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Showing archive for:  “International Trade”

Developing an Economically Efficient American Trade Policy to Deal with Distortionary Government Subsidies: Brexit and Beyond

U.S. international trade law has various statutory mechanisms to deal with unfair competition.  Regrettably, American trade law (and, for that matter, the trade laws of other nations) has a history of being deployed in a mercantilist fashion to further the interests of American producer interests, rather than consumer interests and aggregate economic welfare.  That need ... Developing an Economically Efficient American Trade Policy to Deal with Distortionary Government Subsidies: Brexit and Beyond

The European Commission’s Regrettable June 27 Google Antitrust Decision – and Its Broader Implications

Today I published an article in The Daily Signal bemoaning the European Commission’s June 27 decision to fine Google $2.7 billion for engaging in procompetitive, consumer welfare-enhancing conduct.  The article is reproduced below (internal hyperlinks omitted), in italics: On June 27, the European Commission—Europe’s antitrust enforcer—fined Google over $2.7 billion for a supposed violation of ... The European Commission’s Regrettable June 27 Google Antitrust Decision – and Its Broader Implications

The Present State and Future Prospects of the International Competition Network (ICN)

Introduction The International Competition Network (ICN), a “virtual” organization comprised of most of the world’s competition (antitrust) agencies and expert non-governmental advisors (NGAs), held its Sixteenth Annual Conference in Porto, Portugal from May 10-12. (I attended this Conference as an NGA.) Now that the ICN has turned “sweet sixteen,” a stocktaking is appropriate. The ICN ... The Present State and Future Prospects of the International Competition Network (ICN)

Experts’ Report Proposes Greater Coordination of U.S. Competition Law and Trade Law Policies

On March 14, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a report “by an independent group of experts it commissioned to consider U.S. responses to the inappropriate use of antitrust enforcement actions worldwide to achieve industrial policy outcomes.”  (See here and here.)  I served as rapporteur for the report, which represents the views of the experts ... Experts’ Report Proposes Greater Coordination of U.S. Competition Law and Trade Law Policies

Legatum Institute’s Special Trade Commission Advances Brexit Policies Designed to Promote Economic Freedom and Prosperity – for the United Kingdom and (Eventually) the World

The Legatum Institute (Legatum) is “an international think tank based in London and a registered UK charity [that] . . . focuses on understanding, measuring, and explaining the journey from poverty to prosperity for individuals, communities, and nations.”  Legatum’s annual “Legatum Prosperity Index . . . measure[s] and track[s] the performance of 149 countries of ... Legatum Institute’s Special Trade Commission Advances Brexit Policies Designed to Promote Economic Freedom and Prosperity – for the United Kingdom and (Eventually) the World

ABA Antitrust Section Transition Report: A Respectful Critique

The American Bar Association Antitrust Section’s Presidential Transition Report (“Report”), released on January 24, provides a helpful practitioners’ perspective on the state of federal antitrust and consumer protection enforcement, and propounds a variety of useful recommendations for marginal improvements in agency practices, particularly with respect to improving enforcement transparency and reducing enforcement-related costs.  It also ... ABA Antitrust Section Transition Report: A Respectful Critique

What Will Trump Antitrust Be Like? Come to Heritage on January 24 and Find Out

During a presidential transition, it is an old Washington parlor game to discuss public policy tweaks and personnel changes, with speculation often focusing on former political appointees who are linked to the new President.  But with the election of Donald Trump, who has not previously served in government, many pundits’ crystal balls may be a ... What Will Trump Antitrust Be Like? Come to Heritage on January 24 and Find Out

What’s next for the pharmaceutical industry?

On November 9, pharmaceutical stocks soared as Donald Trump’s election victory eased concerns about government intervention in drug pricing. Shares of Pfizer rose 8.5%, Allergan PLC was up 8%, and biotech Celgene jumped 10.4%. Drug distributors also gained, with McKesson up 6.4% and Express Scripts climbing 3.4%. Throughout the campaign, Clinton had vowed to take on ... What’s next for the pharmaceutical industry?

Truth on the Market welcomes our newest blogger, Neil Turkewitz

Truth on the Market is delighted to welcome our newest blogger, Neil Turkewitz. Neil is the newly minted Senior Policy Counsel at the International Center for Law & Economics (so we welcome him to ICLE, as well!). Prior to joining ICLE, Neil spent 30 years at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), most recently ... Truth on the Market welcomes our newest blogger, Neil Turkewitz

Patents as a Key to Commercialization: Guidance for Patent-Antitrust Analysis

Public comments on the proposed revision to the joint U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust-IP Licensing Guidelines have, not surprisingly, focused primarily on fine points of antitrust analysis carried out by those two federal agencies (see, for example, the thoughtful recommendations by the Global Antitrust Institute, here).  In a ... Patents as a Key to Commercialization: Guidance for Patent-Antitrust Analysis

Brexit, Competition, and Economic Welfare

A key issue raised by the United Kingdom’s (UK) withdrawal from the European Union (EU) – popularly referred to as Brexit – is its implications for competition and economic welfare.  The competition issue is rather complex.  Various potentially significant UK competition policy reforms flowing from Brexit that immediately suggest themselves are briefly summarized below.  (These ... Brexit, Competition, and Economic Welfare

Combatting Foreign Theft of U.S. IP Theft by Strengthening Section 337 of the Tariff Act – and Making it an “IP Only” Statute

Public policies that rely on free-market forces and avoid government interventions that distort terms of international trade benefit producers, consumers, and national economies alike.  The  full benefits of international trade will not be realized, however, if sales and purchase decisions are distorted by anticompetitive behavior or other illegitimate commercial conduct (such as theft, fraud, or ... Combatting Foreign Theft of U.S. IP Theft by Strengthening Section 337 of the Tariff Act – and Making it an “IP Only” Statute