International Economic Law and Policy

1. Assigning Blame for Trade Imbalances

   Finance professor Michael Pettis writes often about trade imbalances, and as I've followed what he has to say on this subject over the years, I've tried to figure out where exactly he and I disagree.

2. Collective Restraint vs. Unilateral Action vs. Collective Action in the Face of Overcapacity/Non-Market Policies

   There was an interesting exchange at last week's WTO General Council meeting, as Korea submitted a communication entitled "Preserving the spirit of open and predictable trade: Collective restraint against actions undermining trade liberalization." In this communication, Korea raised concerns about the response of other governments to

3. Guest Post: Section 301 on Forced Labor - A Closer Look at the Public Hearings

   The Section 301 Investigation on forced labor has reached the stage of the public hearings. Between April 28 and 29, around 60 representatives of countries, business associations and non-governmental organizations offered their input to inform the USTR determination following the initiation notice.

4. Tracking Goods Exports under the Trump Administration's Trade Policies

   My sense is that one of the reasons some traditionally pro-trade members of Congress have continued to support Trump's trade policies, despite misgivings they may have about tariffs, is because they hope these policies will pry open foreign markets, leading to increased US exports.

5. Could Congress Extend the USMCA for Another Term?

   People have been assuming that the decision on whether to extend the USMCA for another term is up to President Trump, but based on the language of the USMCA related to the upcoming joint review, could Congress actually have the power to make this decision on its own?