Tag: WTO

This paper draws implications of Trump’s re-election for the U.S. agri-food sector and in turn international agri-food trade. It begins with a historical perspective on U.S. agri-food trade and its role in world markets. It then turns to a review of Trump policies during his first term as President, 2017-21, and the significant market losses American farmers suffered during his first term. Despite these losses, farmers were an important constituency in re-electing Donald Trump President in 2024. The next section discusses American farmer attitudes and the sources of their continuing support for Trump in the 2024 election. This is followed by a critical review of what Donald Trump fails to recognise (or chooses to ignore) about international economics and the agri-food sector. The paper then reviews Trump’s policy announcements in the first four months back in office and draws inferences for American agriculture and the global agri-food sector in an environment that might best be described as navigating uncertainty.

This study explores the link between trade and sustainability, focusing on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures within the WTO framework. It highlights the importance of Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) as a dispute management tool and their implications for sustainability. Analysing three case studies – EU-China (African Swine Fever), EU-India (Methyl Bromide fumigation), and Senegal-EU (mango exports) – the paper identifies divergent, negotiable trade-offs, and cooperative behaviours among trading partners. The study applies the Theory of Change (ToC) framework to the three STCs to assess the effectiveness of linking trade with sustainability goals. Findings reveal that sustainability considerations are critical for resolving STCs and achieving policy coherence and integration. The EU-Senegal case demonstrates ToC alignment, showcasing the success of a cooperative approach in addressing sustainability. In contrast, unsolved issues in the EU-China and EU-India cases highlight faults in sustainability integration. The study underlines STCs’ potential for modernising the WTO by fostering the linkages between trade and sustainability through institutional change.