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Child Labor Still a Scourge in Commonly Traded Goods

By Andrea Durkin/CATEGORIES: , , ,

An estimated 152 million children in the world today are in child labor. Provisions on labor issues have proliferated in trade agreements since NAFTA was implemented. But child labor is a complex problem requiring complex and situational solutions. Only concerted action in local communities and throughout global supply chains will make widespread and demonstrable improvements to lives of the millions of children who are mainly not included in the scope of a trade agreement.

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Wringing the Water from Tariff Schedules

By Andrea Durkin/CATEGORIES: , , ,

Every policy realm has its jargon. Trade policy is no exception. The difference between a country’s weighted average bound tariff and its weighted average applied tariff is called “water in the tariff schedule”. It’s a topic of discussion in WTO negotiations over what the starting point for tariff cuts should be.

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Time to Renew the WTO

By Andrea Durkin/CATEGORIES: , , ,

The bountiful show of cherry blossoms in Washington DC is a reliable harbinger of spring renewal. When they bloom in Japan, communities pause to appreciate their beauty and reflect on renewal. As WTO members start to design critical reforms to the global trading system, they should carry a renewed commitment to its future and a renewed vision to match that of its founders.

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Bracketology: Drafting Trade Agreements

By Andrea Durkin/CATEGORIES: ,

The art of bracketology is crucial in both March Madness and trade negotiations. Consensus is the goal, as trade negotiation texts move from “plenary” sessions with all 164 players on the court to a single agreed text, often with the help of chairperson who serves at turns as coach, referee, and cheerleader for the negotiations.

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Competition Provisions in Trade Agreements: A Brief Introduction

Competition Provisions in Trade Agreements: A Brief Introduction

By Andrea Durkin/CATEGORIES: , , ,

After a decade of setting the topic aside in the WTO, concerns appear to be rising to surface again that certain anti-competitive government practices may not be covered sufficiently – or at all – by provisions in global trade agreements.

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The Road to Brexit

By Andrea Durkin/CATEGORIES: , , ,

The outcome of the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) single market and customs union has broad implications for the UK economy and its terms of trade with the rest of the world. “Brexit Day” on March 29 next year is drawing near. Here’s a timeline of key events and milestones between 2015 and 2018 and what we should be on the lookout for in the first quarter of 2019.

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Is WTO Reform Necessary?

By Dan Ikenson/CATEGORIES: , , ,

When the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was first agreed by 23 original contracting parties in 1947, there were no guarantees that the rules would endure. Today, WTO membership stands at 164 countries — representing collectively, more than 98 percent of global trade. But for an institution to endure, it must remain relevant.

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Who and What is the G20?

By Colin Robertson/CATEGORIES: ,

What’s important about these summits is not the prepared statements delivered at the main table, but the frank discussions and informal meetings that take place in the corridors and meeting rooms around the main conference.

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Critical Link: The U.S.-South Korea Security and Trade Connection

By Kevin Doyle/CATEGORIES: ,

The truth about trade agreements is that they’re almost never just about trade. The United States’ free trade agreement with South Korea is no exception.

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