Bangladesh, India, Pakistan are the GSP’s biggest beneficiaries and clothing is - overwhelmingly - developing countries’ main export under the EU’s preferential trading scheme for developing countries. More details below borderlex.net/2026/07/16/b...

You've seen this movie before. Commission and public buyers will be encouraged/obliged to limit PP bids from EU member states, WTO GPA signatories and FTA partners BUT reciprocity is key - so not all these countries will benefit. We saw the leak borderlex.net/2026/07/16/e...

EU and India continue their pretense of being best friends, even if there are some serious disagreements behind the scenes (steel, CBAM, WTO reform). Our latest from today's ministerial meeting in Brussels borderlex.net/2026/07/15/e...

EU governments punt the thorny issue of a ban on products from Israeli illiegal settlements to their ambassadors. Most disagreement centres on whether the vote should be unanimity or QMV. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/13/e...

Commission official says it's a "badge of honour" that the Australian sugar industry says their duty free quota under the trade agreement is "horrendous". OK then.

Commission confirms it is removing leather - among others - from the scope of the deforestation Regulation. Also adds a few products such as coffee. MEPs have 2 months to oppose the measure or it enters into force. NGOs not happy. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/13/c...

Hearing that the US' report on the excess capacity won't be published until the end of the month at the earliest -so AFTER the expiry of the section 122 tariffs and after forced labour tariffs (10% for EU) enter into force.

To put in perspective -total goods trade between the EU and illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories is worth €229 million annually - EU goods trade with Israel is €43.3 BILLION. So, potential circumvention aside, this is really, really small beer.

Commission launches anti-dumping probe into Pekin duck imports from - you guessed it - China. In a related development, today I learnt the difference between Pekin duck and Peking duck... borderlex.net/2026/07/09/e...

The modernised EU-Mexico trade agreement could enter into force provisionally as soon as November. Others think January is more likely. Either way, this thing is happening, pending an approval vote in the Mexican senate in September. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/07/08/e...

What legal basis would Trump use to introduce trade restrictions on Spain? This isn’t 2024. We know how this stuff works now. We know he can’t use IEEPA. So what “section” will he use? Will it mean there’ll need to be a probe first? (Yes). These are the questions we need to ask

[email protected] calls on EU to start talks with Türkiye to modernise the bilateral customs union. The EU should stop viewing it as a bargaining chip but as a "technical procedure to bring the CU into line with the modern pattern of EU-Türkiye trade" mailings.cer.eu/publications...

Ukrainian steel firm says its duty-free quota under new EU rules is 30% less than it should be. Says it informed the commission but its quota remained unchanged when it came into force last week. More by me 👇🏻 borderlex.net/2026/07/06/u...

Are you a country or a steel manufacturer that feels the EU's new steel quotas and tariffs are unfair or have even been miscalculated? If so get in touch ASAP

Another week, another trade agreement concluded, this time between EFTA and Vietnam. All the details here borderlex.net/2026/07/03/e...

The commission announced today duty-free relief for 80% of Armenia's exports amid ongoing "coercion" towards Yerevan from Moscow. The measures will last 2 years but must first be agreed by the parliament and council borderlex.net/2026/07/02/c...

My interview with Thailand's trade representative Werapong Art Prapha touched on the trade talks with the EU, but also the perspective of being a 'middle power' in southeast Asia and the country's broader trade strategy. borderlex.net/2026/07/01/i...

Fiendlishly complicated steel quotas published by the commission this morning - but what is interesting: they failed to reach agreement with around 7 of the 20 main exporters including China BUT ALSO partners with a trade agreement including Australia, Japan, and Vietnam

The EU was keen to defend its decision to end the tariff exemption for low value goods, which expires on 1 July. But what happens now? And what happens afterwards? And what's this about a handling fee? The full rundown by me below borderlex.net/2026/06/29/e...

The UK unveiled its new steel quotas today. It seems the EU did reasonably well. The EU *should* announce its quotas next week but we've been hearing it's not going well. Details on the UK quotas are here borderlex.net/2026/06/25/g...

MEPs may not be keen but business wants FTA partners to be considered EU origin within the industrial accelerator act, provided there is some reciprocity. Full details below borderlex.net/2026/06/25/e...

Lots of suits and ties in the Brussels bubble today despite the temperature expected to top 37 degrees.

🚨EXCLUSIVE: Japan is threatening legal action against the EU over the bloc's new steel tariff regime, with Tokyo claiming the 50% tariffs breach the EU-Japan FTA. Borderlex's @chrishorseman.bsky.social with the scoop, ably assisted Messi-like by Iana Dreyer and me borderlex.net/2026/06/23/e...

EU-India Trade and Technology Council to take place on 15 July

Ideas for Brussels bubble hot takes on the World Cup: What the Belgium's team's performance tells us about the state of the Gare du Midi Why Belgium's performance shows we need MORE Europe, not less We need to invent more competitions so we are not overly dependent on the World Cup #derisk

EU Cariforum Caribbean bloc says EU trade deal falls short #EUFTAs  by @robfranciseu.bsky.social 

Some positive news from the EU-Malaysia trade talks. Both want to "de-risk" - from the same country as it happens - and want to conclude negs by next year. Some tricky stuff still to agree though. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/06/22/e...

The EU's goods trade deficit with China is set to top €400 billion in 2026, per Soapbox newsletter. So that easy to remember "billion a day" will soon be an underestimate. "The imbalance is...difficult to dismiss as a problem of one sector, one country or one port" says Soapbox

EU leaders push commission to "develop and eventually complement" its trade defence toolbox against, well, let's be honest...China. Few details so far, but we already know what's in the works. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/06/19/e...

MEPs want the EU and Türkiye to negotiate a modernised customs agreement - but will only approve it if Türkiye reforms. They also backed Turkish inclusion in EU origin definition under the accelerator act..intriguing. More here borderlex.net/2026/06/18/m...

Another stellar op-ed by Alejandro Patiño Cruz on why the EU and Central American countries (not including Mexico) need to urgently upgrade their association agreement. In front of the Borderlex paywall borderlex.net/2026/06/18/o...

I had a great time in Seattle, thanks for asking :) - as well as a World Cup host city it’s also a major port. Who knew?! Maybe the WTO should organise a ministerial here one day. Now there’s an idea 👀

Recently, @sandertordoir.bsky.social and Brad Setser called for a European version of Section 301 to counter China's distortions. I have a blog response arguing that this is a bad idea. Here's the tl;dr: 1) it won't work 2) there are better options 3) it will undermine the rule of law

MEPs who voted against the US tariff deal include French President hopeful from the S&D Raphaël Glucksmann, big hitter from Renew Pascal Canfin (and lots of other French MEPs) plus the far left and greens

There’s a push from the European Parliament to broaden out the current trade agreements with African counties to encompass services and others. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/06/15/e...

New EU carbon border measure #CBAM scope: long list of manufactured goods + tighter rules against circumvention. By @robfranciseu.bsky.social 

The EU and China should continue to talk to each other, a leading MEP said today, even if tensions concerning overcapacity and subsidies remain front and centre. An EU diplomat also confirmed that China will be a focus of talks at next week's EU summit borderlex.net/2026/06/11/k...

The EU and South Korea set up a new high-level economic dialogue and a 'Competitiveness Partnership. What does this mean though? Er...not clear. What we do know, is below borderlex.net/2026/06/10/e...

EU concludes revamped agreement with 4 African countries, going beyond goods to include digital trade, services, IP, procurement, and much more. The blueprint for other deals with Africa, potentially. More by me here borderlex.net/2026/06/10/e...

The UK should resist the temptation of establishing its own 'anti-coercion instreument', argues former government official Tamsin Morgan in this op-ed (in front of the paywall so free to access) borderlex.net/2026/06/09/o...

EU and South Korea will sign their digital trade agreement tomorrow - the text as it stands is here circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/092...

Member states are lobbying the commission to let them retain their own customs data systems within the EU data hub. Some insiders think this is bad - the data hub is a key plank of the customs reform - but the picture is more complex. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/06/08/e...

If you're an aspiring journalist and you want to work with me - now's your chance! We're hiring. More info here borderlex.net/2026/06/08/j...

In EU trade policy news you may have missed this week: 📌Maroš in Paris 📌Leather in the EUDR? 📌Steel consultation 📌UAE talks More by me here borderlex.net/2026/06/05/w...

Who could have predicted this? Incoming Section 301 tariffs on EU will add up roughly to 15% - as was the case previously. But there's another 301 probe coming along soon. So what then? Reactions and analysis w/ @bernd-lange.bsky.social and @samuelmarclowe.bsky.social borderlex.net/2026/06/03/b...

EU gets a 10% under this new section 301 tariff on forced labour. Likely to replace the current section 122 tariff at end of July which is also 10%. Key question - will there be a 15% ceiling for EU as agreed at Turnberry?

MEPS want 'made in EU' to mean 'made in EU' and not 'made in EU and FTA partners'. Member states seem more focused on ensuring trade diversification. This IAA thing will be tricky And they want to finalise all this by the end of the year! Hold tight borderlex.net/2026/06/02/e...

It's early days but I wouldn't want to be in the trilogue for the Industrial Accelerator Act - MEPs on another planet from the member states based on the latter's debate last week. Majority of MEPs back strict Made in Europe rules and are reluctant to let FTA partners into scope

If anyone had any doubt that the EU Industrial Accelerator Act is a French initiative - the lead commissioner and two of the rapporteurs are French. I mean, there are 26 other member states out there...

In news that will surprise no-one, China doles out more subsidies to its firms than anyone else. But now that the OECD is saying it too, maybe the EU will use it as evidence for stronger trade defence measures? More by me below borderlex.net/2026/06/01/g...