wto-crisis-eu-us-china-and-japan-summits.md): The trading system's crisis will be on display this week as the EU will confront the difficulty of dealing with its United States and China challenge. The week ahead by the editorial team at Borderlex.
- [India FTA: Brussels in push to progress goods exports agenda](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/18/india-fta-brussels-in-push-to-progress-goods-exports-agenda.md): EU India free trade agreement negotiations are proving as tough as ever, as information starts emerging about the last round of negotiations held in Brussels last week.
- [Canada, New Zealand resolve dairy quota dispute under CPTPP](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/18/canada-new-zealand-resolve-dairy-quota-dispute-under-cptpp.md): Canada and New Zealand have resolved their year-long differences over the implementation of Ottawa's dairy quota system. The move has particular political resonance at a time when Canada's southern neighbour is challenging the rules-based system for international trade.
- [Week in Brussels: Israel, Thailand and Malaysia, more China TDI measures](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/18/week-in-brussels-israel-thailand-and-malaysia-more-china-tdi-measures.md): EU-US relations continue to dominate the Brussels scene. EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič flew to Washington yet again this week for a meeting with his US counterparts. But will the two sides be able to stave off the threat of a 30% tariff from 1 August? And if not, will the EU be compelled to retaliate? Stay tuned. In other developments, the bloc refrained from acting against Israel in the trade field, the European Commission reported on trade talks with Malaysia and Thailand, and Brussels slapped more anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports. There is further progress on ongoing negotiations with India – of which separately from us later. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer
- [Week in London: EU ‘reset’ mandate, UK-Türkiye, Chinese anti-dumping](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/17/week-in-london-eu-reset-mandate-uk-turkiye-chinese-anti-dumping.md): The European Commission set out its mandate for the upcoming ‘reset’ negotiations with London – making explicit its demands on alignment in agri-food rules and emission trading. Also this week: Britain resumed FTA negotiations with Türkiye, and the Trade Remedies Authority ‘reconsidered’ anti-dumping duties on Chinese excavators.
- [Blog: What’s up with the EU-Mercosur deal?](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/17/blog-whats-up-with-the-eu-mercosur-deal.md): In June the European Commission's directorate-general for trade was telling everyone the final version of the text negotiated with Mercosur last December would be unveiled by the end of that month and the deal finally released for ratification. And then things went silent.
- [EU plans aluminium scrap export restrictions to United States](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/17/eu-plans-aluminium-scrap-export-restrictions-to-united-states.md): So what’s in that second list of products potentially subject to retaliatory tariffs prepared by the European Commission should negotiations over a tariff deal with the Trump administration fail? Borderlex has been able to analyse a leaked version of a document circulating in Brussels after it was unveiled to trade ministers on Monday 14 July.
- [EU’s Russian gas and oil ban: rapporteurs want to go faster](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/16/eus-russian-gas-oil-ban-rapporteurs-want-it-even-faster.md): The day EU member states postponed once again the adoption of an 18th package of sanctions on Russia amidst its pounding of Ukraine with drones, the European Parliament set down to work on a phase-out of imports of gas and oil from the country.
- [Rice safeguard continues to hobble EU GSP scheme overhaul](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/16/rice-safeguard-continues-to-hobble-eu-gsp-scheme-overhaul.md): The Danish EU presidency is ready to pick up where the Poles ultimately failed after having hoped to get there: reach a final agreement with the European Parliament on the new version of the EU GSP scheme of trade preferences for developing countries. The parliament is playing hardball on a safeguard on rice imports it managed to get onto the agenda but not at the level of automaticity it desires.
- [Analysis: Could MPIA become new default WTO appeals system?](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/16/analysis-could-mpia-become-new-default-wto-appeals-system.md): The World Trade Organization’s ‘interim’ alternative system for arbitrating trade disputes is growing in size and status. Will it grow further and become a permanent fixture of global trade dispute settlement?
- [EU escalates long simmering trade dispute with Algeria](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/16/eu-escalates-long-simmering-trade-dispute-with-algeria.md): The European Union is escalating its trade dispute with Algeria under a 1990s association agreement following one year of fruitless bilateral consultations.
- [Think Tank: Trump letters, EU-CPTPP, quantitative restrictions](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/15/think-tank-trump-letters-eu-cptpp-quantitative-restrictions.md): Not surprisingly think tankers this week focused on US president Donald Trump’s tariff letters sent to almost thirty countries last week, including to the European Union. The sentiment is widely shared with our own columnists David Henig and Iana Dreyer that the letters amount to a step change in Trump's trade policy that requires different responses than affected countries have mustered thus far. Former WTO spokesperson Keith Rockwell for his part argues that the recent announcement of an EU CPTPP rapprochement may help focus minds over WTO reform in Geneva. Positioned on a slower news cycle, PIIE scholars muse on the return of the quantitative restriction in the global trade policy landscape.
- [EU Ombudsman slams rushed corporate sustainability rule changes](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/15/eu-ombudsman-slams-rushed-corporate-sustainability-rule-changes.md): European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho criticised the European Commission's rushed process to launch simplification of the bloc's corporate sustainability due diligence and corporate sustainable reporting directives in a letter to commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
- [MC14: Fresh Indonesia asks sink WTO Fish 2 deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/15/mc14-fresh-indonesia-asks-sink-wto-fish-2-deal.md): WTO members are unlikely to conclude a new agreement on fisheries subsidies at or before the MC14 ministerial meeting in Cameroon next March.
- [Indonesia CEPA: EU secures duty ban for e-transactions as it cuts other ambitions](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/14/indonesia-cepa-eu-secures-duty-ban-for-e-transactions-as-it-cuts-other-ambitions.md): The European Commission has secured a "framework" with which to finalise long-standing negotiations with Indonesia over a free trade agreement. An agreement on investment protection that is separate from the planned comprehensive economic partnership is also in the final stages, confirmed the Comprehensive Economcic Partnership Agreement's EU negotiator Fabien Gehl.
- [EU ministers hold the line in approach to US after Trump tariff letter](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/14/eu-ministers-hold-the-line-in-approach-to-us-after-trump-tariff-letter.md): By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer. EU member states expressed their support for the European Commission’s strategy to continue negotiations with Washington and to pause all retaliatory measures until 6 August, following Donald Trump’s announcement at the weekend of swingeing 30% tariffs targeting EU exports by the end of this months.
- [Perspectives: Sleepwalking is not a trade policy](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/14/perspectives-sleepwalking-is-not-a-trade-policy.md): The EU’s decision-making structures in trade policy are inadequate for the EU to tackle the existential challenge posed to it. Member states need to talk more outside the usual channels in Brussels to steer a European Commission hobbled by competing demands.
- [Week Ahead: EU Indonesia, responding to Trump’s letter, CSDDD, WTO reform](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/14/week-ahead-eu-indonesia-responding-to-trumps-letter-csddd-wto-reform.md): Are we moving into 24/7 territory in EU trade policy at the moment? It seems so. An Indonesian president visited the EU capital on Sunday, and the Council convened an extraordinary Coreper meeting the same day. This was to respond to a US president letter received on a Saturday and to prepare the ground for a ministerial meeting on the following Monday. Welcome to our brave new Trump-accelerated world and to a packed week in trade ahead which also features the EU's wranglings over Israel, how to simplify corporate sustainability due diligence as well as the eternal question of WTO reform in Geneva. By Iana Dreyer, Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Updated: Donald Trump formally announces 30% tariff on EU](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/12/donald-trump-formally-announces-30-tariff-on-eu.md): The letter announced by the White House has finally arrived. Negotiations between the European Commission and the United States representative over the last weeks have come to nil.
- [Editor’s Take: Home truths about the White House’s tariff policies for Europeans and others](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/11/editors-take-home-truths-about-the-white-houses-tariff-policies-for-europeans-and-others.md): There are lessons to be learned from the week we’ve witnessed in trade policy in Europe and elsewhere: we need collective action by a large coalition of countries to counter Donald Trump’s predatory trade policies.
- [Week in Brussels: E-commerce trilogue begins, EU Philippines talks, Ukraine quota raucus](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/11/week-in-brussels-e-commerce-trilogue-begins-eu-philippines-talks-ukraine-quota-raucus.md): The trade talks between the EU and the United States continue to dominate the news agenda in Brussels. US president Donald Trump signalled the bloc will receive a letter later today outlining what tariff levels the US intends to apply to it from 1 August. The move is startling given that the whole week the European Commission has been briefing that a deal is imminent and that it was not expecting to receive a letter with a final tariff ukase decided on a whim by the US president. Has the commission mis-read the whole situation?
- [Week in London: Developing country trading scheme, US biodiesel](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/10/week-in-london-developing-country-trading-scheme-us-biodiesel.md): Fashion retailers have been celebrating an important change in the rules of origin for imports of clothes from developing countries. And new anti-dumping duties on US biodiesel are coming.
- [EFTA, Singapore conclude digital economy agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/10/efta-singapore-conclude-digital-economy-agreement.md): The European Free Trade Association countries signed a new digital economy agreement with Singapore. The deal, announced following two years of talks, will create "a framework for digital trade between our countries, with high-standard rules and commitments that seek to boost digital trade, enable open and secure data flows, and build trust in digital systems for businesses and consumers," according to a joint statement.
- [European Parliament labels Chinese export restrictions ‘coercive’](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/10/european-parliament-labels-chinese-export-restrictions-coercive.md): The European Parliament condemned China’s export restrictions on rare earths which have caused significant disruption across global supply chains and European industries.
- [MEPs add to big push on commission to relax deforestation rules](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/09/meps-add-to-big-push-on-commission-to-relax-deforestation-rules.md): The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to repeal and revise the current benchmarking system under the EU deforestation regulation, adding to mounting pressure from member states to simplify the controversial environmental legislation. The legally non-binding resolution passed with 373 votes in favour, 289 against, and 26 abstentions.
- [EU, US eye trade deal “in the coming days”](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/09/eu-us-eye-trade-deal-in-the-coming-days.md): The European Union and United States are poised to agree a trade deal “in the coming days”, according to the European Commission. The commission said today it wants to secure a “framework agreement” as Brussels seeks to avoid the imposition of swingeing transatlantic tariffs on a range of EU exports.
- [Insight: UAE investment protection treaties with EU member states](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/09/insight-uae-investment-protection-treaties-with-eu-member-states.md): The European Union launched free trade agreement negotiations with the United Arab Emirates this week. The negotiations will not cover investment protection, a key UAE interest in Europe. Abu Dhabi has shown however that it can defend its investors' interests bilaterally with individual EU member states. Analysis of the UAE's bilateral investment treaty strategy in the EU by Nikos Lavranos.
- [THINK TANK: Getting EU India deal over the line, CBAMs and Trump Fail](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/08/think-tank-getting-eu-india-deal-over-the-line-cbams-and-trump-fail.md): After a week's blip due to personnel changes, your Tuesday Think Tank column is back to help our readers keep track of what trade policy thinkers think. One of the standout reports over the past week or so is Bruegel's policy brief on how to make the EU-India free trade agreement happen. Also: watch out for some technical guidance by the IISD soon on how to best design carbon border tax regimes. And enjoy some irreverent commentary on US president Donald Trump's tariff strategy. Bruegel: How to get the EU-Indian trade deal done
- [Interview: Seek “Triple A” supply chains to respond to trade shocks](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/08/interview-seek-triple-a-supply-chains-to-respond-to-trade-shocks.md): Borderlex’s Iana Dreyer and Chris Horseman sat down with the OECD’s director for trade and agriculture Marion Jansen to discuss what making global supply chains less prone to disruption really involves at a time when trade barriers are being reintroduced with the hope of bringing production back home. ***
- [China bans EU medical devices in retaliatory move against Brussels](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/07/china-bans-eu-medical-devices-in-retaliatory-move-against-brussels.md): The first measure taken by the European Union under a new international procurement law known as the IPI is having reverse effects to those intended. On Sunday evening the Chinese government retaliated against the EU's ban on Chinese medical devices on its market.
- [Commission eyes ‘endgame’ for trade truce as Washington wavers on deadline](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/07/commission-eyes-endgame-for-trade-truce-as-washington-wavers-on-deadline.md): The European Commission is aiming to secure a deal with the United States before 9 July, despite suggestions from Washington over the weekend that this deadline could be pushed back.
- [Week Ahead: Crunch time for US talks, EU China](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/07/week-ahead-crunch-time-for-us-talks-eu-china.md): A week dominated by the question of whether there will be deals with Washington. But not only. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Editor’s Take: What kind of deal can we expect between the EU and US?](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/04/editors-take-what-kind-of-deal-can-we-expect-between-the-eu-and-us.md): Even if a tariff truce type of arrangement is agreed between the EU and US next week, uncertainty will remain a structural feature of the EU-US trade relationship in the coming years. ***
- [Week in Brussels: US deal goes to wire, China forebodings, Ukraine agriculture quotas](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/04/week-in-brussels-us-deal-goes-to-wire-china-forebodings-ukraine-agriculture-quotas.md): The EU’s talks with the United States look likely to go to the wire, with US tariffs on many EU products set to jump to 50% on 9 July unless the two sides can reach a deal. Also this week, there was a tense meeting between the EU foreign affairs chief and her Chinese counterpart which does not bode well for the EU-China summit on 24-25 July.
- [Week in London: UK-Taiwan, Scotch in Argentina](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/03/week-in-london-uk-taiwan-scotch-in-argentina.md): Asia has been a key focus for UK trade this week, with a House of Commons committee report urging increased engagement with the region. Britain also expanded the scope of its informal trade cooperation with Taiwan, as well as scoring a first for GI protection in Argentina.
- [What is in the new EFTA-Mercosur free trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/02/what-is-in-the-new-efta-mercosur-free-trade-deal.md): European Free Trade Area countries concluded a comprehensive free trade agreement with the South American trade bloc Mercosur. The outlines of the deal were unveiled at a summit meeting of leaders from the two blocs in Buenos Aires today.
- [Commission mulls using CBAM revenues to support EU exporters](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/02/commission-mulls-using-cbam-revenues-to-support-eu-exporters.md): The European Commission plans to use revenue generated by the bloc’s carbon border measure to support EU exporters and help them compete on the global market.
- [EU, Türkiye make “progress” on trade irritants but customs union talks blocked](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/01/eu-turkiye-make-progress-on-trade-irritants-but-customs-union-talks-blocked.md): The EU and Türkiye made “substantial progress” on three out of six “priority trade issues” during today’s second bilateral High-Level Dialogue on Trade in Ankara, the two sides announced.
- [Comment: Operationalising Ursula von der Leyen’s CPTPP ambitions](https://borderlex.net/2025/07/01/comment-operationalising-ursula-von-der-leyens-cptpp-ambitions.md): European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal to cooperate with the twelve countries of the Asia-Pacific trade pact CPTPP needs full endorsement. Initial steps should involve a standstill agreement that commits 39 countries to safeguard multilateral trading rules, write Tim Groser, Steve Verheul and John Clarke.
- [Perspectives: UK trade policy takes one step forward](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/30/perspectives-uk-trade-policy-takes-one-step-forward.md): The new UK trade strategy paper, the first post-Brexit, is a welcome recognition of reality. What it does not do is provide a framework for making difficult domestic decisions.
- [MPs urge holistic approach to maximising UK-Asia trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/30/mps-urge-holistic-approach-to-maximising-uk-asia-trade.md): The government needs to deploy "a more sophisticated model of commercial diplomacy" to unlock the full possibilities of trade with the Asia-Pacific region, argues a new report by the House of Commons' business and trade committee.
- [EU, Ukraine reach preliminary agreement on agriculture trade](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/30/eu-ukraine-reach-preliminary-agreement-on-agriculture-trade.md): The EU and Ukraine reached an agreement in principle on future trading terms on agriculture products. Brussels and Kyiv revised quotas upward for agricultural products for which tariffs under the 2016 Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement but don't liberalise trade fully.
- [Week Ahead: Danish EU presidency, Mercosur ratification, EU-Türkiye](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/30/week-ahead-danish-eu-presidency-mercosur-ratification-eu-turkiye.md): A torrid July awaits us with a moment of truth on EU-US trade truce negotiations awaiting on 9 July and an EU-China summit scheduled at the end of the month. By Rob Francis with some input from Iana Dreyer.
- [EU member states reach partial agreement on customs reform](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/27/eu-member-states-reach-partial-agreement-on-customs-reform.md): EU member states reached an agreement on some critical aspects of the EU’s proposed customs reform, paving the way for trilogue negotiations with the European Parliament to begin in the second half of the year.
- [Week in Brussels: Deforestation, e-commerce, Indonesia](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/27/week-in-brussels-deforestation-e-commerce-indonesia.md): Speaking after yesterday’s EU summit in Brussels, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen repeated the call for “structured cooperation” between the EU and the members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. “We can think about this as a beginning of a redesigning the WTO…to show to the world that free trade with a large number of countries is possible on a rules-based foundation,” said von der Leyen. Also, this week, the European Parliament’s environment committee voted to repeal the current benchmarking system in the EU deforestation regulation. Another committee adopted a non-legislative resolution on e-commerce and customs and optimism is in the air regarding the EU-Indonesia negotiations for a free trade agreement.
- [Week in London: Data adequacy, UK-Switzerland, sandeel](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/26/week-in-london-data-adequacy-uk-switzerland-sandeel.md): It’s been another big week in UK trade policy, with the publication of the long-awaited trade strategy, and confirmation that Britain would join MPIA - the WTO’s interim appeals system. London also announced moves to tighten up its safeguard measures on imports of steel. Also this week: The EU confirmed that it was extending the UK’s data ‘adequacy’ status by a further six months. British and Swiss negotiators tied up a number of further chapters in the latest round of talks on an upgraded FTA. And London took (rather straightforward) steps to comply with the arbitrators’ ruling in the dispute with the EU over sandeel fishing.
- [Trade defence overhaul at heart of UK trade strategy paper](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/26/trade-defence-overhaul-at-heart-of-uk-trade-strategy-paper.md): The United Kingdom announced moves to bolster its trade defence mechanisms, with enhanced capability to respond faster and more robustly to threats from unfair trade practices. This is one of the key elements to emerge from a new trade strategy document published this morning.
- [“Now or never” for the EU-Mercosur pact – Brazilian ambassador](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/26/now-or-never-for-the-eu-mercosur-pact-brazilian-ambassador.md): It is “now or never” for the EU to approve the EU-Mercosur association agreement said Brazil’s ambassador to the EU Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva. “If the Council says no, it’s over,” said da Costa e Silva who was speaking yesterday at an event in Brussels hosted by the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
- [UK to join WTO interim appeals system](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/26/uk-to-join-wto-interim-appeals-system.md): The United Kingdom is to join the the World Trade Organization’s interim appeals system known as the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement or MPIA. London’s long-anticipated move was announced late last night as part of a new government trade strategy paper. Britain becomes the arrangement’s 30th member, and the third ...
- [Perspectives: Settling for WTO survival](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/25/perspectives-settling-for-wto-survival.md): We should be glad that the World Trade Organization has thus far survived the arrival of the second Trump administration. Don’t hope for institutional reform anytime soon. But incremental steps to improve its functioning can help keep it alive until the current political cycle is over.
- [UK tightens steel safeguards to match EU restrictions](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/25/uk-tightens-steel-safeguards-to-match-eu-restrictions.md): Business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds imposed stricter conditions for the application of safeguard measures on steel imports, overruling an initial recommendation by the Trade Remedies Authority.
- [CSDDD simplifications: more battles ahead in European Parliament](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/25/csddd-simplifications-more-battles-ahead-in-european-parliament.md): EU member states reached agreement on the proposed simplification of the corporate sustainability due diligence directive. Meanwhile the European Parliament is still debating its position.
- [EU seeks to keep caps on Ukrainian agriculture imports](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/24/eu-seeks-to-keep-caps-on-ukrainian-agriculture-imports.md): During a meeting of the European Parliament’s international trade committee, Léon Delvaux from the commission’s trade directorate made clear that the EU does not want to return to duty free quota free trade granted to Ukraine in 2022-2024. The EU and Ukraine are negotiating an upgrade to their free trade agreement known as DCFTA in anticipation of the country’s EU accession. The big question is what happens to the agriculture quotas that remained as part of the agreement and which the EU lifted after Russia attacked Ukraine. The EU rolled back that liberalisation following farm protests and unilateral bans by populist run governments in Central Europe.
- [EU and Canada aim to boost tech trade integration and cooperation](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/24/eu-and-canada-aim-to-boost-tech-trade-integration-and-cooperation.md): The European Union and Canada are manifestly turbo-charging their relationship as a result of the current geopolitical turbulence. The most notable outcome of the EU-Canada summit held on Monday in Brussels is the announcement of a new security partnership. But a major contribution to a more secure environment are announcements that the bilateral trade and economic relationship will deepen.
- [EU General Scheme of Preferences overhaul nears completion](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/23/eu-general-scheme-of-preferences-overhaul-nears-completion.md): The EU institutions could seal an agreement on the revision of the EU’s preferential trade scheme for developing countries as early as Wednesday (25 June), according to the chair of the European Parliament’s international trade committee Bernd Lange.
- [WTO dispute settlement reform talks frozen until Trump leaves office](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/23/wto-dispute-settlement-reform-talks-frozen-until-trump-leaves-office.md): World Trade Organization members have called a halt to efforts to reform the organization’s dispute settlement system for as long as the Trump administration remains in power. At a meeting of the global trade body’s dispute settlement body in Geneva this morning, chair Clare Kelly of New Zealand told members ...
- [Point of View: Is it really impossible to suspend the EU-Israel association agreement?](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/23/point-of-view-is-it-really-impossible-to-suspend-eu-israel-association-agreement.md): The European Commission leadership isn’t keen on suspending the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel, fearing a member state veto. This is despite an internal report saying the country is prima facie violating an ‘essential elements’ clause on human rights in the pact. In fact, it is not absolutely impossible to ...
- [Week Ahead: EU-Israel pact, EU-Canada digital, UK trade strategy – and more](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/23/week-ahead-eu-israel-pact-eu-canada-digital-uk-trade-strategy-and-more.md): Dense and packed. That's the week ahead for trade policy in Europe. By Iana Dreyer, Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: China, investment screening, public procurement, Israel/Palestine](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/20/week-in-brussels-china-investment-screening-public-procurement-israel-palestine.md): The focus this week was firmly on China. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen urged the G7 to work together to counter Chinese “blackmail”, and the EU executive adopted a regulation excluding Chinese medical device firms from accessing public procurement bids in the EU. The commission official responsible for the EU’s new investment screening rules expressed optimism about the trilogue negotiations which began this week. The law is likely to target Chinese companies looking to invest in the bloc. And nine EU member states raised concerns about trade with the occupied Palestinian territories.
- [Week in London: Swiss blueprint on food safety, FTA arbitrators](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/19/week-in-london-swiss-blueprint-on-food-safety-fta-arbitrators.md): It’s been a big week for UK trade policy. The United States confirmed that it was creating a 100,000 vehicle TRQ for UK cars – but declined to seal its promised deal on steel and aluminium tariffs. Canada confirmed that it would resume negotiations on modernising its FTA with the UK, and also ratify London’s accession to CPTPP. Also this week: a House of Lords committee heard that the EU-Swiss ‘common food safety area’ agreement offered pointers for the upcoming EU-UK reset talks on agri-food alignment. And London announced a first list of panellists to arbitrate any disputes arising from its free trade agreements.
- [Commission eyes year-end signature for EU-Mercosur pact](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/19/commission-eyes-year-end-signature-for-eu-mercosur-pact.md): The European Commission will submit the final version of the EU-Mercosur agreement to EU member states before the end of June, according to the commission official leading on the file.
- [CBAM simplification on track as institutions agree terms](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/18/cbam-simplification-on-track-as-institutions-agree-terms.md): The EU institutions reached agreement to simplify the bloc’s carbon border adjustment mechanism and reduce the number of importers which fall under its scope.
- [Kallas signals opposition to suspending EU-Israel pact](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/18/kallas-signals-opposition-to-suspending-eu-israel-pact.md): The EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Kaja Kallas signalled that she opposes suspending the EU-Israel association agreement amid an intensification of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the worsening humanitarian situation in the territory.
- [THINK TANK: Missing Lighthizer, ASEAN digital, US tariffs counterproductive](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/17/think-tank-missing-lighthizer-asean-digital-us-tariffs-counterproductive.md): Think tankers this week start missing Trump One’s Bob Lighthizer and are trashing US tariffs policies with solid numbers. All this while ASEAN tries to build a common digital trade framework. By Iana Dreyer and Maia Wilson.
- [Section 232s: White House confirms UK car quotas and aircraft tariff cuts](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/17/section-232s-white-house-confirms-uk-car-aircraft-quotas.md): US president Donald Trump signed an executive order cutting tariffs on imports of cars and aircraft from the United Kingdom. Tariffs on cars and auto parts will fall from the current 27.5% in place since April to 10% within a quota of 100,000 per year. 10% is the United States new baseline tariff on all imports.
- [Analysis: The new EU Switzerland package deal in detail](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/17/analysis-the-new-eu-switzerland-package-deal-in-detail.md): The new relationship that is set to govern a large part of EU-Switzerland economic relations is a delicate balancing act in meeting the EU’s key demands vis-à-vis Switzerland whilst also acknowledgement the country’s sensitivities. The now-released text reveals the final fine print of a deal announced last December. Insights on the deal by Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer
- [EU, India send contradictory messages on state of FTA talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/16/eu-india-send-contradictory-messages-on-state-of-fta-talks.md): The European Union and India are putting out contradictory messages about progress on their free trade agreement negotiations. Brussels is rolling back its ambitions in the areas of raw materials trade, state-owned enterprises disciplines, e-commerce and agricultural market access to meet a year-end deadline set by the top political leadership for reaching a deal.
- [Canada to resume trade talks with UK, ratify CPTPP accession](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/16/canada-to-resume-trade-talks-with-uk-ratify-cptpp-accession.md): Britain and Canada will resume negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement, almost 18 months after talks on a trade deal initially broke down. Canada will also proceed with ratification of Britain's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership.
- [Week Ahead: G7 to US-UK to WTO reform to Israel and back….](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/16/week-ahead-g7-to-us-uk-to-wto-reform-to-israel-and-back.md): We are looking to a dense week ahead in trade policy across Europe, with the ongoing Canada-hosted G7 leaders summit casting light – or shadow – on all the rest. This week Borderlex will be in London hosting a new edition of it flagship Academy there (now full). There will also be a book talk with the BBC's Ben Chu who will explain to us the politics of rejection of interdependence that shapes today's trade policy. There is still time to register - it's free to attend and there are books to win. Our week preview covers: G7, US UK trade deal, WTO reform, EU imports of Russian energy, EU Israel, EU Philippines, EU Mercosur. By Iana Dreyer, Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: US, Russia, import surveillance, China](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/13/week-in-brussels-us-russia-import-surveillance-china.md): This week it’s again all about Russia, China and the consequences of Donald Trump’s trade actions. The new tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilisers and agriculture products are now on track, and we also know more about how the European Commission is thinking about trade deflection from China and the rest of the world due to US tariffs. The EU applied three – yes three – new trade defence measures on China this week alone. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer
- [Week in London: EU takes control of Gibraltar goods trade, ‘Not for EU’ labels, steel dumping](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/12/week-in-london-eu-takes-control-of-gibraltar-goods-trade-not-for-eu-labels-steel-dumping.md): This week in London: finally an agreement over Gibraltar with the EU – with further details emerging today, new guidelines to apply ‘not for EU’ labels related to Northern Ireland, and a new anti-dumping probe against imports of South Korean steel.
- [EU investment screening reform: capitals scale back ambition](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/12/eu-investment-screening-reform-capitals-scale-back-ambition.md)
- [EU and UK strike deal on future of Gibraltar](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/11/eu-and-uk-strike-deal-on-future-of-gibraltar.md): Gibraltar is set to become in effect part of the EU’s single market and customs area, under an agreement reached today between the UK and EU. Border controls between Spain and Gibraltar – a UK-owned exclave at the southern tip of Spain – are to be abolished. The two sides agreed on “the principles underpinning the future customs union between the EU and Gibraltar”. This is just one of a number of areas on which more technical work still needs to be done, even though the outline deal is secure.
- [EEA and EFTA countries fear being left out of Buy European procurement moves](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/11/eea-and-efta-countries-fear-being-left-out-of-buy-european-procurement-moves.md): The European Union will soon draw up legislation to reform its public procurement directives and aims to introduce preferences for European providers in some yet unspecified strategic sectors. This is making EU neighbours and members of the single market Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein nervous.
- [Interview: Europe ‘can win argument’ over carbon border adjustment](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/11/interview-europe-can-win-argument-over-carbon-border-adjustment.md): A carbon border adjustment mechanism is “the only viable tool” to incentivise the decarbonisation of heavy industry across the world and drive down global carbon emissions. This is the message contained in a new report by the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of industrial companies, power generators, investors and ...
- [Mercosur: legal experts contest view that EU Green Deal unassailable](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/10/mercosur-legal-experts-contest-view-that-eu-green-deal-unassailable.md): Some non-governmental organisations opposed to the EU-Mercosur association agreement and its free trade pillar are contesting the European Commission’s view that a first-in-its kind 'rebalancing mechanism' negotiated with the South American countries does not affect some of its flagship environmental regulations - and is mobilising top notch legal expertise to that end. The official view is that measures such as the EU’s deforestation regulation and carbon border adjustment measure cannot lead these countries to put up trade barriers against the EU if they find the rules hamper their exports to Europe. NGO communication on this issue comes as Brussels prepares to ratify the deal concluded in December.
- [THINK TANK: Dealing with Russia via the EU anti-coercion instrument, India and Trump](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/10/think-tank-dealing-with-russia-via-the-eu-anti-coercion-instrument-india-and-trump.md): This week in think tanks: dealing with Russia via the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, India’s need for a more holistic trade policy, and more chatter about US president Donald Trump’s tariff policies. By Maia Wilson and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week Ahead: The countdown to an EU deal with Washington begins](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/09/week-ahead-the-countdown-to-an-eu-deal-with-washington-begins.md): The one-month countdown to a "deal" between the EU and the United States starts today. By Iana Dreyer and Rob Francis.
- [Week in Brussels: Ukraine, Canada, raw materials, critical technologies](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/06/week-in-brussels-ukraine-canada-raw-materials-critical-technologies.md): The EU trade commissioner was in Paris this week where he met a number of trade ministers from OECD countries. The biggest news coming out of this: the EU-Australia FTA is back under negotiation. Read our roundup of his tête-à-têtes here. Back in Brussels stakeholders and parliamentarians other than those tied directly to certain farm interests and populist parties in some member states lamented the expiry of the EU’s autonomous trade measures for Ukrainian agricultural imports. Also: the EU granted Canadian wines easier access to its market, the commission identified more “strategic projects” to help it acquire critical raw materials and we will soon have more ‘economic security’ risk assessment for more sectors than the four – semiconductors, AI, quantum and biotech - under investigation since 2023.
- [EU trade deflection tool seen as incomplete](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/06/eu-trade-deflection-tool-seen-as-incomplete.md): On Thursday, the European Commission released initial data as part of a new goods import monitoring tool to keep abreast of “disruptive surges in imports” and “prevent harmful trade diversion”. Experts warn Europeans not to get ahead of themselves and weigh the data and consequences of rushing into protectionist action.
- [ECJ : US company hit by EU trade retaliation not entitled to hearing](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/05/ecj-us-company-hit-by-eu-trade-retaliation-not-entitled-to-hearing.md): European Court of Justice rulings or advocate-general opinions are rarely a lively, pithy read. But advocate Tamara Ćapeta’s opinion this week concerning an appeal filed by the European Commission against a case it lost against the famous US cigarette lighter firm Zippo hits smack into the heart of today’s global tariff politics with a short and sharp text. No, folks, says Ćapeta: individual companies affected by retaliatory duties adopted in response to United States Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium are not automatically entitled to be heard individually by the European Commission.
- [Week in London: border inspections, Indian countervailing duties](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/05/week-in-london-border-inspections-indian-countervailing-duties.md): Britain won special treatment from the White House this week as it gained an exemption from president Trump’s new 50% tariffs on steel. But joy is not unconfined in the UK steel sector, as producers ponder the probability of product being diverted away from the US and into Britain as a result of Trump’s tariffs. London also scrapped border checks on fruit and vegetables, pending the planned SPS agreement with the EU. But Britain’s National Audit Office lamented the threat to UK biosecurity as a result of limited border checks on imported live animals. Also this week: countervailing duties on plastic imports from India were extended for a further five years.
- [Interview: Return to pre-war EU-Ukraine trade conditions worst possible scenario](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/05/interview-return-to-pre-war-eu-ukraine-trade-conditions-worst-possible-scenario.md): The EU and Ukraine are currently reviewing their bilateral trade agreement known as the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area and are preparing Ukraine for EU accession. In the meantime, the EU is reintroducing restrictive trade quotas on agriculture products that it removed in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of ...
- [EU trade update: Australia, Thailand, India, South Africa, Türkiye, US and China](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/04/eu-trade-update-australia-thailand-india-south-africa-turkiye-us-and-china.md): EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič held a number of individual meetings with trade ministers from across the world on the sidelines of this week’s OECD trade ministerial meeting in Paris. Below, is what you need to know on what came out of these meetings: It's happening: EU and Australia aim to finalise their FTA within months Slow but steady progress on the EU Thailand FTA EU India FTA talks – spoiler: it’s tough in the ag field South Africa CTIP conclusion by G20 summit A coming EU-Türkiye trade meeting Nothing new on talks with the United States Mere “data sharing” with China on rare earth export restrictions thus far
- [US spares Britain from 50% steel tariffs pending supply chain talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/04/us-spares-britain-from-50-steel-tariffs-pending-supply-chain-talks.md): The United States exempted Britain from 50% tariffs on steel which came into effect for all other suppliers yesterday. Tariffs on British steel products remain at 25%, pending the conclusion of negotiations on a duty-free tariff rate quota, as promised in the economic deal struck last month.
- [THINK TANK: Supply chain resilience, EU partnerships, US trade policy](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/03/think-tank-supply-chain-resilience-eu-partnerships-us-trade-policy.md): This week in the think tank world: supply chain resilience, improving the EU’s partnerships with the Global South, and a lot of chatter on the US administration’s trade policies. By Maia Wilson and Iana Dreyer.
- [UK scraps food safety checks ahead of deal with EU](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/03/uk-scraps-food-safety-checks-ahead-of-deal-with-eu.md): London announced further delays in imposing border checks on fruit and vegetables imported from the European Union. But labelling requirements under the 'Windsor framework' arrangements for Northern Ireland will enter into force as planned on 1 July 2025.
- [Brussels eyes autumn 2025 to launch ‘reset’ talks with UK](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/03/brussels-eyes-autumn-2025-to-launch-reset-talks-with-uk.md): EU member states are expected to sign off on negotiating mandates for future talks on trade-related issues with the United Kingdom this coming autumn.
- [EU’s China medical devices ban casts shadow over summit prospects](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/03/eus-china-medical-devices-ban-casts-shadow-over-summit-prospects.md): EU member states agreed to ban Chinese medical equipment companies from bidding for public procurement projects worth over €5 million for the next five years.
- [Section 232 tariff rises: EU signals it’s ready to retaliate before end of 90-day pause](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/02/section-232-tariff-rises-eu-signals-its-ready-to-retaliate-before-end-of-90-day-pause.md): The European Commission has not ruled out imposing retaliatory tariffs on US imports before the end of their currently running 90-day pause, a commission spokesperson said today.
- [Book Talk with Ben Chu – Exile Economics – 19 June 2025, London](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/02/book-talk-with-ben-chu-exile-economics-19-june-2025-london.md): Borderlex reception and book signing with the BBC’s Ben Chu Date: 19 June 2025 Time: 18:30 BST Location: The Athenaeum, 107 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ER Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please follow the Athenaeum dress code (details here).
- [Week Ahead: EU US trade, China medical devices, UK product standards](https://borderlex.net/2025/06/02/week-ahead-eu-us-trade-china-medical-devices-uk-product-standards.md): A preview of the week in trade in Europe by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: CBAM, Mercosur, China](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/30/week-in-brussels-cbam-mercosur-china.md): In a shortened week owing to various public holidays across Europe, EU member states gave their green light to the proposed simplification of the bloc’s carbon border measure. Brazilian farmers took aim at French supermarkets, accusing them of breaching EU competition rules by boycotting their products in the context of the EU-Mercosur agreement, and the commission imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports of tinplate.
- [EU and UAE to start trade talks in June](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/28/eu-and-uae-to-start-trade-talks-in-june.md): The EU and the United Arab Emirates agreed on a roadmap for their future trade negotiations and want to start talks in June.
- [EU Chamber in China rings alarm bells over rare earth export restrictions](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/28/eu-chamber-in-china-rings-alarm-bells-over-rare-earth-export-restrictions.md): At a time of major loss of confidence for European businesses in China as a place to do business, the EU Chamber of Commerce in China wants Brussels to help concretely resolve urgent issues on the ground with Beijing.
- [Perspectives: EU needs new partnerships to complement FTAs](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/28/perspectives-eu-needs-new-partnerships-to-complement-ftas.md): The EU appears ready to reduce its levels of ambition to seal new bilateral free trade agreements. This works as a short-term response to US president Trump’s trade policy vandalism. Now the bloc must also plan new third-country partnership structures for the longer term. *** Revive a free trade agreement ...
- [Blog: What are the prospects for ongoing EU-Ukraine trade negotiations?](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/27/blog-what-are-the-prospects-for-ongoing-eu-ukraine-trade-negotiations.md): The European Commission just released a “priority action plan” agreed with Ukraine on “enhanced implementation of the EU-Ukraine DCFTA”. The document gives us some clues as to where the EU wants to take its trade relationship with Ukraine in the coming months: better public procurement terms for the EU, full SPS alignment, among others. But the goalposts are not clear.
- [UPDATED – WTO: EU rejects entering into CBAM dispute with Russia](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/27/wto-eu-rejects-entering-into-cbam-dispute-with-russia.md): The European Union refused to enter into consultations with Russia after Moscow filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement body regarding its carbon border adjustment mechanism. Brussels indicated that will only be able to discuss the matter once Russia stops its war on Ukraine.
- [EU countries call for ‘no risk’ category in deforestation law](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/26/eu-countries-call-for-no-risk-category-in-deforestation-law.md): A critical mass of EU’s member states called on the the European Commission to include a new “no-risk” category in the EU deforestation regulation for countries where deforestation is negligible or which already have equivalent laws in place.
- [Week Ahead: EU US, Ukraine agriculture, WTO fisheries](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/26/week-ahead-eu-us-ukraine-agriculture-wto-fisheries.md): It’s a short week in Brussels, with a public holiday on Thursday (29 May) and the European Commission shut on Friday (30 May). But this won’t prevent EU trade negotiators from working round the clock to head off a trade war with the United States. By Rob Francis, Iana Dreyer and Chris Horseman.
- [Alert: Donald Trump threatens 50% tariff on EU starting 1 June](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/23/alert-donald-trump-threatens-50-tariff-on-eu-starting-1-june.md)
- [Week in Brussels: CETA figures, Mercosur prospects, intellectual property protection, TDI](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/23/week-in-brussels-ceta-figures-mercosur-prospects-intellectual-property-protection-tdi.md): Whilst the EU’s turbulent trade relations with the United States continue to top policy makers’ and media minds, the bloc’s trade with another transatlantic partner looks rather positive - according to a European Commission report. Also this week the chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee expressed optimism that the EU’s trade pact with Mercosur will be ratified; the commission launched two more anti-dumping probes; and the EU executive published its biennial intellectual property right enforcement report. And last but not least, after MEPs said yes last autumn, EU member states are now ready to ratify the Mauritius Convention on transparency in international investor-state arbitration known as ISDS.
- [Week in London: Ports to seek compensation for ‘redundant’ SPS infrastructure costs](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/22/week-in-london-ports-to-seek-compensation-for-redundant-sps-infrastructure-costs.md): British ports will demand millions of pounds in compensation for border control posts which might never be used if London and Brussels reach a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement which makes them redundant.
- [Deforestation regulation: Commission releases risk classification for trading partners](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/22/deforestation-regulation-commission-releases-risk-classification-for-trading-partners.md): The European Commission designated four countries as "high risk" under the bloc's deforestation regulation. Brussels also classified large countries with whom it is negotiating or just concluded trade agreements as 'standard risk'.
- [EU trade regulatory update: Ukraine DCFTA, CBAM scope, Russian fertilisers](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/22/eu-trade-regulatory-update-ukraine-dcfta-cbam-scope-russian-fertilisers.md): Things are moving fast. Here the latest on the EU legislative train on trade policy.
- [Consequences of US WTO membership ‘review’ reach Geneva](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/21/consequences-of-us-wto-membership-review-reach-geneva.md): The United States made it official in Geneva that it was considering whether membership of the World Trade Organization “remains in its essential interests”.
- [EU US trade talks to soon enter formal stage](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/21/eu-us-trade-talks-to-soon-enter-formal-stage.md): The chair of the European Parliament’s international trade committee expects the EU and United States to start “concrete talks” on relieving trade tensions imminently.
- [Israel: EU looks into trade preference suspension, UK halts talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/21/israel-eu-looks-into-trade-preference-suspension-uk-halts-talks.md): A majority of EU member states called on the European Commission to initiate a review of the bloc’s twenty-five year old association agreement with Israel, relying on its “essential elements” clause.
- [EU customs: commission floats 2€ handling fee ahead of ‘de minimis’ removal](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/20/eu-customs-commission-floats-2e-handling-fee-ahead-of-de-minimis-removal.md)
- [Russia launches first WTO case against EU CBAM](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/19/russia-launches-first-wto-case-against-eu-cbam.md): Russia has filed the first legal challenge at the World Trade Organization against the European Union's carbon border adjustment mechanism known as CBAM, claiming it creates significant trade barriers for covered goods.
- [The EU-UK ‘reset’ agreement: a detailed overview](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/19/the-eu-uk-reset-agreement-a-detailed-overview.md): At today’s first bilateral summit since Brexit, the EU and UK agreed to launch a food safety standard agreement, to connect their emissions trading schemes, to reintegrate over time the UK into the EU energy market and to start conversations on easing on youth and professional mobility. The juiciest trade deal may well be in the area of defence. Full details below.
- [Week Ahead: EU-UK reset, US tariffs in WTO, EP plenary and more](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/19/week-ahead-eu-uk-reset-us-tariffs-in-wto-ep-plenary-and-more.md)
- [CPTPP members move closer to deal overhaul, cooperation with ASEAN, EU](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/16/cptpp-members-move-closer-to-deal-overhaul-cooperation-with-asean-eu.md): In a meeting in Korea on Friday, members of the CPTPP trade bloc that includes eleven Asia-Pacific countries and the United Kingdom, vowed to press ahead with updating their rule-book and cooperating with like-minded trading blocs to further their interests.
- [Week in Brussels: Russia & Belarus, UAE, business demands](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/16/week-in-brussels-russia-belarus-uae-business-demands.md): This week EU ministers held further discussions with the European Commission on the ongoing negotiations with the United States to alleviate a transatlantic trade war. Also, this week the European Parliament’s trade committee supported an increase in duties on certain imports from Russia and Belarus, the EU outlined its objectives in its upcoming trade talks with the United Arab Emirates, and an industry association called for more “reciprocity” in the EU’s trade negotiations.
- [Commission to reintroduce pre-war agriculture quotas on Ukraine exports](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/16/commission-to-reintroduce-pre-war-agriculture-quotas-on-ukraine-exports.md): Contrary to earlier announcements that there would be "transitional arrangements", the European Commission tabled a proposal to reintroduce pre-Russian invasion tariff rate quotas on Ukrainian agricultural imports, once the EU’s autonomous trade measures expire on 5 June.
- [Week in London: UK-New Zealand, steel safeguard TRQs, anti-dumping](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/16/week-in-london-uk-new-zealand-steel-safeguard-trqs-anti-dumping.md): While the British trade policy community awaits the all-important EU-UK summit next Monday, the focus this week was on trade remedies. New Zealand and the UK also vowed to work closer together in the context of their joint membership of the Asia-Pacific CPTPP accord.
- [FAC trade roundup: EU countries unwilling to accept Trump’s 10% tariff](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/15/fac-trade-roundup-eu-countries-unwilling-to-accept-trumps-10-tariff.md): EU countries are not willing to accept a 10% universal tariff on their exports to the United States and are ready to hit back with countermeasures in such a scenario, ministers said today.
- [EU Indonesia FTA negotiations edge closer to end-game](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/15/eu-indonesia-fta-negotiations-edge-closer-to-end-game.md): Members of the European Parliament discussing negotiations towards a free trade agreement with Indonesia in committee this week expressed confidence that negotiations between the EU and Indonesia can be concluded this summer. The chair of the international trade committee Bernd Lange told his colleagues: “We could see light at the end of the tunnel with conclusion […. ] perhaps in the middle of this year.”
- [Blog: EU veers towards ‘narrow’ trade deal with India, Indonesia](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/14/blog-eu-veers-towards-narrow-trade-deal-with-india-indonesia.md): It turns out that trade minister Piyush Goyal’s recent visit to Brussels has helped break some of the expected logjam in the ongoing trade agreement negotiations between the EU and India. Both sides appear ready to do the necessary compromises and take the requisite shortcuts to conclude a goods-and-tariff-reduction-focused deal ...
- [UK to tighten up steel safeguard quota regime](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/14/uk-to-tighten-up-steel-safeguard-quota-regime.md): The UK plans to impose additional curbs on steel imports in response to continuing pressure from competitively-priced imports. The Trade Remedies Authority proposed limits on the volumes of steel which any individual country can export to the UK under 'residual' tariff rate quotas – quotas which are not reserved for a specific country.
- [Borderlex Academy 19 & 20 June, London](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/14/save-the-date-borderlex-academy-united-kingdom-trade-policy-in-a-changing-world.md): Our next Borderlex Academy is around the corner! This edition of our flagship learning conferences will be held in London and focused on how the United Kingdom is approaching trade policy in a rapidly shifting international environment.
- [CBAM scope reduction clears first hurdle in European Parliament](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/13/cbam-scope-reduction-clears-first-hurdle-in-european-parliament.md): The European Parliament’s environment committee backed the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the scope of the EU’s carbon border measure against attempts by conservative and far right groups to water down the text.
- [MEPs like pact with Andorra, San Marino – EU capitals less so](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/13/european-parliament-like-pact-with-andorra-san-marino-eu-capitals-less-so.md): The European Parliament’s two largest groups pledged support for the European Union’s new association agreements with Andorra and San Marino, which were concluded one year ago. But discussions in the council are proving more contentious, particularly around financial services.
- [Perspectives: UK trade policy shifts to incrementalism](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/13/perspectives-uk-trade-policy-shifts-to-incrementalism.md): The United Kingdom has effectively abandoned its lofty ideals related to its place as an independent trading power. The signing of shallow trade deals with India and the United States reflect this new trend. “Ruthless pragmatism” is now the defining principle.
- [EU and Kenya launch rules-of-origin talks for their trade agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/12/eu-and-kenya-launch-rules-of-origin-talks-for-their-trade-agreement.md): The EU and Kenya launched negotiations on arrangements governing rules of origin within the framework of their economic partnership agreement.
- [Comment – Why the US-UK trade agreement is a big deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/12/comment-why-the-us-uk-trade-agreement-is-a-big-deal.md): The United Kingdom’s trade “deal” with the United States undermines the multilateral trading system. The EU should turn its back on this way of dealing with the Trump administration.
- [Week Ahead: EU trade ministers, EU-India, INTA, CBAM, WTO fish](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/12/week-ahead-eu-trade-ministers-eu-india-inta-cbam-wto-fish.md): We are looking to a packed week of political meetings in Brussels around trade in a an ever-shifting United States-induced trade context. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [UK-US trade deal: Much still to be negotiated](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/09/uk-us-trade-deal-much-still-to-be-negotiated.md): After yesterday's announced EU UK trade agreement, new information released by the governments reveal that negotiations between the two sides still lie ahead on many details, including the legal form, rules of origin, digital, pharmaceuticals, conformity assessment and "non market economies". More below. ***
- [WITA and Borderlex trade seminar: European Trade Update](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/09/wita-and-borderlex-trade-seminar-european-trade-update.md): Mini Intensive Trade Seminar: European Trade Update: Security, Strategy and Global Engagement This online event is hosted jointly by WITA International and the WITA Academy, in partnership with Borderlex. Special deal for Borderlex subscribers, use code BORDERLEX to sign up for free! DATE: 13 May 2025 TIME: 09:00 – 12:00 EST, 14:00 – 17:00 ...
- [Week in London: New data flow law in town](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/09/week-in-london-new-data-flow-law-in-town.md): This has been a momentous week for UK trade policy. We have seen a comprehensive new free trade agreement with India, a partial trade deal with the United States and the resumption of FTA upgrade talks with Türkiye. So for many, an important piece of news might have been overlooked: the House of Commons passed a new data bill. Details on its trade implications are below.
- [Week in Brussels: Singapore digital, Japan, Türkiye customs union, US-China](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/09/week-in-brussels-singapore-digital-japan-economic-security-turkiye-customs-union-us-china.md): Another seismic week in transatlantic trade policy. Whilst the EU yesterday tabled a new list of products to hit with tariffs should negotiations with Washington yield no result, the UK became the first country to agree a ‘trade deal’ with the White House. Also this week – the EU's trade commissioner visited Singapore and Japan, the European Parliament adopted a report on relations with Türkiye, and EU businesses in China say they are suffering due to the US-China trade spat.
- [US secures beef, ethanol exports to UK in first Trump 2.0 tariff deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/08/us-secures-beef-ethanol-exports-to-uk-in-one-of-first-trump-trade-deals.md): The United Kingdom and the United States sealed a new trade agreement which will remove some trade barriers imposed by president Donald Trump in February and April – as well as creating some genuinely new market access opportunities. London has secured major US concessions on exports of steel and aluminium, as part of a limited deal which is heavily focused on tariffs on goods.
- [FDI screening: European Parliament vote sets stage for clash with EU capitals](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/08/fdi-screening-european-parliament-vote-sets-stage-for-clash-with-eu-capitals.md): The European Parliament plenary adopted its position on the proposed revision to the EU’s rules on inward investment screening, setting the scene for challenging negotiations with more reluctant member states this year.
- [WTO Corner: Paraguay joins MPIA, MC14 agenda](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/08/wto-corner-paraguay-joins-mpia-mc14-agenda.md): A few news nuggets from the WTO this week: Paraguay is joining the alternative WTO appeals mechanism MPIA and members are starting to think about the next ministerial conference.
- [Commission draws up list of US products for EU counter tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/08/commission-draws-up-list-of-us-products-for-eu-counter-tariffs.md): On the day its neighbour, the United Kingdom, is set to announce a “deal” with the Trump administration, the European Commission released a long-announced list of trade retaliatory measures should its ongoing negotiations with Washington to remove existing and threatened tariffs fail.
- [UK, Türkiye upgrade TBT rules, resume free trade deal talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/07/uk-turkiye-upgrade-tbt-rules-resume-free-trade-deal-talks.md): The United Kingdom and Türkiye agreed to incorporate updated rules on technical barriers to trade into their bilateral trade agreement and confirmed the full resumption of negotiations to upgrade more broadly their existing free trade agreement.
- [EU, Ukraine explore transitional trade measures as June deadline looms](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/07/eu-ukraine-explore-transitional-trade-measures-as-june-deadline-looms.md): The European Commission and Ukraine are considering transitional trade measures to implement from 6 June when the EU's autonomous trade measures for Ukrainian imports expire, the EU executive said today.
- [Main elements of the new UK-India free trade accord](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/06/main-elements-of-the-new-uk-india-free-trade-accord.md): The UK and India concluded a bilateral free trade agreement that significantly cuts in tariffs on goods trade between the two countries. The deal was announced this afternoon, following several days of intensive negotiations last week between British and Indian officials.
- [EU, Côte d’Ivoire launch sustainable investment talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/06/eu-cote-divoire-launch-sustainable-investment-talks.md): The European Union and Côte d’Ivoire launched negotiations on a sustainable investment facilitation agreement.
- [EU UK reset: MEPs call for SPS deal, EU moves on professional qualifications](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/06/eu-uk-reset-meps-call-for-sps-deal-eu-moves-on-professional-qualifications.md): Senior members of the European Parliament said they see "substantial strategic potential" in pursuing a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement – one of the UK's main demands from the upcoming ‘reset’ negotiations. The EU is also moving to ease mutual recognition of professional qualifications from outside the EU.
- [Week Ahead: EU UK, EU US, WTO agriculture retreat](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/05/week-ahead-eu-uk-eu-us-wto-agriculture-retreat.md): We are looking to one of those typical packed short May weeks held in between the many holidays the month offers to Europeans. On Friday is Europe Day and the European Commission won’t be working while today is bank holiday in the United Kingdom. These are ideal weeks for strategising in Brussels and Geneva. By Iana Dreyer and Chris Horseman.
- [UK gains partial victory in EU sandeel fishing dispute](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/02/uk-gains-partial-victory-in-eu-sandeel-fishing-dispute.md): The UK has declared victory in a case brought against it by the EU under the dispute settlement provisions of the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement. A tribunal rejected most of the claims advanced by the European Commission that the UK was unjustified in banning fishing for sandeel in English waters.
- [Week in Brussels: India, US-Ukraine critical minerals deal, trade defence expiry reviews](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/02/week-in-brussels-india-us-ukraine-critical-minerals-deal-ecj-on-trade-defence-expiry-reviews.md): This week the main trade policy focus of the European Union has been on trying to strategise vis-à-vis the United States. But India too is a major priority for EU trade officials and business and so are critical minerals in Ukraine and trade defence. More on all these three items below.
- [Editor’s Take: EU loses steam in its trade plans vis-à-vis United States](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/02/editors-take-eu-loses-steam-in-its-trade-plans-vis-a-vis-united-states.md): The European Commission is quietly ditching anti-coercion trade plans in response to US trade hostility and is coming up with old ideas with little chances of succeeding. Reality is kicking in.
- [Week in London: UK-Canada, sandeel, Trade Remedies Authority](https://borderlex.net/2025/05/01/week-in-london-uk-canada-sandeel-trade-remedies-authority.md): UK trade watchers are awaiting the outcome of negotiations on a new free trade agreement with India, after both sides indicated that a deal was close. Meanwhile, the election this week of a former Bank of England governor as Canada’s new prime minister may offer new hope for a rapprochement in the trade relationship between London and Ottawa. There was still no verdict in the first arbitration case under the EU-UK dispute settlement process, and new co-chief executives were appointed at the UK Trade Remedies Authority.
- [UK and India close to announcing free trade deal](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/30/uk-and-india-close-to-announcing-free-trade-deal.md): Piyush Goyal’s visit to London this week has proven fruitful as India and the United Kingdom appear to be closing in on negotiations towards a bilateral free trade agreement. Indian trade negotiators will be following in the footsteps of their minister in the second half of this week to iron out some of the outstanding issues, which, Borderlex understands, include highly sensitive topics.
- [US places Mexico on intellectual property ‘priority watch list’](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/29/us-places-mexico-on-intellectual-property-priority-watch-list.md): The United States placed Mexico on its 'priority watch list' for infringements on intellectual property rules. Mexico was elevated to high priority status in Washington's so-called Special 301 report, which identifies barriers to US trade interests in the area of IP.
- [EU auditors: chip production hobbled by export controls, raw materials dependence](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/29/eu-chip-production-hobbled-by-export-controls-and-raw-materials-dependence-says-auditors-report.md): The European Court of Auditors said EU dependence on raw materials imports and export controls by EU member states and third countries prevent the bloc from reaching its chip production goals.
- [EU procurement preferences: Brussels mulls sector-specific approach](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/29/eu-procurement-preferences-brussels-mulls-sector-specific-approach.md): The European Commission is considering obliging European authorities to give preferences to European companies when awarding projects in sensitive sectors as part of an overhaul the bloc’s public procurement rules due next year.
- [Week Ahead: EU-US, India, UK sandeel dispute, EU procurement, Australia](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/28/week-ahead-eu-us-eu-india-uk-sandeel-dispute-eu-procurement-australia.md): Despite a holiday in many European countries this Thursday 1 May, we can expect policies in Europe trade to make some headway under pressure of geopolitics. This week's sneak peak by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [EU-UK reset: geopolitical challenges drive closer alignment](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/25/eu-uk-reset-geopolitical-challenges-drive-closer-alignment.md): The geopolitical stars are aligning for a reset of the relationship between the EU and the UK. Energy, carbon pricing and food standards are among the key deliverables on the trade front that one may expect in the coming months.
- [Week in Brussels – China sanctions vs CAI, trade defence duties on industrial products](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/25/week-in-brussels-china-sanctions-vs-cai-trade-defence-duties-on-industrial-products.md): The week after Easter provided Brussels with a moment to breathe after a frantic few months. However, what emerged is rather interesting: China is set to lift its sanctions on four members of the European Parliament enacted in 2021 : whether that helps revive the still-born investment agreement CAI is another matter. The EU appealed a case it has lost against Chinese intellectual property court practices, initiating the WTO's second MPIA case. The commission also announced provisional anti-dumping duties against ‘steel track shoes’ and definitive countervailing duties on mobile access equipment: from China.
- [UK CBAM legislation leaves door open for EU carbon price link](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/25/uk-cbam-legislation-leaves-door-opens-for-eu-carbon-price-link.md): The British government has published a first draft of its legislation to implement a carbon border adjustment mechanism – or CBAM. The text confirms the product groups in scope of the CBAM - aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, iron and steel. It also sets out the operational details for calculating and levying the charge.
- [Week in London: Edging towards an EU reset, sustainable aviation fuel](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/24/week-in-london-edging-towards-an-eu-reset-sustainable-aviation-fuel.md): By Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer. It’s a short and quiet-ish post-Easter week in London. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves was in Washington announcing new turns in British trade policy. Keir Starmer hosted European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to talk energy, but to also consolidate the ongoing EU-UK post-Brexit relationship 'reset', along the lines that Borderlex already saw coming in February. More on this from us very shortly.
- [Perspectives – De minimis: European politicians forget consumers, SMEs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/24/perspectives-de-minimis-european-politicians-forget-consumers-small-businesses.md): Ongoing policy debates in Brussels, London and elsewhere about the de minimis customs duty exemption are almost entirely focused on ending abuses from a few predominantly Chinese companies. But the millions of small business and consumers who will lose out by simply abolishing it are barely being considered.
- [UK to strengthen trade defence and reform ‘de minimis’ tariff regime](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/24/uk-to-strengthen-trade-defence-and-reform-de-minimis-tariff-regime.md): The United Kingdom will beef up its trade defence regime in anticipation of an expected flood of goods diverted as a result of high US and Chinese tariffs.
- [MEPs at odds over corporate sustainability due diligence directive revision](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/23/european-parliament-political-groups-at-odds-over-due-diligence-revision.md): The European Parliament’s rapporteur for the EU’s corporate sustainability due diligence directive is in favour of rolling back the law's requirements to ease the burden on businesses. But the centre-left Socialists and Democrats see the proposals as “fundamentally flawed”.
- [EU appeals China WTO panel to MPIA](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/23/eu-appeals-china-wto-panel-to-mpia.md): The European Union appealed against a WTO ruling on China's intellectual property rights system, claiming that it does not give European companies adequate protection against piracy by Chinese operators. The case will be the second one heard by the alternative appeals mechanism in the WTO known under the acronym MPIA.
- [Enlightened interest: the EU should support poor countries hit by Trump tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/23/enlightened-interest-the-eu-should-support-poor-countries-hit-by-trump-tariffs.md): Ursula von der Leyen’s initial reaction to Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariffs included acknowledging their severe impacts on the world’s poorest countries. But the European Commission has since then failed to develop a concrete plan to show solidarity. ***
- [Think Tank: Economic and political fallout of the Trump tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/22/think-tank-economic-and-political-fallout-of-the-trump-tariffs.md): Economic and financial policy makers are in Washington this week for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings. It goes without saying that Donald Trump’s tariff policy is on everyone’s mind.
- [Week in Brussels: Singapore, China, export controls](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/18/week-in-brussels-singapore-china-export-controls.md): The EU-US trade spat rumbles on. The EU trade commissioner was in Washington for the third time in three months this week, but had little to show for his efforts. But there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. "There will be a trade deal, 100%," Donald Trump said following his meeting with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni yesterday in reference to a possible EU-US pact. "But it will be a fair deal,” said the president. Elsewhere EU member states this week approved the signing of the EU-Singapore digital trade agreement, whilst the European Commission pushed for more coordination across the bloc on export controls. EU companies in China continue to suffer from the country’s “Made in China 2025” initiative, according to a report by the European Chamber of Commerce.
- [Week in London: EU-UK anti-dumping case, Trump retaliation](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/17/week-in-london-eu-uk-anti-dumping-case-trump-retaliation.md): The UK’s attention this week has been focused on steel, and on extraordinary steps taken by the government to defend one of Britain’s last remaining steelworks from a ‘sabotaging’ Chinese owner. Britain also suspended tariffs on 89 new product lines – none of which, of course, included steel. Also this week: Britain announced its first anti-dumping duties on an EU member state exporter, and business and trade committee Liam Byrne attacked the government’s ‘wholly impractical’ consultation process for possible countermeasures against US tariffs.
- [WTO: Global trade to shrink in 2025 as tariffs bite](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/16/wto-global-trade-to-shrink-in-2025-as-tariffs-bite.md): Global trade in goods will shrink in 2025 as a direct result of the new United States' tariffs and the international reaction to them, the World Trade Organization said today. The overall year-on-year decline is projected at 0.2% – reversing a forecast from last autumn which projected growth of almost 3% this year. Moreover, the situation could still get worse.
- [Commission to cut red tape around deforestation law](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/16/commission-to-cut-red-tape-around-deforestation-law.md)
- [Maroš Šefčovič in Washington: no signs of EU US trade deal yet](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/15/maros-sefcovic-in-washington-no-signs-of-deal-yet.md): The European Commission said that “significant joint efforts” will be needed if the EU and United States are to reach a trade truce in the next three months. The comments follow yesterday’s meeting in Washington between EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
- [Zero sum games – Why the EU’s US zero-for-zero tariff deal won’t work](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/14/zero-sum-games-why-the-eus-us-zero-for-zero-tariff-deal-wont-work.md): The EU is right to signal readiness to negotiate a tariff agreement with the United States. But it should not rush, sharpen its retaliatory knives in the meantime and intensify trade cooperation with others.
- [Steel ‘sabotage’ row throws spotlight on UK-China relations](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/14/steel-sabotage-row-throws-spotlight-on-uk-china-relations.md): The UK's trade and investment relationship with China came under strain this weekend after government ministers effectively accused Beijing of seeking to sabotage a Chinese-owned steel plant in the British town of Scunthorpe. Prime minister Keir Starmer took the extraordinary step of recalling the UK government on Saturday (12 April) to pass emergency legislation to take control of the British Steel plant.
- [UK suspends tariffs on 89 agri-food and construction products](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/14/uk-suspends-tariffs-on-89-agri-food-and-construction-products.md): The British government announced a two-year suspension of tariffs on 89 new product lines, in a move which is anticipated to deliver a relatively modest £17 million boost to business. The suspensions were agreed as part of a regular annual review of tariffs on some less economically sensitive products.
- [Lost with the US tariffs? Join the next WITA Academy on Wednesday: US tariffs and responses](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/14/lost-with-the-us-tariffs-join-the-next-wita-academy-on-wednesday-us-tariffs-and-responses.md): Borderlex subscribers are invited to the upcoming Washington International Trade Association Academy mini-intensive trade seminar on tariffs. There is a special deal on offer for Borderlex readers and it’s free for government and EU institution staff members. When: 16 April 2025 at 9:00 – 12:15 (EST) Where: Online Register here!
- [Delay to EU due diligence rules on track after member state vote](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/14/delay-to-eu-due-diligence-rules-on-track-after-member-state-vote.md): EU member states approved the European Commission’s proposal to postpone by one year the application dates for the bloc’s corporate sustainability due diligence directive. Today’s vote marked the final stage in the legislative process after the European Parliament also backed a so-called “stop the clock” mechanism on 3 April.
- [Fortnight Ahead: WTO trade outlook, EU-US, EU Indonesia, CBAM](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/14/fortnight-ahead-wto-trade-outlook-eu-us-eu-indonesia-cbam.md): Over the week-end, the Trump administration managed to stun the world once again by backtracking – temporarily it said – on the sky-high 125% tariffs on imports of electronic products such as computers and smartphones it introduced on China. So what next in Europe? Perhaps the US will find out that the rest of the world, including some Europeans, will move on - as shown by the sealing of the EFTA-Malaysia FTA on Friday last week. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman. ** Due to the Easter holiday on Monday 21 April, this edition of Week Ahead covers the next two weeks. We will our resume normal weekly Monday Week Ahead previews on 28 April***
- [EFTA, Malaysia seal trade pact after decade-long talks](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/11/efta-malaysia-seal-trade-pact-after-decade-long-talks.md): The European Free Trade Agreement countries and Malaysia have concluded a trade deal following more than ten years of negotiations. The agreement includes several firsts for EFTA, including government procurement commitments with an Asian partner.
- [Week in Brussels: UAE, Mercosur, Thailand, industrial dialogues, TDI](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/11/week-in-brussels-uae-mercosur-thailand-industrial-dialogues-tdi.md): It’s been a momentous week for world trade and European trade. On Wednesday (9 April) the US’ 20% so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on EU imports went into force – only for US president Donald Trump to bring this rate to the new US baseline of 10% for a 90-day “pause” the very next day. The EU responded by pausing for 90 days its own retaliatory tariffs which were aimed at responding against Washington’s steel and aluminium tariffs from March – which are still in place. It’s easy to get confused in the maelstrom that is EU-US trade relations and lose sight of other developments. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [Von der Leyen embraces idea of CPTPP rapprochement](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/11/von-der-leyen-embraces-idea-of-cptpp-rapprochement.md): Trade policy wonks of various hues – from former trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström who wants the EU to join it, to to former transatlantic European Commission negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero – have been calling on the EU to work more closely with members of the CPTPP to advance and buttress rules-based international trade. Indeed our very own David Henig called this week on the EU to lead a conversation with the CPTPP members. The EU is certainly not leading on this. But Brussels is now officially seeking a rapprochement of a group of countries that is made up of Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
- [Week in London: EU-UK reset, UK-Korea, Illinois](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/10/week-in-london-eu-uk-reset-uk-korea-illinois.md): In another momentous week for international trade, the focus in the UK was divided between Washington and the upcoming EU-UK ‘reset’ talks. The changed international trade environment should provide a strong impetus towards fresh thinking on EU alignment, in the view of the Commons’ business and trade committee. Also this week: Britain reported progress in FTA talks with South Korea, and sealed a new memorandum of understanding with the US state of Illinois.
- [Perspectives: Brussels needs to convene a Conversation of the Willing](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/10/perspectives-brussels-needs-to-convene-a-conversation-of-the-willing.md): Trump has paused his tariff barrage. He nonetheless harbours a destructive intent towards world trade rules. Leaders from relatively like-minded countries must set out a better vision – with Europe leading.
- [EU customs reform: member states eye end-June agreement on file](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/10/eu-customs-reform-member-states-eye-end-june-agreement-on-file.md): The Polish presidency is aiming to reach an agreement in council on the EU’s customs reform at the meeting of EU finance ministers on 20 June, Borderlex has learnt.
- [Commission welcomes US pause on ‘reciprocal’ tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/10/commission-welcomes-us-pause-on-reciprocal-tariffs.md): European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed an announcement late yesterday by United States president Donald Trump pausing the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs for 90 days, describing it as “an important step towards stabilising the global economy”. The EU has since paused its retaliatory tariffs against the US’ steel and aluminium duties which were due to come on stream from next week.
- [BLOG – German coalition deal: little appetite for EU-US trade confrontation](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/10/blog-german-coalition-deal-little-appetite-for-eu-us-trade-confrontation.md): Germany will have a new government after general elections held in February…. soon. The winning centre-right CDU and its twin Bavarian CSU party clinched a coalition agreement on Wednesday (9 April), with the centre-left SPD. The latter will now be a junior member of the party and no longer provide ...
- [EFTA, Ukraine ink modernised trade agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/09/efta-ukraine-ink-modernised-trade-agreement.md): The European Free Trade Association signed a modernised trade agreement with Ukraine yesterday in Kyiv. The move enhances the provisions of their existing accord from 2010. Here's what they parties agreed.
- [US tariffs: First EU retaliation move kicks off lengthy response process](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/09/us-tariffs-first-eu-retaliation-move-kicks-off-lengthy-response-process.md): The European Union is going slowly in responding to US tariffs. Almost one month after the United States reintroduced and expanded tariffs on steel and aluminium initially enacted in 2018 but suspended in 2021, Brussels finally agreed on its response in a member state committee this afternoon.
- [WTO members to consult on Trump tariff challenge](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/09/wto-members-to-consult-on-trump-tariff-challenge.md)
- [European Commission prepares for China import surge as US tariffs set to bite](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/08/european-commission-prepares-for-china-import-surge-as-us-tariffs-set-to-bite.md): The European Commission and China agreed to set up a mechanism to monitor trade diversion amid fears that the United States’ tariffs would result in a surge of Chinese imports redirected to the EU.
- [China launches WTO challenge against US ‘reciprocal’ tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/08/china-launches-wto-challenge-against-us-reciprocal-tariffs.md): China initiated a legal challenge against the US's so-called 'reciprocal' tariff regime, calling it "a clear breach of its WTO obligations and commitments".
- [FDI screening: MEPs vote for greater EU powers, expanded sector scope](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/08/fdi-screening-meps-vote-for-greater-eu-powers-expanded-sector-scope.md): The European Parliament wants to give the European Commission the power to overrule member state decisions allowing investments into the bloc when the EU executive considers them a risk to EU security. In a report adopted today with 31 votes in favour, 7 against and with 3 abstentions on the commission’s proposal to update the current investment screening rules, the international trade committee said that where there are disagreements between member states and the commission, the EU executive should be “empowered” to take the final decision.
- [Canada takes US to WTO over auto tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/07/canada-takes-us-to-wto-over-auto-tariffs.md): Canada launched a WTO dispute settlement case against the US's imposition of 25% tariffs on imports of cars and car parts. The move represents Ottawa's third legal challenge against the US in the space of a month.
- [EU struggles to portray unity as bloc mulls response to Trump tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/07/eu-struggles-to-portray-unity-as-bloc-mulls-response-to-trump-tariffs.md): As EU trade ministers gathered in Luxembourg this morning to consider their response to the onslaught of US tariffs, all the talk was on the need to “ensure EU unity”. According to Polish economy minister Michal Baranowski, the goal of today’s meeting was to “get a good sense from member states” on the way forward, “preserve unity, and give clear direction to commission on their talks with US”. But dig a little deeper and it’s clear that within the council, there are stark divisions.
- [Week Ahead: Trump response, China, Ukraine and more](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/07/week-ahead-trump-response-china-ukraine-and-more.md): The United States will be a focus across the EU institutions following US president Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs last week. But China, Ukraine and EU UK relations will also feature top of the agenda.
- [WTO Corner: Okonjo-Iweala on tariffs, EU-China to use MPIA](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/04/wto-corner-okonjo-iweala-on-tariffs-eu-china-to-use-mpia.md): This week in Geneva: WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned of the deep impact of the US tariffs, and urged members to exercise restraint. Also: the EU and China referred a dispute settlement case to independent arbitration.
- [Week in Brussels: EU-US, due diligence, EESC](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/04/week-in-brussels-eu-us-due-diligence-eesc.md): It’s been a pivotal week for global trade, with Donald Trump's announcement of what he terms “reciprocal” tariffs. Borderlex’s coverage covered the immediate reaction, the next steps and the responses from the UK and the European Free Trade Association. Last night EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič vowed to work “round the clock” to reach a deal with the US, whilst remaining prepared to introduce additional countermeasures. In other news, the European Parliament agreed to move back the application dates for the new corporate sustainability due diligence rules and the European Economic and Social Committee adopted an opinion on the EU’s future trade policy.
- [ACCTS-ion on trade and the environment comes to Brussels](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/04/accts-ion-on-trade-and-the-environment-comes-to-brussels.md): On “the morning after” Trump’s tariff announcement in Brussels the Swiss embassy in Brussels hosted an event in collaboration with Costa Rica’s and New Zealand’s envoys to the EU capital on a hardly-noticed international trade agreement that actually liberalises trade. It opens trade of a special kind: environmental. Welcome to ACCTS.
- [Week in London: US retaliation, steel, shellfish](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/03/week-in-london-us-retaliation-steel-shellfish.md): The turmoil unleashed by yesterday’s US tariff announcement is affecting the UK, despite Washington’s decision to apply ‘only’ the minimum 10% surcharge on British imports. Britain made clear that it would prefer negotiation with Washington over the imposition of retaliatory tariffs. But targeted retaliation is nevertheless now under consideration. Also this week: MPs urged the government to match the EU’s measures on steel safeguards, and Vietnam opened its seafood market to UK exports
- [EU response to US reciprocal tariffs: the next steps](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/03/eu-response-to-us-reciprocal-tariffs-the-next-steps.md): The European Union will approach its response to the United States’ so-called ‘reciprocal’ tariffs in a cautious and staged way, while it focuses on finalising its retaliation process for tariffs on steel and aluminium enacted by Washington last March. Here’s what to expect in the short term.
- [EFTA states stunned by US reciprocal tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/03/efta-states-stunned-by-us-reciprocal-tariffs.md): Other non-EU countries in Europe have been even harder hit by the US tariffs than the UK and EU. This caught governments by surprise. By Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [UK holds back on tariff retaliation as it pursues deal with Trump](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/03/uk-holds-back-on-tariff-retaliation-as-it-pursues-deal-with-trump.md): Prime minister Keir Starmer stressed that "nothing is off the table" in terms of the UK's response to the tariffs imposed yesterday by the United States. Britain is making clear its preference for continuing negotiations over retaliatory action if at all possible.
- [EU plans countermeasures against Trump’s tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/03/eu-plans-countermeasures-against-trumps-tariffs.md): The EU is preparing further counter measures against the United States following Donald Trump’s imposition of a so-called “reciprocal” 20% tariff on EU imports last night. European businesses also expressed concern about the tariffs which they say could lead to economic uncertainty and job cuts.
- [UPDATED: News alert: US hits Europeans with so-called reciprocal tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/02/news-alert-us-hits-europeans-with-so-called-reciprocal-tariffs.md): The president of the United States has unveiled his long-announced plans to introduce so-called reciprocal tariffs on the world. These tariff levels are differentiated across countries, and calculated on an undisclosed basis that includes perceived discriminatory treatment of US businesses.
- [WTO Corner: fish ministerial, new agriculture chair, GPA accession](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/02/wto-corner-fish-ministerial-new-agriculture-chair-gpa-accession.md): While the world awaits the latest tariff pronouncements from Washington, the work of the various WTO committees continues. Plans for a mini-ministerial to discuss fisheries subsidies have been shelved. But the WTO agriculture committee appointed a new chair, while two new countries are moving closer to acceding to the organization’s government procurement agreement.
- [“All instruments on the table” says von der Leyen as EU mulls response to US tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/04/01/all-instruments-on-the-table-says-von-der-leyen-as-eu-mulls-response-to-us-tariffs.md): The European Commission president said that “all instruments are on the table” as the EU considers its response to current and future tariffs announced by United States president Donald Trump.
- [COMMENT – EU China: The light that fails?](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/31/comment-eu-china-the-light-that-fails.md): What can we expect from EU China relations in the wake of the US’ tariff war? Much hangs in the balance. *** EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič touched down in Brussels after a short and intense first visit to China to reset EU-China trade relations. Was he successful? We should ...
- [Week Ahead: US tariffs, EU China, EU Thailand, WTO agriculture](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/31/week-ahead-us-tariffs-eu-china-eu-thailand-wto-agriculture.md): Good morning. This is the week the United States is expected to unleash a global tariff war. The nature and extent of any response from Brussels, London is yet unclear. By Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [Introducing Borderlex’s Data Hub](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/28/introducing-borderlexs-data-hub-2.md): Have you tested our Data Hub yet? You no longer need to hunt through multiple sources, get everything from the latest anti-dumping notice to MEP amendments and think tank reports all in one place! Our data hub is a one-stop shop to access trade policy documents and data relevant to the Borderlex galaxy, i.e. trade policy in Europe.
- [Week in Brussels: US, Canada, due diligence, VAT Fraud](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/28/week-in-brussels-us-canada-due-diligence-vat-fraud.md): The EU was still consulting on the scope of its planned retaliation vis-à-vis the United States steel and aluminium tariffs when US president Donald Trump announced on Wednesday additional duties on imported cars and car parts of 25%. The chair of the European Parliament’s international trade committee said this week that Brussels should consider hitting US digital services to arrive at a “negotiated outcome” with Washington. Also this week, Canada’s chief trade commissioner was in Brussels to promote the country’s trade agreement with the EU, EU member states backed a delay to the bloc’s corporate sustainability due diligence rules, and the European Court of Auditors published a report on VAT fraud on imports.
- [Alarm bells in Geneva as US withholds WTO funding](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/27/alarm-bells-in-geneva-as-us-withholds-wto-funding.md): The United States has yet to pay its financial contributions to the World Trade Organization for 2024, according to media reports today. There is no clarity to date around the motivation for Washington’s move to withhold payment.
- [Week in London: Meat imports from Germany, NI parcels, tariff lifting](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/27/week-in-london-meat-imports-from-germany-ni-parcels-tariff-lifting.md): The UK followed the example of the EU this week in seeking to shore up its tariff rate quota system for steel imports. Also this week: meat and dairy imports from Germany will resume after the UK accepted the principle of ‘regionalisation’ following a German animal disease outbreak.
- [US reprimands WTO secretariat over public engagement](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/27/us-reprimands-wto-secretariat-over-public-engagement.md): The United States accused the WTO secretariat of going beyond its remit in its activities to promote global free trade.
- [European automotive suppliers see existential threat from US auto tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/27/european-automotive-suppliers-see-existential-threat-from-us-auto-tariffs.md): European carmakers are “deeply concerned” by the new 25% tariffs on autos announced by United States’ president Donald Trump. Europe hopes for negotiated solution to standoff with the US, while the UK goes for restraint in its response.
- [Perspectives: EU trade policy structures are outdated](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/27/perspectives-eu-trade-policy-structures-are-outdated.md): President Trump is not the only problem for the global trade order. Traditional trade structures no longer appear fit for purpose. Rescuing world trade must start from this new reality.
- [UK expands steel quota review](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/26/uk-expands-steel-quota-review.md): The Trade Remedies Authority is expanding its review of steel tariff rate quotas to address industry concerns as the British steel sector braces for potential market turbulence.
- [EU CBAM export support plan to be ready before summer](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/26/eu-cbam-export-support-plan-to-be-ready-before-summer.md): The European Commission announced it would table a plan to help exports of products covered by the EU’s carbon border measure by this summer.
- [Interview: How Brussels can reconcile free trade deals with its sustainability agenda](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/26/interview-how-brussels-can-reconcile-free-trade-deals-with-its-sustainability-agenda.md): The current geopolitical environment is obliging the European Union to take closer look at the interlinkages between its unilateral trade measures and its broader international trade goals and free trade agreements.
- [Commission tightens noose on steel safeguard](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/25/commission-tightens-noose-on-steel-safeguard.md): The European Commission tightened its current steel safeguard, less than two weeks after new US steel tariffs were enacted. This precedes a move to make current levels of steel market protection permanent.
- [WTO Corner: Canada-China litigation and more](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/24/wto-corner-canada-china-litigation-and-more.md): The WTO’s dispute settlement body’s caseload is rising, as the tariffs and countermeasures proliferate.
- [Alert: EU trade chief travelling to meet US counterparts](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/24/alert-eu-trade-chief-travelling-to-meet-us-counterparts.md): EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is travelling to the United States to meet with commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. A European Commission spokesperson said the visit, which appears to have been organised at short notice, is "a continuation of our engagement with the US administration".
- [EU joins Canada’s WTO case against US steel and aluminium tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/24/eu-joins-canadas-case-against-us-steel-and-aluminium-tariffs.md): The European Commission has requested to join the WTO dispute filed by Canada against the United States' steel and aluminium tariffs. Borderlex understands that the EU is also in dialogue with Canada to align some of the US northern neighbour's retaliatory duties as it prepares to retaliate itself mid April.
- [Week Ahead: China, EU-US](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/24/week-ahead-china-eu-us.md): A preview of the week ahead in European trade policy by Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: Ukraine, Australia, civil society in trade deals, TDI](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/21/week-in-brussels-ukraine-australia-civil-society-in-trade-deals-tdi.md): As trade tensions with the United States and China rumble on, the EU’s efforts to diversify its trade relations are showing mixed results. Whilst talks with Thailand are showing progress, negotiations with India are proving extremely challenging. It remains unclear what the EU’s trade relations with Ukraine will look like after 6 June. MEP Kelly wants a trade deal with Australia, things are complicated with Vietnam and EU TDI action targeting China rumbles on. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in London: UK-US, trade remedies, developing countries](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/20/week-in-london-uk-us-trade-remedies-developing-countries.md): UK ministers launched a charm offensive this week with senior members of the Trump administration in a continuing attempt to stave off the worst effects of the impending trade war between the US and Europe. The moves came as London prepares for its much vaunted ‘reset’ of relations with the EU. Also this week: the Trade Remedies Authority initiated its 43rd and final review of an EU-era trade defence measure, and London promised more guidance for businesses exporting under the developing countries trading scheme.
- [Commission postpones first tranche of retaliatory tariffs on US](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/20/commission-postpones-first-tranche-of-retaliatory-tariffs-on-us.md): The EU is postponing applying a first set of tariffs on the United States which were due to snap back on 1 April to mid-April.
- [Comment: UK and EU diverge on priorities for post-Brexit ‘reset’](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/20/comment-uk-and-eu-diverge-on-priorities-for-post-brexit-reset.md): There is full agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU that their trade relationship is special and should be deepened further. But views diverge in London and Brussels on what the priorities for a ‘reset’ should be.
- [EU mulls ‘recalibration’ of India FTA as year-end deadline looms](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/20/eu-mulls-recalibration-of-india-fta-as-year-end-deadline-looms.md): The EU needs to “stop the tactical games” and “make difficult decisions” if it is to conclude talks on a trade agreement with India by the end of the year, said the European Commission’s chief trade negotiator.
- [EU, Thailand set end-2025 deadline for FTA – but obstacles remain](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/19/thailand-set-end-2025-deadline-for-fta-but-obstacles-remain.md): Thailand wants to conclude negotiations with the EU on a free trade agreement by the end of the year. Ahead of a first exchange of market access offers, the challenges to get there are high.
- [Blog: The key trade measures foreseen in the EU’s metals action plan](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/19/blog-the-key-trade-measures-foreseen-in-the-eus-metals-action-plan.md): The European Commission’s pre-announced ‘European Steel and Metals Action Plan’ released today consolidates policy trends and announcements made over recent weeks. The aim is to keep the metals sector in the EU afloat, including steel and aluminium, amidst a set of crises afflicting the sector - all this combined with effective lobbying. Note that this is also about securing copper, nickel and other critical material supply chains. So these are the protectionist - sorry I meant "protective" - trade measures in the pipeline.
- [WTO: China targets perceived political decision behind Brussels EV duties](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/19/wto-china-targets-perceived-political-decision-behind-brussels-ev-duties.md): China is definitively litigating at the WTO against the European Union’s electric vehicle countervailing duties enacted last summer following a rare investigation ordered from the very top of the commission without a previous complaint from industry.
- [WTO: US invokes national security in defence of new China, Canada tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/19/wto-us-invokes-national-security-in-defence-of-new-china-canada-tariffs.md): The United States said tariffs it imposed on China and Canada are a matter of 'national security', and therefore not susceptible to challenge in the WTO's dispute settlement body.
- [Commission to table support for exporters under CBAM this year](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/18/commission-to-table-support-for-exporters-under-cbam-this-year.md): The European Commission will table a legislative proposal later this year to support EU exporters in the context of its carbon border measure, a senior commission official said today.
- [EU irritates auto industry with aluminium wheels anti-subsidy duties](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/17/eu-irritates-auto-industry-with-aluminium-wheels-anti-subsidy-duties.md): The European Commission announced that it was implementing anti-subsidy duties of up to 31.4% on imports of aluminium wheels from Morocco.
- [Week Ahead: EU-US, EU Ukraine, WTO, EU-UK](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/17/week-ahead-eu-us-eu-ukraine-wto-eu-uk.md): Europe-US relations will feature highly on Brussels’ minds this week. And not only on Brussels' minds. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: South Africa, Thailand, Türkiye](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/14/week-in-brussels-south-africa-thailand-turkiye.md): In a week when transatlantic trade tensions came to the fore, the EU has been keen to demonstrate its willingness to diversify its trade relations and ‘de-risk’ away from the United States. *** Don’t forget to explore Borderlex’s new Data Hub! If you want of find out how it works, do request a demo at events@borderlex.net *** The European Commission launched talks on a new clean tech partnership and a deal on critical minerals with South Africa. The European Parliament called on the commission to “leverage” its trade negotiations with Thailand to reform what it terms “repressive laws” in the country, and a well-respected think tank wants the EU and Türkiye to expand their customs union.
- [Comment: EU tariff retaliation against US challenges Northern Ireland](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/14/comment-eu-retaliation-poses-challenges-for-northern-ireland.md): The UK’s decision not to impose retaliatory measures against the United States’ new steel and aluminium tariffs could create a fresh set of difficulties for Northern Ireland.
- [In brief: Canada launches new WTO challenge against US steel tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/13/in-brief-canada-launches-new-wto-challenge-against-us-steel-tariffs.md): Canada launched its second WTO dispute procedure against the United States in the space of a week, this time targeting Washington’s steel and aluminium tariffs.
- [Week in London: ETS linkage, meat import ban, chamois leather](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/13/week-in-london-ets-linkage-meat-import-ban-chamois-leather.md): In a turbulent week for global trade, the UK opted not to retaliate against the US’s imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminium exports. Also this week: London dropped another strong hint that it is pushing to align its emissions trading scheme with that of the EU, an SPS ban on German meat imports was extended to two additional EU countries and anti-dumping duties on Chinese chamois leather were dropped.
- [European industries fear becoming “collateral damage” in EU-US tariff war](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/13/european-industries-fear-becoming-collateral-damage-in-eu-us-tariff-war.md): European industries worry about becoming “collateral damage” as the trade dispute between the European Union and the United States escalates. From spirits and wine to aluminium and other industries: business is dismayed.
- [Blog: China’s expanded WTO challenge against Canadian electric vehicle tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/13/blog-chinas-expanded-wto-challenge-against-canadian-electric-vehicle-tariffs.md): Amidst all the turmoil in global trade raised by the United States’ tariff war, one news item may have flown under the radar this week: China updated its initial WTO challenge against Canada to include Ottawa’s planned tariffs on batteries, semiconductors, solar panels and critical minerals. Rather ironically, given the cross-border trade dispute currently raging between Ottawa and Washington, the Canadian measures against China are widely perceived to have been taken to align Canadian policy with that of the US.
- [United Kingdom opts not to retaliate against US steel tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/12/united-kingdom-opts-not-to-retaliate-against-us-steel-tariffs.md): The United Kingdom decided not to join with the EU in imposing retaliatory tariffs on US imports, following Washington’s move overnight to apply a 25% tax on all steel and aluminium imports as it hopes to conclude an economic agreement with Washington.
- [European Union retaliates following expanded US metals tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/12/european-union-retaliates-following-expanded-us-metals-tariffs.md): The European Commission responded promptly to the United States’ tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminium which came into effect at 5am Brussels time. Old and new tariffs on a range of industrial and food products are due to come into effect in April.
- [In brief: EU and South Africa to launch talks on clean investment, raw materials](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/11/in-brief-eu-and-south-africa-to-launch-talks-on-clean-investment-raw-materials.md)
- [Introducing Borderlex’s Data Hub](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/11/introducing-borderlexs-data-hub.md): Save time searching for documents! Welcome to the Borderlex Data Hub. Our data hub is a one-stop shop to access trade policy documents and data relevant to the Borderlex galaxy, i.e. trade policy in Europe.
- [EU and Korea agree digital trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/10/eu-and-korea-agree-digital-trade-pact.md): The EU and South Korea concluded negotiations on a digital trade agreement. The agreement, which will be annexed to the 2010 EU-Korea trade agreement, will “have a positive impact on everyday life in Europe”, said EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
- [Borderlex Data Hub](https://borderlex.net/borderlex-data-hub.md)
- [Week Ahead: Steel and aluminium tariffs, EU and Korea, South Africa, India, UK alignment](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/10/week-ahead-steel-and-aluminium-tariffs-eu-and-korea-south-africa.md): Let's brace for an intense and another rough week in European trade. By Iana Dreyer and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: A week under the American shadow](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/07/week-in-brussels-a-week-under-the-american-shadow.md): This week has all been about the transatlantic question. With a new softwood plywood anti-dumping case targeting Brazil for those who seek distraction.
- [Perspectives: handling Trump – lessons from Brexit](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/07/perspectives-handling-trump-lessons-from-brexit.md): With Trump’s United States, the EU is facing a second, much more perilous populist threat to its existence after Brexit. However, there are lessons to be learned from the UK’s departure. Sticking to one’s principles, laws and values whilst keeping civil is one recipe that can help Europe get over ...
- [Week in London: steel tariffs, Japan, treaty ratification](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/06/week-in-london-steel-tariffs-japan-treaty-ratification.md): Britain is continuing to put its faith in transatlantic diplomacy as it stares down the barrel of possible 25% tariffs being imposed on steel and aluminium exports to the US next week. Also this week: UK ministers sought to bolster trade links with Japan. And a House of Lords committee opened an inquiry into how the UK ratifies trade agreements.
- [Canada launches WTO challenge against Trump tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/06/canada-launches-wto-challenge-against-trump-tariffs.md): Canada initiated a WTO dispute settlement claim against the United States in response to president Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canadian exports to the US. Ottawa announced the WTO initiative late yesterday, around the same time as Trump announced that cars from Canada and Mexico would be exempted from the 25% tariffs that took effect on Tuesday (4 March).
- [Comment: A whiff of China – the trade policy dimension of the EU auto package](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/05/comment-a-whiff-of-china-the-trade-policy-dimension-of-the-eu-auto-package.md): Local content rules, joint venture-requirements, looser state aid rules. The EU is embarking on Chinese-style support for its auto industry - without the same financial clout. Your editor can't suppress a few snarky comments on this.
- [Brussels shifts to ‘first retaliate, then negotiate’ stance on US trade tensions](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/05/brussels-shifts-to-first-retaliate-then-negotiate-stance-on-us-trade-tensions.md): The EU is mulling retaliatory duties on US car parts in response to the return and expansion of steel and aluminium tariffs in Washington.
- [Event: 10th annual EFILA conference](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/04/event-10th-annual-efila-conference.md): 10th annual European Federation for Investment Law and Arbitration conference The next 10 years of investment treaty arbitration When: 29 April 2025 Where: Herbert Smith Freehills in London
- [US says patience with WTO “wearing thin”, remains engaged in reform](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/03/us-says-patience-with-wto-wearing-thin-remains-engaged-in-reform.md): The United States said that its patience with the World Trade Organization "is wearing thin" following years of dissatisfaction with its functioning. But it will continue to engage with reform efforts - for now. This is the key message of a lengthy report on the WTO published today by the US Trade Representative's office, which is built into USTR's 2025 trade policy agenda report.
- [In brief: EU announces electric vehicle battery local content requirements](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/03/in-brief-eu-announces-electric-vehicle-battery-local-content-requirements.md): It's Green Deal watering-down time. And it's matching-the-other-great-powers-in-their-protectionism time. Speaking at an automotive sector meeting hosted by her institution, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the EU would introduce local content requirements for battery production as part of the industrial policy it is rolling out in the electric vehicle sector in the name of supply chain resilience.
- [EU, India ease food trade and seek to increase supply chain resilience](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/03/eu-india-ease-food-trade-and-seek-to-increase-supply-chain-resilience.md): The European Union and India are doubling down on joint research efforts in areas related to high tech, clean tech and make trade in agri-food easier.
- [Week Ahead: Weapons and steel](https://borderlex.net/2025/03/03/week-ahead-weapons-and-steel.md): Brussels will focus on Ukraine and relatedly on Europe’s relationship with the United States this week. On Wednesday (6 March) commission president Ursula von der Leyen will present a “comprehensive plan” for the “rearmament of Europe” following an EU member state and NATO summit on Sunday hosted by London on support for Ukraine after its leader Volodymyr Zelenskly clashed with US president Donald Trump. How much this leaves space to deal with bread-and butter trade policy issues remains to be seen.
- [India to convene WTO mini-ministerial on fisheries](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/28/india-to-convene-wto-mini-ministerial-on-fisheries.md): India is making plans for a WTO mini-ministerial meeting to kickstart negotiations on fisheries subsidies. The date and format is yet to be clarified. But multiple sources in Geneva confirmed that conversations on a ministerial-level meeting were taking place. Several countries are working with India to move the idea forward.
- [Week in Brussels: Rwanda MoU, United Arab Emirates, Russian aluminium, Asian resins](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/28/week-in-brussels-rwanda-mou-united-arab-emirates-russian-aluminium-asian-resins.md): In another week of tense EU-US trade tensions, the EU is looking for alternative trading partners and has simplyfyied its green trade regulations to keep business afloat in Europe and reduce trade tensions with the rest of the world. Today the European Commission is in India, with trade on the menu and technology talks on the menu. The EU trade commissioner also held talks with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates. By Rob Francis with added input from Iana Dreyer.
- [Trump offers trade deal prospect to United Kingdom](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/28/trump-offers-trade-deal-prospect-to-united-kingdom.md): US president Donald Trump offered Keir Starmer the prospect of "a real trade deal" under which additional tariffs could be avoided. But there is no clarity on its scope nor is there a guarantee that the United Kingdom will escape tariffs in future.
- [Week in London: avoiding US tariffs, EU-UK rest](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/27/week-in-london-avoiding-us-tariffs-eu-uk-rest.md): Prime minister Keir Starmer is visiting Washington to plead the UK’s case for avoiding the tariffs the Trump administration promised. In the meantime, the UK’s agenda for its upcoming reset negotiations with the EU has become clearer. And an important bill made progress this week in a debate in the House of Lords.
- [US 25% tariff threat: EU Commission in wait-and-see mode ahead of retaliation](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/27/us-25-tariff-threat-eu-commission-in-wait-and-see-mode-ahead-of-retaliation.md): The European Commission insisted it would respond “firmly” to any tariffs announced by US president Donald Trump. But for the moment it is waiting to find out more details about a new threat of 25% tariff on EU products made in public pronouncements on Wednesday.
- [Commission reduces scope of CBAM and CSDDD in deregulation drive](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/26/commission-reduces-scope-of-cbam-and-csddd-in-deregulation-drive.md): Nearly 200,000 European businesses are to be exempted from the scope of the EU’s carbon border measures under new proposals aimed at drastically simplifying the scheme. The European Commission is also planning to lessen requirements on businesses under its corporate due diligence rules, as it tries to lighten the burden on EU businesses and breathe life back into the bloc’s economy.
- [What the EU wants on trade out of its meetings in India this week](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/25/what-the-eu-wants-on-trade-out-of-its-meetings-in-india-this-week.md): The EU is preparing a strategic agenda for India by year end. This week it will be taking stock of current trade agreement negotiations with India as 21 European commissioners fly out for the South Asian country. The two sides will also hold a new session of their Trade and Technology Council on Friday (28 February). Here is what the EU hopes to get out of the meetings.
- [Council agreement on customs reform pushed to end 2025](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/25/council-agreement-on-customs-reform-pushed-to-end-2025.md): EU member states will not reach an agreement on the EU's customs reform until the end of the year at the earliest, Borderlex has learnt. Poland aimed to agree on a council position and adopt a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament during its presidency which concludes at the end of June. Despite Warsaw's efforts, the timeline for adoption is likely to slip to the end of the year given the technicality of the talks, a council official told Borderlex.
- [Editor’s Take: The EU is fighting the last trade war with the United States](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/25/editors-take-the-eu-is-fighting-the-last-trade-war-with-the-united-states.md): The EU should quickly start looking beyond the G7 for international trade cooperation. It should ruthlessly apply its trade and regulatory rule-book and get on with signing the EU Mercosur trade pact instead of wooing the United States to sign up to a small trade deal.
- [Transatlantic consumer groups condemn US tariff threats](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/24/transatlantic-consumer-groups-condemn-us-tariff-threats.md): Consumer and digital rights groups from the EU and United States urged Brussels to resist calls to water down its digital and competition policies amid threats from Washington of “reciprocal” tariffs.
- [Week Ahead: Looking to India, TCA panel ruling, EU-Israel, EU-UAE, WTO disputes](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/24/week-ahead-looking-to-india-tca-panel-ruling-eu-israel-eu-uae-wto-disputes.md): The European Commission will digest the trip of EU trade commissioner Maros Šefčovič to Washington last week and debrief member states. While the commission made its “Trump One”-era style pitch for a trade deal that involves reciprocity, there are no indications this has been recognised by counterparts in Washington. The United Kingdom, which thus far had hoped to be spared possible Trump administration tariffs due to its relatively balanced goods trade relationship to the country is also waking up to the fact that things might be different under Trump 2.0 as the country’s reciprocal tariff plans start materialising and target UK digital taxes, value-added taxes and possibly more. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: EU-US, Russian fertiliser, AI chips, biodiesel fraud](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/21/week-in-brussels-eu-us-russian-fertiliser-ai-chips-biodiesel-fraud.md): EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič was in Washington this week meeting his counterparts in the Trump administration, the first salvo in what could be a protracted negotiation to avoid future US tariffs. Also this week – the parliament’s lead committee wants to quickly approve increased tariffs on Russian fertiliser, the commission is struggling to identify the US point-people on advanced AI chips, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office arrested suspects accused of circumventing the EU’s anti-dumping duties on biodiesel.
- [Šefčovič pitches reciprocal tariff deal to US](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/20/sefcovic-pitches-reciprocal-tariff-deal-to-us.md): The EU is ready to lower its tariffs on cars and industrial products to ward off the threat of US tariffs. But EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič warned that tariff reciprocity “must work for both”.
- [Week in London: Northern Ireland, steel strategy, China steel](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/20/week-in-london-northern-ireland-steel-strategy-china-steel.md): London is moving to the latest stage in its gradual implementation of full border controls for agri-food products imported from the EU. Also this week: the government put out a call for inputs into its upcoming steel strategy paper, and Chinese anti-dumping duties on steel were extended.
- [Blog: the not-so simple EU path towards rule simplification](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/20/blog-the-not-so-simple-eu-path-towards-rule-simplification.md): EU member states expressed opposition to a European Commission proposal to simplify business legislation including the recently adopted corporate sustainability due diligence directive.
- [WTO Corner: Six countries oppose onboarding e-commerce plurilateral](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/19/wto-corner-six-countries-oppose-onboarding-e-commerce-plurilateral.md): The WTO’s General Council met for this first time in 2025 only weeks after the inauguration of Donald Trump to the United States presidency and about one year before the next ministerial conference to be hosted in Cameroun. It started with a robust debate after China tabled an agenda item on “heightened trade turbulences and responses from the WTO”, where six members took the floor.
- [EU seeks to protect food exports from third country coercion](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/19/eu-seeks-to-protect-food-exports-from-third-country-coercion.md): The European Commission confirmed that it would seek to ensure agricultural products imported into the EU abide by the bloc’s production rules on pesticides and animal welfare. And it seeks to increase the "resilience" of this sector by reducing dependencies and shielding the sector from the effects of coercive actions by foreign powers.
- [Norway edges closer to EU amid global trade uncertainty](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/19/norway-edges-closer-to-eu-amid-global-trade-uncertainty.md): So what about Norway in the current European trade policy environment?
- [Interview – Tim Figures: an open global trade environment is a thing of the past](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/18/interview-tim-figures-an-open-global-trade-environment-is-a-thing-of-the-past.md): Rob Francis spoke to Tim Figures, a partner and associate director at the Boston Consulting Group, about how the EU’s trade patterns may evolve in the challenging current geopolitical context. Taking the long view.
- [Netherlands calls for EU warehouse requirement for online platforms](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/18/netherlands-calls-for-eu-warehouse-requirement-for-online-platforms.md): The Dutch government wants a complete overhaul of the European Commission's proposal on low-value package import duties, pushing instead to oblige online platforms to operate warehouses inside the EU.
- [Perspectives – Defending trade’s messy global rule-book](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/17/perspectives-defending-trades-messy-global-rule-book.md): The world is a better place for the trade rules that were established in 1947. Amidst the tumult created by the second Trump administration, that needs to be said loud and clear.
- [Week Ahead: When Rome burns](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/17/week-ahead-when-rome-burns.md): A week of trade and Ukraine-war related firefighting lies ahead in Europe after US president Trump launched his various symbolic trade and Ukraine war related bombs on the world and on Europe. By Iana Dreyer, Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [Week in Brussels: Mexico, chips, Chinese biodiesel & wallpaper, Georgia](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/14/week-in-brussels-mexico-chips-chinese-biodiesel-wallpaper-georgia.md): It’s been a very long week. It started with the expectation of United States’ steel and aluminium tariffs and of so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’. We got the first, but only a reconfirmation on Thursday (13 February) that the second set will come later, after more investigations. The European Commission said Donald Trump’s planned reciprocal tariffs are “a step in the wrong direction”. Earlier this week it announced there would be countermeasures on the metals tariff, but it would prioritise engagement and negotiations with the White House before resorting to such a step. Also this week, the commission hoped to sign the EU-Mexico modernised agreement this summer. The EU executive voiced its concerns about the US’ export controls on advanced AI chips and confirmed anti-dumping duties on Chinese biodiesel. The European Parliament called on the commission to review the EU-Georgia association agreement. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in London: data adequacy, regulatory alignment](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/13/week-in-london-data-adequacy-regulatory-alignment.md): Britain’s exporters failed to take full advantage of the tariff preferences available under the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement, according to new figures published this week. Also this week: the EU’s review of its data adequacy determination for the UK is up and running. And a new UK study advocates closer regulatory alignment with the EU as one way of ‘Trump-proofing’ Britain’s trade performance.
- [MEPs call for Rwanda raw materials pact suspension](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/13/meps-call-for-rwanda-raw-materials-pact-suspension.md): The European Parliament urged the European Commission and EU member states to immediately suspend a raw materials agreement with Rwanda.
- [One in five UK exports to EU face tariffs despite trade agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/13/one-in-five-uk-exports-to-eu-face-tariffs-despite-trade-agreement.md): Nearly one-fifth of all British exports to the European Union were charged tariffs, according to the latest figures available. Companies appear to increasingly take up the use of the zero duty rates under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between United Kingdom and its big neighbour. However the situation varies by sector.
- [Explainer: the EU Singapore digital trade agreement](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/13/explainer-the-eu-singapore-digital-trade-agreement.md): The European Union is slowly making inroads in the Asia-Pacific region with its preferred norms for international digital trade.
- [WITA event: 2025 congressional trade agenda](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/13/wita-event-2025-congressional-trade-agenda.md): WITA 2025 congressional trade agenda Special deal for Borderlex subscribers! When: 7 March 2025 at 9:30 – 11:00 (EST) Where: Zoom and in-person, Washington, DC Register here!
- [Business groups urge EU to limit scope of FDI screening rules](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/12/business-groups-urge-eu-to-limit-scope-of-fdi-screening-rules.md): Fifteen business associations from Europe, the US and Australia called on legislators to keep the EU's foreign direct investment screening regulation as narrow as possible in its scope. They want the European Commission's powers to amend any list of covered sectors to be curtailed.
- [WTO Corner: US digital trade ‘leadership’, data regulation costs](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/11/wto-corner-us-digital-trade-leadership-data-regulation-costs.md): There is some hope in Washington that president Trump may reverse his predecessor’s policy of disengaging with negotiations over international rules for digital trade at the WTO, thus boosting hopes of signing off a WTO e-commerce deal. The WTO and OECD have quantified the potential benefits of open cross-border data – albeit with a requirement to have data protection safeguards in place.
- [Trump tariffs: EU steel wants tariffication, aluminium negotiation](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/11/trump-tariffs-eu-steel-wants-tariffication-aluminium-negotiation.md): By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer. The European steel industry wants a fast-track revision of a safeguard measure that was introduced in the wake of the first tariffs on the sector by the first Trump administration in 2018. Its powerful association Eurofer is also calling on the EU to make the levels of trade protection granted by the safeguard permanent by transforming it into a set of high permanent import tariffs.
- [EU vows ‘firm and proportionate’ response to Trump’s tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/11/eu-vows-firm-and-proportionate-response-to-trumps-tariffs.md): The EU will counter US president Donald Trump's new steel and aluminium import tariffs with retaliatory measures, EU trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
- [Editor’s Take – EU enters treacherous waters of dealing with Trump 2.0](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/10/editors-take-eu-enters-treacherous-waters-of-dealing-with-trump-2-0.md): It could well be that the EU lets Donald Trump simply get away with extra tariffs on its cars. Work on reimagining a new European security architecture that result from the president’s hostile approach to the continent, however, still lies ahead.
- [Week Ahead: Responding to the Tariff Man](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/10/week-ahead-responding-to-the-tariff-man.md): Happy Monday morning everyone. Welcome to the perfect transatlantic storm. The turbulent week ahead by Rob Francis, Chris Horseman and Iana Dreyer.
- [EU CBAM review ‘good news for smaller companies’](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/07/eu-cbam-review-good-news-for-smaller-companies.md): The European Commission plans to reduce the scope of the EU's carbon border measure to cover only 20% of companies currently affected by the legislation.
- [Week in Brussels: Mexico & Mercosur deals, South Africa CITP, EV charger family row](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/07/week-in-brussels-mexico-mercosur-deals-south-africa-citp-ev-charger-family-row.md): This week, it appears member states are lining up to support ratifying the recently concluded EU Mercosur agreement – except France. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced that its first 'Clean Trade and Investment Partnership' would be with South Africa. EEA states strongly criticised proposed EU rules on electric vehicle charging stations. EU trade officials in Warsaw discussed responses to Donald Trump's latest tariff threats to the bloc. Brussels will extend trade liberalisation measures for Ukrainian agricultural products beyond their June expiration. By Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [UK extends anti-dumping protection for folding e-bikes](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/06/uk-extends-anti-dumping-protection-for-folding-e-bikes.md): The United Kingdom will remove anti-dumping duties on standard electric bicycle imports from China to benefit consumers and environmental goals, while maintaining protection for folding e-bikes.
- [Week in London: Brexit ‘salvage’ operation, anti-dumping duties, steel ‘fraud’](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/06/week-in-london-brexit-salvage-operation-anti-dumping-duties-steel-fraud.md): A major EU-UK conference in Brussels this week put the focus firmly on the forthcoming ‘reset’ of relations between London and Brussels. The desire for closer ties is now tangible at the highest political level. At the same event, a senior Labour MP warned that the next 18 months will be crucial in redefining the terms of the EU debate within the UK. Also this week, a slew of post-Brexit trade defence measures are up for review and a UK business is accused of helping to evade payment of EU steel safeguard duties.
- [EU embassies to support economic security strategy](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/06/eu-embassies-to-support-economic-security-strategy.md): The EU’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič outlined how he will approach the commission’s coming economic security doctrine.- "We must be clear-sighted on when and how we use the tools at our disposal," he said.
- [China launches WTO action against Trump’s new tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/05/china-launches-wto-action-against-trumps-10-tariffs.md): China launched a WTO dispute settlement process against the United States over the 10% additional tariffs imposed yesterday by president Donald Trump. The Chinese government acted particularly quickly in tabling its expected case against the United States, just one day after the tariffs came into effect.
- [EU seeks faster customs reform, proposes new handling fee](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/05/eu-seeks-faster-customs-reform-proposes-new-handling-fee.md): The European Commission plans to accelerate the European Union’s customs reform plans. On top of removing de minimis duty exemptions on low-value consignments, the commission also wants national customs authorities to charge customs handling fees.
- [China-based EU business calls for robust protection](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/05/china-based-eu-business-calls-for-robust-protection.md): Representatives of European business invested in China visiting Brussels this week come with a plea to the European Union to get tough on securing reciprocity in trade relationships.
- [EU eyes extending trade liberalisation rules for Ukraine](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/05/eu-eyes-extending-trade-liberalisation-rules-for-ukraine.md): The European Commission plans to extend its current trade liberalisation measures for Ukrainian agricultural products beyond their June expiry date. Commission officials also want to start negotiations with Kyiv on a mutual recognition agreement covering standards for industrial products.
- [Contours of UK-EU ‘reset’ start emerging](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/04/contours-of-uk-eu-reset-start-emerging.md): "The reset is happening," said Nick Collier, head of the City of London Corporation's Brussels office. His statement at a Brussels conference today reflects a growing sense among London-Brussels policy experts that the rebuilding of EU-UK relationships, while cautious, is becoming tangible.
- [Šefčovič wants “early engagement” with US on tariffs](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/04/sefcovic-wants-early-engagement-with-us-on-tariffs.md): The EU’s trade chief said he wants “early engagement” with the Trump administration before deciding whether to extend the current transatlantic trade truce.
- [How the EU secured food name protections in Mexico](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/03/how-the-eu-secured-food-name-protections-in-mexico.md): The European Union secured 336 new geographical indication – also known as GIs – protections in Mexico under the modernised trade deal concluded last month. Brussels navigated obstacles including US opposition expressed through provisions in USMCA – the 2018 trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada.
- [Perspectives: the UK needs to choose a better trade policy for itself](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/03/perspectives-the-uk-needs-to-choose-a-better-trade-policy-for-itself.md): Five years after Brexit the UK’s trade policy failed to live up to the needs of a mid-sized power with strengths in the services sector. It’s time to ditch the free trade agreement focus.
- [Week Ahead: Consequences of Trump tariffs, China, e-commerce](https://borderlex.net/2025/02/03/week-ahead-consequences-of-trump-tariffs-china-e-commerce.md): A big week ahead in the EU on trade policy as the Trump-induced trade chaos deepens. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in Brussels: Ukraine, Mercosur, China, spirits](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/31/week-in-brussels-ukraine-mercosur-china-spirits.md): The EU is still scrambling to respond to US president Donald Trump’s threats to tariff Denmark unless it sells Greenland to Washington. Our take from earlier this week captured the mood in Brussels and various capitals, whilst our editor’s critique of the EU’s attempts to ramp up its competitiveness is here. Also this week, the EU trade commissioner was defending the EU-Mercosur pact in the European Parliament, whilst his agriculture colleague wants to conclude trade talks with Ukraine before June. The bloc also suspended – again – its case against Chinese coercion at the WTO and we report from the EU’s spirits industry event. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [WTO hopes to stay under radar as Trump returns](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/31/wto-hopes-to-stay-under-radar-as-trump-returns.md): WTO officials and diplomats are preparing for potential turbulence as Donald Trump begins his second term as US president. But many note with relief that the organisation has so far escaped direct criticism in Trump's initial post-inauguration statements.
- [Editor’s Take – EU trade policy: without a compass?](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/30/editors-take-eu-trade-policy-without-a-compass.md): The nascent trade policy under Von der Leyen's second term reveals a European Commission increasingly focused on avoiding confrontation with powerful actors whilst yielding to pressure from lobbies and member states.
- [Week in London: UK-US digital trade, EU-UK tribunal, envoys, Colorado](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/30/week-in-london-uk-us-digital-trade-eu-uk-tribunal-envoys-colorado.md): Despite the uncertainties over the future trade relationship between London and the new Trump administration in the US, British tech firms believe there is a deal to be done on a new transatlantic digital trade accord. Also this week: an EU-UK tribunal hearing on sandeel fishing, new parliamentary trade envoys and a new trade ‘mini-deal’ with Colorado.
- [Šefčovič: ‘no rush’ on economic security doctrine](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/30/sefcovic-no-rush-economic-security-doctrine.md): Here is what the EU trade commissioner has in mind for the coming month, distilled from his lengthy conversation with MEPs last night.
- [EU white paper sets out ‘European preference’ for procurement](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/29/eu-white-paper-sets-out-european-preference-for-procurement.md): The EU will seek to develop new forms of trade relationships with partner countries as part of its push to improve economic competitiveness. At the launch of a major new initiative on improving productivity across the EU, the European Commission pledged to push ahead with digital trade agreements and new-style ‘clean trade and investment partnerships’ as a key feature of its drive for greater prosperity.
- [EU FDI screening: mainstream party MEPs back greater commission powers](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/29/eu-fdi-screening-mainstream-party-meps-back-greater-commission-powers.md)
- [EU to hike tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilisers and farm products](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/29/commission-hikes-tariffs-on-russian-and-belarusian-fertilisers-and-farm-products.md): The European Commission proposed higher tariffs on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products and nitrogen-based fertilisers to reduce the bloc's dependencies and limit Moscow's export income. The proposal builds on last year's EU agreement to raise tariffs on cereals, oilseeds and derived products from Russia and Belarus.
- [EU seeks balance between dialogue and strength in Trump response](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/28/eu-seeks-balance-between-dialogue-and-strength-in-trump-response.md): Brussels is seeking to maintain unity in its response to the Trump administration’s tariff threats, while Denmark faces pressure over Greenland demands. The European Commission and EU capitals stress the need for unity in responding to US tariff threats but struggle to find a way to deal with Washington from a position of strength.
- [Thank you for subscribing to Borderlex](https://borderlex.net/you-have-subscribed-to-borderlex.md)
- [Week Ahead: Trump shadow, Lithuania, FDI screening, competitiveness compass](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/27/week-ahead-trump-shadow-lithuania-fdi-screening-competitiveness-compass-and-more.md): An intense trade week lies ahead in Europe. The question of Trump's America will loom large over just about everything. But the usual regulatory file churn in Brussels and dispute settlement in Geneva continues. By Iana Dreyer, Rob Francis and Chris Horseman.
- [‘New frontier’ for digital trade as Costa Rica joins DEPA](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/24/new-frontier-for-digital-trade-as-costa-rica-joins-depa.md): Costa Rica concluded negotiations to accede to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement – or DEPA. The Central American state will become the second new member to join DEPA after South Korea in 2023. The completion of negotiations was announced in a joint press release this morning. Membership of the digital trade accord now extends to five, including founding members Chile, New Zealand and Singapore.
- [Week in Brussels: India, investment screening, E-vehicles](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/24/week-in-brussels-india-investment-screening-e-vehicles.md): This week the EU has been aligning its response to US president Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Our roundup of EU reactions can be found here and an overview of Trump’s ‘America First’ trade policy here, including the perhaps slightly overlooked potential return of trade wars over digital taxes. Elsewhere, the EU trade and economic security commissioner met with his Indian counterpart and the WTO director-general. The European Parliament’s rapporteur on investment screening published his draft report and there was more news concerning China-made e-vehicles.
- [Week in London: PEM, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, steel](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/23/week-in-london-pem-northern-ireland-switzerland-steel.md): Britain – like the rest of the world – has been taking stock this week following Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House. But closer to home, ministers focused on options for easing rules of origin for intra-European trade. Also this week: Westminster declines to apply the ‘Stormont brake’ in Northern Ireland, a new UK-Swiss MRPQ deal comes into effect and ministers exempt rolled steel products from safeguard duties.
- [EU trade chief: tensions with US can be solved quickly](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/23/eu-trade-chief-tensions-with-us-can-be-solved-quickly.md): The EU can resolve trade tensions with the US "very quickly", EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
- [Chatham House global trade conference 2025](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/23/chatham-house-global-trade-conference-2025.md): Chatham House global trade conference 2025 Borderlex is pleased to be a media partner for Chatham House’s renowned global trade conference in 2025 When: 27 March 2025 — 8:00 to 18:00 Where: Chatham House, London and online
- [Trump OECD tax deal pullout may revive tariff tensions with Europe](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/22/trump-oecd-tax-deal-pullout-may-revive-tariff-tensions-with-europe.md): The United States withdrew from the OECD global corporate minimum tax agreement and ordered new investigations into “discriminatory” foreign digital tax measures in a presidential memorandum issued on 20 January.
- [Wolters on CSDDD: EU commission omnibus legislation ‘a bad idea’](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/22/wolters-on-csddd-eu-commission-omnibus-legislation-a-bad-idea.md): The European Parliament's lead negotiator on the corporate sustainability due diligence directive criticised commission plans to simplify several corporate reporting laws, calling the initiative 'a bad idea'.
- [United Kingdom sees trade opportunities in second Trump presidency](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/22/united-kingdom-sees-trade-opportunities-in-second-trump-presidency.md): The United Kingdom aims to deepen trade ties with the United States following Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trade minister Douglas Alexander told lawmakers London expected negotiations with Washington in coming months.
- [America First policy returns with few clues on how Europeans will be affected](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/21/america-first-policy-returns-with-few-clues-on-how-europeans-will-be-affected.md): United States president Donald Trump stopped short of introducing new tariffs on his first day back in office. But a White House memorandum published after his inauguration speech signals trade measures will feature prominently in his administration’s agenda. The EU could find itself targeted due to its trade surplus with ...
- [Open letter to our readers: Borderlex halts operations on platform X](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/21/open-letter-to-our-readers-borderlex-halts-operations-on-platform-x.md): Follow us instead on Bluesky @borderlex.bsky.social, on LinkedIn, or sign up to our free email updates on our homepage. The three main reasons why, as the founder of Borderlex, I have taken the decision to suspend our activites on the platform X are the following:
- [EU takes WTO action against Chinese tech patent law](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/20/eu-takes-wto-action-against-chinese-tech-patent-law.md): The EU opened dispute settlement proceedings at the WTO over what Brussels described as “unfair and illegal trade practices” by China on intellectual property. The move, announced today, was triggered by Beijing’s move to allow Chinese courts to set binding worldwide royalty rates for EU patents, without the patent owner's consent.
- [EU, Malaysia confirm relaunch of trade agreement negotiations](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/20/eu-malaysia-confirm-relaunch-of-trade-agreement-negotiations.md): The move has been simmering for several months. So it is today that the EU and Malaysia formally agreed to relaunch negotiations on a free trade agreement.
- [Week Ahead: Trump consequences, Davos](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/20/week-ahead-trump-consequences-davos.md): This week is when Europe and the rest of the world will be facing the consequences of the first raft of measures announced on the inauguration of president Donald Trump today in Washington. A preview of some of this week's key meetings by Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [EU, Mexico conclude modernised trade pact](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/17/eu-mexico-conclude-modernised-trade-pact.md)
- [Week in Brussels: Habemus Mexico deal, Lange on Trump, China TDI](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/17/week-in-brussels-habemus-mexico-deal-lange-on-trump-china-tdi.md): JUST OUT: EU, Mexico conclude final terms of updated trade pact In a surprise move, the EU and Mexico just agreed on the very final terms of a new association agreement - dubbed Global Agreement - initially concluded in 2020. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer.
- [Week in London: German meat ban, EU-UK reset, new TRA director](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/17/week-in-london-german-meat-ban-eu-uk-reset-new-tra-director.md): A prominent UK think tank set out its recommendations this week for the new government trade strategy which is due to be published this spring. Also this week: a temporary ban on imports of meat from Germany, a new House of Lords inquiry into the EU-UK ‘reset’, and new non-executive directors for the Trade Remedies Authority.
- [New UK trade strategy ‘should focus on resilience and geopolitics’](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/16/new-uk-trade-strategy-should-focus-on-resilience-and-geopolitics.md): The United Kingdom’s future trade strategy should focus on generating “green, inclusive growth”, while being mindful of the need to meet geopolitical objectives and to maintain economic resilience, a leading think tank said today. The strategy should involve creating closer trade ties with the European Union - but should also encompass new trade deals with other partners, including the United States.
- [Šefčovič defends EU-Mercosur pact – parliamentary support uncertain](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/16/sefcovic-defends-eu-mercosur-pact-parliamentary-support-uncertain.md): The European Parliament is deeply divided over whether to support the recently concluded partnership agreement between the European Union and the South American Mercosur region. Some MEPs are still undecided and appear to be waiting for the European Commission to decide whether and how to divide up the agreement for the purposes of ratification.
- [Perspectives: Competitive supply as a priority for trade policy in the Trump era](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/16/perspectives-competitive-supply-as-a-priority-for-trade-policy-in-the-trump-era.md): Trump’s election has exacerbated existing uncertainties around international economic relations. To respond effectively, the EU needs to rebuild a shared understanding of its trade policy tools and a solid grounding of its coming economic security doctrine: openness and a competitive environment for trade must be part of the equation.
- [Commission calls on member states to review outbound investment risks](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/15/commission-calls-on-member-states-to-review-outbound-investment-risks.md): The European Commission called on EU member states to review their companies’ outbound investments in the semiconductor, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies sectors. The ‘soft-law’ process requests member states to “assess risks to economic security potentially arising from such transactions” dating back to 1 January 2021, or even before of EU capitals have identified transactions of particular concern.
- [Opinion: Commission plans for Mercosur deal split may not pass parliament test](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/15/opinion-commission-plans-for-mercosur-deal-split-may-not-pass-parliament-test.md): The EU Mercosur agreement was agreed thanks to the momentum offered by the geopolitical situation. But complex plans by the European Commission to split the strictly trade parts of the deal from those dedicated to political cooperation might complicate ratification even further. By David Martin and Glyn Ford.
- [Commission to impose restrictions on China following medical devices procurement report](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/14/commission-to-impose-restrictions-on-china-following-medical-devices-report.md): The European Commission said it is ready to take “decisive action to defend the level playing field” for EU exporters of medical devices to China. This announcement follows on failed attempts at market access negotiations with Beijing on the basis of an investigation into sectoral protectionism in public bids in the country.
- [EU concerned about outgoing Biden administration AI export restrictions](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/14/eu-concerned-about-outgoing-biden-administration-ai-export-restrictions.md): The European Commission has expressed concern over the United States’ Department of Commerce decision to restrict exports of advanced artificial intelligence technology and related semiconductors. A concrete response from Brussels will need to wait, if it materialises at all.
- [EU chemicals industry wants more trade protection](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/13/eu-chemicals-industry-wants-more-trade-protection.md): The European chemicals industry is calling for stronger European Union trade defence measures against third country imports, according to an industry report by the association CEFIC. The report also calls on the EU institutions to address “shortcomings” within the EU’s carbon border measure.
- [Week Ahead: European Parliament back in action](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/13/week-ahead-european-parliament-back-in-action.md)
- [WTO panel gives EU qualified clean slate on palm oil regulation](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/10/wto-panel-gives-eu-qualified-clean-slate-on-palm-oil-regulation.md): The European Union was given a qualified victory in a WTO dispute settlement case brought by Indonesia against the trade aspects of Brussels’ renewable energy directive. But, as with a parallel case brought by Malaysia last year the dispute settlement panel found “deficiencies in the design and implementation” of the controversial EU programme to limit imports of palm oil for biodiesel production. The victory was further overshadowed by the fact that one of the three panellists issued a dissenting statement largely supporting Indonesia’s claim that the EU’s restrictions should be viewed as a WTO-illegal technical barrier to trade.
- [Week in Brussels: EU trade chief at WTO, China anti-dumping duties, Energy Charter Treaty](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/10/week-in-brussels-eu-trade-chief-at-wto-china-anti-dumping-duties-energy-charter-treaty.md): The first working week of 2025 has been dominated by the threat from United States president-elect Donald Trump that he would “tariff Denmark at a very high level” unless the European Union country cedes sovereignty of Greenland. Also this week – the new EU commissioner for trade and economic security was in Geneva for meetings with the WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the European Commission imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on yet more Chinese imports, and the European Economic and Social Commtitee adopted its position on the Energy Charter Treaty. By Rob Francis and Iana Dreyer
- [Week in London: Anti-dumping duties, steel, Chile investment treaty](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/09/week-in-london-anti-dumping-duties-steel-chile-investment-treaty.md): There will be challenges aplenty for the UK in 2025, as the country seeks to draw closer to the EU while avoiding too much trade conflict with the United States. But London has not shied away from imposing anti-dumping duties on US chemical imports, in a bid to protect British businesses against low-priced imports. Also this week: a new industry council for the steel sector, and confirmation of the termination of an investment treaty with Chile.
- [China rattles sabre over EU foreign subsidies regulation](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/09/china-rattles-sabre-over-eu-foreign-subsidies-regulation.md): The Chinese Ministry of Commerce declared the EU’s recently enacted foreign subsidies regulation represents a trade and investment barrier. Beijing can now request bilateral consultations with the EU, invoke a multilateral dispute settlement mechanism, or take other measures to seek to rebalance its market access.
- [Editor’s take: Will the EU withstand the brewing transatlantic storm?](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/08/editors-take-will-the-eu-withstand-the-brewing-transatlantic-storm.md): The European Union doesn’t have the right institutions to deal with the crises it has been facing ever since the 2008 financial crisis. Whether it can withstand the next big storm coming with Donald Trump’s second term in the Oval Office remains to be seen. Consistent rule-enforcement and intelligent deal ...
- [European Commission unperturbed by Trump tariff threat to Denmark](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/08/european-commission-unperturbed-by-trump-tariff-threat-to-denmark.md): The European Commission declined to respond to threats made by Donald Trump yesterday in which the United States president-elect said that he would “tariff Denmark at a very high level” unless the European Union country grants sovereignty of Greenland to the US.
- [Trump, China and the EU reset: The UK’s crowded trade agenda in 2025](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/07/trump-china-and-the-eu-reset-the-uks-crowded-trade-agenda-in-2025.md): Government in London hopes that 2025 will be the year that it ‘resets’ its post-Brexit trade relationship with the European Union. But it is equally possible that the year ahead will be dominated instead by efforts to avoid the fallout from the expected trade skirmishes between the EU and Donald ...
- [Defending its trade: What’s in the EU’s in-tray for 2025](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/06/defending-its-trade-whats-in-the-eus-in-tray-for-2025.md): The European Union’s trade agenda may have been reinvigorated by a reappointed – and more powerful – European Commission president. So what lies ahead in 2025?
- [Week Ahead: Back to work in Brussels](https://borderlex.net/2025/01/06/week-ahead-back-to-work-in-brussels.md): Happy New Year! There is no doubt that 2025 will be a fateful year for the international trading system as the World Trade Organization-centric order continues to suffer from the strains of today’s geopolitics. On the upside: there will be plenty of trade policy activity in Europe as a consequence. The week's preview by Rob Francis with some input by Iana Dreyer.
- [Happy Festive Season](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/23/happy-festive-season.md): Dear readers, The team at Borderlex wishes you all a quiet and restful festive season. Borderlex will resume its normal service in the early days of January. Our regular columns 'Week Ahead', 'Week in London' and 'Week in Brussels', will resume in the week of 6 January 2025.
- [WTO dispute settlement reform: detailed status report](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/23/wto-dispute-settlement-reform-detailed-status-report.md): The contours of a new-look dispute settlement system for the World Trade Organization are starting to emerge – albeit with its most important elements still unresolved.
- [EU and Switzerland conclude negotiations over single market participation](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/20/eu-and-switzerland-conclude-negotiations-over-single-market-participation.md): The European Union and Switzerland concluded negotiations on a package of agreements which aim to better integrate Switzerland into the EU single market, not least through Bern’s financial contribution to the EU budget for regional cohesion. Details below.
- [Week in London extra: Northern Ireland, Mandelson US ambassador](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/20/week-in-london-extra-northern-ireland-mandelson-us-ambassador.md): Northern Ireland’s legislative assembly is making use of its powers to object to new EU laws being applied in the region – the trigger are EU new font size requirements for chemical labels. And the UK will have a familiar face as its representative in Washington.
- [Week in Brussels: Switzerland, Indonesia, steel, Taiwan, Kyrgyzstan, customs fraud](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/20/week-in-brussels-switzerland-indonesia-steel-taiwan-kyrgyzstan-customs-fraud.md): It may be the last formal working week before Christmas, but the European Union and Switzerland are still determined to conclude talks on a package of agreements. At the time of writing there is no white smoke. Also this week, the World Trade Organization agreed to form a panel at the request of Indonesia concerning EU anti-dumping duties on fatty acids. In what was a record breaking week for EU trade defence probes, the commission launched a consultation on the steel safeguard. There were also updates concerning EU-Taiwan, Kyrgyzstan and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. By Iana Dreyer, Chris Horseman and Rob Francis.
- [Week in London: Investment treaties, UK single market, Gulf FTA talks](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/19/week-in-london-investment-treaties-uk-single-market-gulf-fta-talks.md): Four years after leaving the European Union, the United Kingdom is facing a challenge in the European Court of Justice over the rights of EU citizens resident in Britain. The EU will also take court action over UK bilateral investment treaties with EU member states – treaties which the UK is in any case planning to terminate. Also this week: London pledges an accelerated review of the UK single market act, and the minister for trade offers an update on FTA negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
- [EU Commission launches three anti-dumping investigations](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/19/commission-launches-three-anti-dumping-investigations.md): The European Commission launched three new anti-dumping investigations, two of which target China and the other South Korea and Taiwan. Today’s new probes, which also include the launch of a new safeguard against various raw materials, bring the total number of new trade defence cases initiated by the commission this year to a record 30 compared to a yearly average of 12.
- [EU launches safeguard investigation into ferro silicon and related products](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/19/eu-launches-safeguard-investigation-into-ferro-silicon-and-related-products.md): The European Commission is throwing away its traditional shyness in resorting to import safeguards.
- [WTO Corner: MC14 dates, dispute settlement, e-commerce, IFD, fish](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/18/wto-corner-mc14-dates-dispute-settlement-e-commerce-ifd-fish.md): The World Trade Organization wrapped up its final general council meeting of the year with all of the main dossiers under negotiation deadlocked.
- [European Parliament approves delay of deforestation law](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/17/european-parliament-approves-delay-of-deforestation-law.md): The European Parliament approved the agreement struck with European Union member states on 3 December to delay the application of the EU’s deforestation regulation by one year. The regulation will now be enforced from 30 December 2025 for large companies and from 30 June 2026 for smaller businesses.
- [Editor’s Take – Mercosur: a precedent for future EU deals with large emerging markets](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/17/editors-take-mercosur-a-precedent-for-future-eu-deals-with-large-emerging-markets.md): Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the recently concluded EU Mercosur association agreement is simply that it involves a trade agreement among economic giants. In other words: it’s not the most exciting of trade agreements. There is a lot of novelty, however. But it lies not in the trade concessions ...
- [Brussels to take UK to court over free movement ‘breach’](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/16/brussels-to-take-uk-to-court-over-free-movement-breach.md): The European Commission is to refer the United Kingdom to the European Court of Justice – or ECJ - over its alleged failure to comply with European Union law on free movement of EU citizens and their family members. In a note published today, the EU executive explained that the 2019 EU-UK withdrawal agreement gives it the right to pursue an infringement case if this had been initiated before the end of the transition period for UK withdrawal from the Union.
- [Perspectives: A new EU trade narrative for tougher times](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/16/a-new-eu-trade-narrative-for-tougher-times.md): The conclusion of the long-sought European Union-Mercosur trade agreement negotiations widens the possibility of a competing narrative on trade in Europe, where openness and security are interlinked. It’s time for proponents to seize the momentum.
- [Week Ahead: WTO finale, CPTPP, EU-UK and EU-Switzerland and more](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/16/week-ahead-wto-finale-cptpp-eu-uk-and-eu-switzerland-and-more.md): The last full working week of the year will feature a general council meeting at the World Trade Organization in Geneva and EU governments worrying about their economic relationships with their neighbours United Kingdom and Switzerland. A preview by Chris Horseman and Rob Francis.
- [EU Mercosur: the deal on critical minerals](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/13/eu-mercosur-the-deal-on-critical-minerals.md): Acquiring greater access to Mercosur’s abundance of critical raw materials to help the EU reach its climate and digital goals was one of Brussels’ main objectives in the last phase of negotiations of a trade agreement with the South American trading bloc. Here's the final deal.
- [EU Mercosur: the final deal on agriculture](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/13/eu-mercosur-the-final-deal-on-agriculture.md): This week the EU released the text of the EU-Mercosur partnership agreement concluded on 6 December. So what's precisely the deal obtained in the sensitive area of agriculture?
- [Week in Brussels: Polish presidency, raw materials, sportswear duty evasion](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/13/week-in-brussels-polish-presidency-raw-materials-sportswear-duty-evasion.md): This week we heard more from the incoming presidency of the council – Poland -about its plans and priorities for the first half of 2025. The European Commission also hosted a high-level meeting of the Minerals Security Partnership in Brussels, and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is looking into a potential case of sportswear import duty evasion in Austria and Germany.
- [WTO reaches ‘stalemate’ over fisheries talks](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/13/wto-reaches-stalemate-over-fisheries-talks.md): Negotiations on a new WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies have reached “stalemate”, the chair of the fisheries negotiating group said.
- [Week in London: Investment treaties, UK-Korea, digital trade](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/12/week-in-london-investment-treaties-uk-korea-digital-trade.md): The trade rules applying to Northern Ireland were extended this week for a further four years – albeit with members of the legislative assembly as divided as ever over its merits. Also this week: the United Kingdom pledged to revoke its remaining bilateral investment treaties with European Union member states, the government provided a read-out of progress in talks to modernise its free trade agreement with South Korea, and a House of Lords committee urged greater coherence in the government’s digital trade strategy.
- [WTO Corner: Fisheries subsidies, Uzbekistan](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/12/wto-corner-fisheries-subsidies-uzbekistan.md): India proposed a new methodology for assessing ‘harmful’ fisheries subsidies – just days before the latest attempt to reach agreement on a new World Trade Organization agreement. And Uzbekistan moved closer to WTO accession.
- [US says WTO members may ‘rebalance’ national security trade curbs](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/11/us-says-wto-members-may-rebalance-national-security-trade-curbs.md): WTO members should be able to take ‘rebalancing’ trade measures when their interests are impaired by restrictions imposed on them on grounds of national security, without needing to adjudicate the case, but following a set of guidelines.
- [Northern Ireland trade rules extended until 2028, but UK launches review](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/11/northern-ireland-trade-rules-extended-until-2028-but-uk-launches-review.md): The United Kingdom government pledged to commission an ‘independent review’ into the trade arrangements for Northern Ireland. This follows a vote last night by the Northern Ireland assembly which approved a motion to keep the current provisions in place – but without cross-community support.
- [EU member states eye customs reform agreement in first half of 2025](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/11/member-states-eye-customs-reform-agreement-in-first-half-of-2025.md): The European Commission and EU member states aim to arrive at an agreement in the council on the EU’s customs reform in the first six months of 2025.
- [McAllister: UK must provide more detail ahead of EU talks](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/10/uk-needs-to-come-with-details-in-advance-of-eu-talks-says-top-europarliamentarian.md): The United Kingdom still needs to provide the European Union with further details around how it wants to recalibrate its future relationship with the bloc, according to the European Parliament’s point person on UK relations, David McAllister.
- [Europe no longer “fair and open”, say Chinese businesses](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/09/europe-no-longer-fair-and-open-say-chinese-businesses.md): More than half of Chinese businesses in the EU say the bloc is no longer “fair and open”, according to a report published by the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU in conjunction with the consultancy Roland Berger.
- [EU ASEAN free trade agreements update](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/09/eu-asean-free-trade-agreement-update.md): Here’s what the European Commission says about the status of three pending free trade agreement negotiations with countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
- [EU-Mercosur agreement: Don’t dream it’s over](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/09/eu-mercosur-agreement-dont-dream-its-over.md): Ultimately the fate of the recently sealed European Union-Mercosur agreement will not be about beef or poultry or sugar. It will depend on how deftly the EU navigates difficult political currents in the next five years. ***
- [Week Ahead: EU Mercosur, EU UK trade, UK GCC, WTO e-commerce and more](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/09/week-ahead-eu-mercosur-eu-uk-trade-uk-gcc-wto-e-commerce-and-more.md): This week: the EU-Mercosur deal, EU-United Kingdom trade issues and what comes next for the WTO. By Chris Horseman and Rob Francis.
- [EU and Mercosur conclude technical talks on partnership pact](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/06/eu-and-mercosur-conclude-technical-talks-on-partnership-pact.md): The European Commission and the governments of the Mercosur region have concluded technical negotiations on a so-called partnership. The deal retains the bulk of that agreed in 2019, but adds climate change provisions, rolls back some liberalising measures in autos and procurement, and allows countries to retaliate should they consider that a unilateral regulation by the other party annuls their rights in the agreement.
- [Alert: EU and Mercosur reach deal on trade deal…](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/06/alert-eu-and-mercosur-reach-deal-on-trade-deal.md): The four countries of the Mercosur bloc of South America and the European Commission have concluded negotiations in South America on follow-ups to an association agreement initially concluded in 2019 but which was never ratified. Ursula von der Leyen was able to announce the agreement in Montevideo.
- [Week in Brussels: Commission trade approach, EU US, Western Sahara](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/06/week-in-brussels-commission-trade-approach-eu-us-western-sahara.md): European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and trade and economic security commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will announce this afternoon – for the second time - the conclusion of negotiations on an association agreement with the Mercosur region of South America. Borderlex will bring you the all the news later today. Also this week the director-general of the commission’s department outlined how the commission was planning to negotiate with trade partners during the next mandate. The deputy finance minister of Poland – which will hold the council presidency from 1 January – said that the European Union “shouldn’t worry” about a potential trade war with a Donald Trump-led United States. And members of the European Parliament expressed their frustration at the commission’s perceived slowness in responding to court judgements which annul trade benefits for the Western Sahara.
- [Martin-Prat: EU Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships to be a “targeted offer”](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/05/martin-prat-eu-clean-trade-and-investment-partnerships-to-be-a-targeted-offer.md): As she started setting priorities for her second term as president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would be pursuing Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships – a concept that has left many wondering what it entailed. The commission has already started to think about these.
- [Week in London: Windsor protocol, ‘UK only’ medicine labels](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/05/week-in-london-windsor-protocol-uk-only-medicine-labels.md): Westminster is taking no chances with next week’s crucial ‘democratic consent’ vote in Northern Ireland on the Windsor framework agreement. A briefing paper for assembly members spells out why the government sees the Windsor framework is the only viable solution. Also this week: New labelling laws for United Kingdom medicines in Northern Ireland.
- [WITA Academy: Exclusive intensive trade seminar on tariff policy](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/05/wita-academy-exclusive-intensive-trade-seminar-on-tariff-policy.md): Join the WITA Academy for an exclusive intensive trade seminar on tariff policy Special deal for Borderlex subscribers! When: Wednesday, 11 December 2024 at 9:00 – 12:30 EST Where: Online Event Register here!
- [Comment: Updated Energy Charter Treaty adopted – without EU](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/04/comment-updated-energy-charter-treaty-adopted-without-eu.md): The parties to the Energy Charter Treaty adopted a modernised version of the agreement, but without the European Union or its member states. It remains to be seen what impact the modernised ECT will have following the withdrawal of so many important parties.
- [Perspectives: Europe’s economic security approach needs urgent refocusing](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/04/perspectives-europes-economic-security-approach-needs-urgent-refocusing.md): The European Union can do better than defining its economic security as a home for stray defensive policies. With a chaotic Trump presidency once again looming, the EU’s trade and economic security policy needs to find its focus.
- [EU deforestation regulation to proceed without parliament amendments](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/04/eu-deforestation-regulation-to-proceed-without-parliament-amendments.md): ‘Trilogue’ negotiations ended last night with a decision by EU institutions to stick to the one-year postponement of the enactment of the EU deforestation regulation proposed by the commission in early October.
- [Okonjo-Iweala sets out four-year ‘manifesto’ for WTO](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/03/okonjo-iweala-sets-out-four-year-manifesto-for-wto.md): The World Trade Organization should focus on getting two issues resolved at its next ministerial conference in early 2026 – agriculture and dispute settlement, said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in comments at last Friday’s (29 November) general council meeting ahead of her reappointment as director-general of the institution.
- [Commission eyes binding trade ties with Gulf countries](https://borderlex.net/2024/12/03/commission-eyes-binding-trade-ties-with-gulf-countries.md): The European Commission said it intends to include “dedicated trade titles” in its future strategic partnership agreements with countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The partnership agreements should be “tailor-made” agreements with the six GCC countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, said Nele Eichhorn, an official from the commission’s directorate-general for trade. Speaking during a meeting of the European Parliament’s international trade committee, Eic