Highlighting the opinions and thoughts of policymakers and think-tanks on global trade and foreign policy  

Government has decided not to allow import of machinery more than five years old unless a different maximum age is specified by the Department of Commerce in consultation with concerned ministry/department and National Manufacturing Competitive Council (NMCC).

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman,  speaking in Lok Sabha

(Source: PIB)

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The law which empowers the NSA to basically grab everything which comes from outside the United States, is a real trade barrier to a European digital company to provide services to Americans inside America.

Director, The European Commission Justice Department, Paul Nemitz, who is overseeing an overhaul of the EU’s 20-year-old data protection rule

(Source: Reuters)

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I again call on Russia to end its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, cease its support to separatists in eastern Ukraine, and fulfil its commitments under the Minsk agreement.

(Source: BBC)

    US President Barack Obama, while ordering a ban on the export of goods, technology and services to Crimea  

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The United States was breaking WTO rules by offering vastly expanded tax incentives to Boeing, to ensure it develops, builds and sells its new model in the state of Washington. The broadened subsidies were contrary to the WTO rules because they require the beneficiary to use domestic goods rather than imported ones.

The European Commission, in a statement, after launching a fresh trade dispute at the  WTO

(Source: Business Insider)

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As officials from both (EU and the US) sides acknowledge, the main goal of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is to remove regulatory barriers, which restrict the potential profits to be made by transnational corporations on both sides of the Atlantic.

(Source: TTIP 2014)

    John Hilary, Executive Director, War on Want _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The ruble may well experience a further drop, before stabilising. Nonetheless, European companies needn’t rush to remove all operations from Russia. Despite the upheaval, Russia continues to represent a lucrative opportunity for European companies.

(Source: IB Times)

Philippe Gelis, CEO, Kantox