A federal court ruled today that virtual currencies like bitcoin can be regulated as commodities by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Reuters reports. In doing so, the court upheld a 2015 determination by the CFTC that virtual currencies were … Continue Reading
I’ll be appearing on PBS this month, which is pretty cool
This month I’ll be appearing in the PBS broadcast Great Decisions in Foreign Policy, an eight-part documentary series on PBS that explores the great strategic challenges facing the United States today. This season’s third episode “China: The New Silk Road” features … Continue Reading
Call for papers, Georgetown-Graduate Institute, Geneva, Due on 30 March
Call for Papers, Submissions Due on 30 March Georgetown’s Institute of International Economic Law and the Graduate Institute, Geneva’s Center for Trade and Economic Integration will be hosting a one-day conference on resolving disputes in international economic law. The conference … Continue Reading
US Prepares for Steel Tariffs Against…The World
President Trump announced today that the US that his administration would impose a 25 percent tariff on all imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum, the New York times reports, on the grounds that other countries’ trade … Continue Reading
IIEL releases reform proposals for WTO appointments
Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been unable to agree on the appointment of new members to the seven-person Appellate Body (AB) in a timely fashion, given the recent expiration of two members’ terms and another member’s resignation. There … Continue Reading
Bank of America Outlines Cryptocurrency Risks in Latest Filing
In its latest SEC filings, the Bank of America outlined some of the cryptocurrency risks it faces (along with, implicitly, the banking industry writ large). Several paragraphs caught my attention: We operate in a highly competitive environment and will continue … Continue Reading
The new TPP (or more precisely, CPTPP) financial services chapter could backfire for enlargement
The new TPP (or more precisely, CPTPP) text is out. It includes a detailed financial services chapter. I’ll be blogging about it more in the future, but one clause immediately caught my eye: Article 11.12: “If a Party accords recognition … Continue Reading
The CFTC’s First-Ever Fintech Arrangement with a Foreign Regulator is Out—An Overview and Analysis
The CFTC has just unveiled an ambitious effort to coordinate fintech information-sharing with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. It’s quite a step—the first of its kind for any U.S. agency with a non US entity. The agreement (a full transcript … Continue Reading
UK (Bankers) to Push UK (and EU) to Pursue Mutual Recognition in Financial Services
Reuters is reporting today that bankers in London are pressing for a Brexit plan based on mutual recognition: London is expected to signal in the next few weeks that it wants a mutual recognition system to regulate financial services after … Continue Reading
NAFTA’s Survival Looking More Likely
According to various news sources, NAFTA appears set for renegotiation, not cancellation. The Canadian press in particular has noted: A congressional gathering heard Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin express some optimism about getting a deal. He based that on what he … Continue Reading