trade

Oman started 2020 off on the right foot when it comes to economic freedom. A new Foreign Capital Investment Law (FCIL) came into force to visibly lower barriers to foreign investment in the Sultanate. The crucial change is that 100% foreign ownership is now possible in Oman.

Global trade growth has been in a slowdown for a decade. Contributing to the trend is a recent rise in protectionist policies, particularly in the United States. On top of it, Brexit, no matter in what form it takes, is projected to decrease trade volumes.

The European Commission proposes an extension of price reporting for most agricultural products in all its variety for all economic actors of the value chain on weekly and monthly bases. According to the EC, this measure will address a lack of transparency and information asymmetry in the food supply chain.

The Western Balkan countries already have plans for bold and deep institutional reforms that will not only liberalize and deliver a boost to their economies, but will also, most importantly, significantly improve the level of freedom enjoyed by the people in the region.

Over the last years, Ukraine has intensified its trade links with the European Union driven by both the positive stimulus provided by the Association Agreement and a negative stimulus, namely the need to replace lost trade links with Russia.

Ukraine’s dependence on the market for exports to Russia has been declining drastically since 2011. Until then Ukraine’s exports to Russia, the EU, and the rest of the world had been following similar paths.

Soon Ukraine might finally expand the list of products protected by the geographical indications (GIs). The AA/DCFTA includes more than three thousand GIs from the EU,1 with only two Ukrainian GIs, wines Soniachna Dolyna and Novyj Svit.

In an escalation of tensions between Japan and South Korea, Tokyo has moved forward with regulations on exports of chemicals to Korean technological companies like Samsung. This move is seen as a political calculation, given recent disputes of trade and negotiations between the two Asian nations.

The street protests that have started in Tbilisi on June 20, 2019, became a direct result of the mistakes of Georgian officials and a brazen behavior of a Russian politician. The majority of Georgian people thinks that, first, Russia is dangerous and, second, we cannot be partners of Russia, and instead need more integration with Europe and NATO.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Chairman of the European Research Group on the House of Commons, claimed that this treaty would make the UK a vassal state. It is difficult to not agree with him. The last treaties that gave jurisdiction to foreign courts were the aforementioned 19th-century treaties with China.