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Lots for people to comment about in Johnson’s speech.

I’ll stick to 3 points on trade and the WTO.

I’ll ignore the comment on the Uruguay Round, the simplistic blame game on the Doha Round (nothing on India?) and calling WTO terms “like Australia”

gov.uk/government/spe…

1/n
1. “And today in Geneva as our ambassador Julian Braithwaite moves seats in the WTO and takes back control of our tariff schedules …”

— Wrong. During the the transition the UK stays in the EU customs union. It’s still the EU28 tariff schedule

2/n
2. “… it is high time I think we all agree that [the US] cut their punitive tariffs on Scotch whisky”

Clue: “punitive”. These are WTO-authorised tariffs because the UK violated WTO rules on subsidies (for Airbus). Will the UK comply with the ruling?

uktradeforum.net/2020/01/24/bbc…
3/n
And it’s not just Scotch whisky. ustr.gov/sites/default/…

4/n
“We have made our choice: we want a comprehensive free trade agreement, similar to Canada’s.”

Again, CETA = 1598 pages; 30 chapters, each on a major subject of its own.

Nothing wrong with the aim. What’s wrong is pretending it can be done in a year

gov.uk/government/spe…

5/5
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Peter Ungphakorn
@CoppetainPU
NEW: another WTO appeals report from an Appellate Body on its sickbed.

Today, the appeal upheld a Canadian complaint (DS505) against the US tariffs imposed to “countervail” alleged Canadian subsidies on “supercalendered paper”.

1/5
wto.org/english/news_e…
I know.

I had to look it up too. Supercalendered paper is a cheap shiny paper used for magazines, without an actual glossy coating.

lifewire.com/supercalendere…

The panel and appeals reports now go to the WTO membership for adoption in the Dispute Settlement Body in 30 days

2/5
The main issue is about calculating the alleged subsidy.

US measure was revoked when the first-stage panel report was circulated.

But the US appealed anyway to clarify legal issues particularly on the use of “facts available”.

3/5
Read 5 tweets
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Peter Ungphakorn
@CoppetainPU
Liz Truss on UK tariffs.

The “temporary tariff regime” not used

New consultations aim to

● simplify and tailor tariffs
● remove tariffs on key inputs to production
● remove tariffs where the UK has no or limited production

H/T @Brigid_Fowler

1/4
parliament.uk/business/publi… Screenshot of the linked announcement
Note:

1. These are “applied” tariffs. If they are below the “bound” levels the UK has committed in the WTO (now via EU28, after the transition via the UK’s own commitments), they are fully legal, no need for negotiations in the WTO.

2/4
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2018/07/28/a-r…
2. Let’s hope “simplify” means getting rid of this Meursing Monstrosity 👇🏽 along with seasonal tariffs and tariffs expressed as combinations of euros and % (although UK exporters will still face them in the EU if there’s no trade deal).

3/4
tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2016/08/18/eu-…
Read 6 tweets
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Peter Ungphakorn
@CoppetainPU
NEW. The WTO Appellate Body (still gasping its last breaths) has released its appeal report in a case brought by Ukraine against Russia on conformity assessments for railway equipment (DS499)

It's complicated. Some points upheld, others rejected

1/3
 wto.org/english/tratop…
Bottom line: Russia is violating the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (TBT), but in ways and for reasons that are not entirely the same as in the original panel report

It now has to correct what it is doing wrong in a "reasonable period of time"

2/3
 wto.org/english/docs_e…
The case is based on Article 5 of the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, which includes non-discrimination in conformity assessments and a host of other requirements.

It really is complicated

3/3
 wto.org/english/docs_e… Screenshot of the opening provisions of Art 5 of the TBT agreement
Read 3 tweets

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Jim Cornelius🇪🇺🇬🇧 #WATON
@Jim_Cornelius
1/27

I want to deal with some specific claims in this BrexitCentral article by Kevin Dowd from Sep 2017, but I also wanted to make a more general point, so I decided to make a general thread and wrap it around a standalone thread on the article.

brexitcentral.com/eu-thousands-s…
2/27

If you want to read my examination of this specific BrexitCentral article just follow the link here

Otherwise, carry on reading, here where I make a more general point, and then and I'll link back to the BrexitCentral rebuttal again it at the bottom.
3/27

Bar a few minor exceptions, all countries have tariffs on imports:

Pointing to tariffs to criticise the EU and saying we should be like Singapore is as ridiculous as criticising the UK because we have excise duty, or saying we should be like Monaco with no income tax.
Read 27 tweets

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