Mona Paulsen

Oh, how the tides have turned.

apnews.com/article/tech...

Can Local Content Requirements Save Europe’s Auto Industry? I know the answer: No 🙂

rhg.com/research/mad...

EU, India ditch another chapter as trade deal deadline nears - Borderlex - European trade policy The European Union and India continue to eye agreement on a free trade pact before the end of the year.

The EU and India are cutting corners to get a trade deal across the line by the end of the year. The latest casualty is the state-owned enterprises chapter - now consigned to history. But problems remain. More by me here borderlex.net/2025/11/25/e...

Not just soften. The EU would surrender the moral high ground to a rights-based regulatory environment in the interests of protecting users in the digital ecosystem.

Don’t know how it took this long but my children have finally found out that the word duties is hilarious.

How vested in the past are proposals for control and discrimination? Is there consideration of past ineffectiveness and how do these policy proposals plan to do things differently?

Irwin’s paper www.nber.org/system/files...

When laying the foundation of an economic security doctrine, will it be a stable doctrine to the future the EU/ME would be comfortable operating with as the new stable one, or do they see it as exceptional (again rule/exception)

How do we build a sustainable strategy grounded in evidence? How do we map out policy options that are go beyond current industry demands to span the life cycles of drivers of development?

that they "failed to go beyond broad generalities in discussing policy goals and policy instruments, and never undertook much effort to uncover evidence about the impact of such policies on the trade and industry of particular countries."

As I engage more deeply with policy proposals to fulfil the EU economic security strategy, I find myself returning to Doug Irwin's historical work on import substitution strategies. After exploring the work of early development economists, Irwin concluded…

POLITICO Pro: Trump admin to S Korea: We’ll launch trade investigation if you pursue digital regulations Seoul has pledged not to disadvantage American tech firms in its domestic market, as the two countries continue to flesh out their trade agreement.

"The Trump administration has signaled in private talks that it could launch a Section 301 trade investigation if South Korea pursues legislation viewed as harmful to U.S. tech firms, even as the two nations move ahead with their new trade agreement."

Exemplars vs. Precedents in WTO Law

EU EcoSec tethered to arming up-- reflective of the overbearing metaphors of weaponisation and "trade war" that sees the EU as getting ready for battle. Economics has always been key to defence, but I wonder if they'll think about action beyond shocks and beyond wartime.

EU to present tariff exemption wishlist to top Trump envoys Brussels will put forward request to U.S. officials to exempt goods like medical devices and alcohol from President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

NEW: The European Commission is set to present a list of sectors that it wants to be exempted from U.S. tariffs to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer when they meet EU ministers next Monday.

www.politico.eu/article/eu-t...

Alliances. Acting against the coercion imposed on allies. Small, open economies need to work together to maintain innovation, diversify, and expand trade and investment opportunities.

The scramble for Europe is just beginning [FREE TO READ] As the EU struggles to defend its interests, outside powers play divide and rule

Gideon Rachman is very good here. My takeaway is that Europe may need to stop acting (to quote from the brilliant Celebrity Traitors) like a Big Dog and start thinking like a shrewd, smaller one.

tinyurl.com/2n27s5d3

Raimondo, key architect of Biden ecosec team, largely upheld Trump 1.0 trade controls. That's the thing about controls, easy to put on, but difficult to remove. All too slippery -- one justification slides into another, without review, under the over-arching, opaque premise of economic security.

It appears that the US is no longer interested (if it ever was) in having that debate, but it's vital that Canada and Mexico do so. Whether an entity is a public body/SOE should be on a case-by-case basis. But there are limits to resources in thinking about this and it will vary from state to state.

In my trade law seminars, I always like to ask students to debate which approach makes the most sense in terms of regulating state interventions (SOEs and subsidies): Is control a more precise metric, or does it cover too much?

You'll find it in the TPP text, which countered the AB's reasoning that the determination of a public body depends upon evidence of that entity possessing or exercising governmental authority.

I'd add that we have long had the US view that State-owned enterprises should be deduced based on control ever since they put the text in their treaties --

Rules of Control Pwned.

Just want to recommend @samuelmarclowe.bsky.social latest MFN substack on the new(ish) rules of control. mostfavourednation.substack.com/p/rules-of-c...

The issue here is the Executive is determining under the guise of an economic emergency which tariffs to lower, taking control of all questions of competitiveness and redistribution. If Americans can once again savour coffee and smoothies, is the emergency over? And, if not, what was sacrificed?

Trump trade negotiator hits out at EU delays in cutting tariffs and rules Jamieson Greer warns bloc that trade remains a ‘flashpoint’ in advance of talks next week

In the USA, policies aim to expand the dominance of US private firms, while under growing executive oversight, whereby power is recentred to the top, ultimately leading to the US becoming a hub of digital monopolies and a centralised executive.
www.ft.com/content/bea8...

US trade negotiator Jamieson Greer tells FT that the EU is being too slow in cutting tariffs and red tape - and that the relationship remains “unbalanced” - ahead of talks in Brussels this week

@aimewilliams.bsky.social & @andybounds.bsky.social with the scoop, as ever

Brazilian coffee, beef and tropical fruit will still be tariffed 40%, says Brazil’s vice president Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said Saturday that Brazilian exported goods to the U.S. including coffee, beef and tropical fruits would still be tariffed 40%, despite President Donald Tru…

Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said Saturday that Brazilian exported goods to the U.S. including coffee, beef and tropical fruits would still be tariffed 40%, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to remove some import taxes.

About half of trade concerns reported ‘resolved’ to WTO Goods Council The paper sheds additional light on how the WTO can reduce trade tensions by providing a place for countries to discuss and share the issues they experience with each other in trade.

A bit nerdy, but a reminder that organisations like the WTO are useful for discussing concerns multilaterally and for defusing trade tensions. Not always, but it's better than not having the WTO at all.

tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/h...

Good quote from @dougpalmer.bsky.social

Amazing to see such claims considering it was the US who raised costs on its own importers.

Brazil and Ecuador would very much matter for these 3, but there’s nothing signed yet.