On November 27, Cerame-Unie took part at the European Trade Policy Day 2018. The event, organised by the European Commission, gathered together several business organisations, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss and debate on the latest developments and challenges in international trade. Among the prominent speakers contributing to the panel debates there were: Cecilia Malmström, European Commissioner for Trade; Bernd Lange, MEP Chair of the International Trade Committee; Karl Brauner, WTO deputy director-general; and Maria Reyes Maroto, Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

The debates covered a number of issues including: WTO reform, US trade policy, market distortions, subsidies, trade defence instruments, FTAs implementation, and fair trade. The speakers agreed that in order to enhance the multilateral rule-based trading system Countries have to draft modern trade rules that members of the WTO have to fully comply with, especially regarding dumping, overcapacity, subsidisation, forced technology transfer and transparency. Quoting Mr Brauner: “Trade is fair when all countries abide to the commitments they have taken”.