The last fortnight has been dominated by two major developments: the proceedings initiated by deep-seabed mining contractors before the ITLOS Seabed Disputes Chamber, and the ICJ's Right to…

On 1st May 2026, China implemented a zero-tariff policy covering all 53 African countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations, requiring no reciprocity. The measure builds on…

Prior to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), tariffs routinely functioned as deliberate instruments of…

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is under a prolonged stress test, as its Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala termed recently in a Financial Times article. This stress test…

Energy costs have been rising, particularly in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This price hike is a major blow to heavy industries for which energy…

The bicycle theory of trade suggests that the global trading system, much like a bicycle, must maintain steady momentum toward freer trade—any failure to move forward will…

On January 26th, in what has become a repeat performance of global governance kabuki, Guatemala put forth a proposal on behalf of 130 World Trade Organization members to…

Since the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) in Japan, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has been continuously injecting…

On 21 December 2022, the WTO Dispute Settlement Panel ruled against the United States (US) on the product labeling requirement for all goods from Hong…

“Levelling the playing field” has been one of the buzzwords of the European Union (EU)’s external economic policy over the last few years. In essence, through various instruments…