Rob Francis
Managing editor and Brussels editor for Borderlex covering EU trade policy and coordinating coverage in across London, Geneva, and much else besides. Recovering lobbyist. Occasional meme maker. Season ticket holder Union Saint-Gilloise and Belgium
- Former Uruguayan trade negotiator Nicolas Albertoni tells me the Mercosur countries are in a race to see who will be the first to ratify the agreement with the EU. Uruguay thinks it can do it in just over a month. The impatience is palpable
- A podcast about a podcast - very meta
- This was far from guaranteed a few weeks ago amid all the Greenland kerfuffle. Now it's sneaked out without even a commission press release borderlex.net/2026/02/05/e...
- The commission extends its suspension of retaliatory tariffs AND export restrictions (don't forget the latter) targeting the US until 6 August - EU orginally agreed the measures over the summer and then immediately suspended them until 7 Feb eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conten...
- Australian trade minister Don Farrell will be in Brussels next week "with a technical team" to finalise (maybe) trade talks with the EU. I attended a presser with Farrell at The Hotel when everything collapsed 2.5 years ago. How times have changed! But will Aussie farmers get what they want? Hmmm.
- The EP has another opportunity next week to vent against the Mercosur deal as it votes on the agreement reached with council on the safeguards. Council rejected the EP ask for mirror measures but they are aligned on the 8% trigger to launch probes. More info here borderlex.net/category/tra...
- European Parliament decides to resume discussions on the legislation lowering tariffs on US goods. Vote in committee could take place on 24 February www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pres...
- EU official tells me he doesn’t like the term “bazooka” for the anti-coercion instrument”. It introduces “unnecessary baggage into the debate” and suggests it will solve everything if it’s used - which it won’t
- European Commission to carry out an “in depth” probe under the foreign subsidies regulation, looking into a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer borderlex.net/2026/02/03/e...
- Packed house for our Borderlex Academy event in Brussels today and tomorrow, diving into economic security and FTAs among others and hearing from experts in the field. If you want to know more about future editions get in touch
- China substantially reduced its countervailing tariffs against EU dairy products - but the EU dairy industry is still not happy. Tariffs to come on stream before 21 Feb. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/02/02/e...
- Bruegel reports that despite Trump tariffs, EU exports actually increased y-o-y up to November. Exports to other destinations (especially the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye "more than offset the reduction in exports to the US" www.bruegel.org/analysis/eur...
- This week in EU trade policy news you have missed: 📌US ambo tells MEPs "get on with it" 📌EU-Vietnam upgrade relationship despite trade irritants 📌Asian automaker concerns about "Made in Europe" provisions borderlex.net/2026/01/30/w...
- The commission actually proposed this for signature at the same time as the Mercosur agreement in September but decided to prioritise Mercosur because, well, it’s controversial. The Mexico deal is not controversial so should be signed and sealed without any issues
- With Mercosur, India, and (yes) the US, you may have forgotten about the EU-MEXICO modernised agreement that is currently waiting for the council’s approval for signature. And this may happen soon, apparently. Next month. Keep an eye out. It may (or may not) anger Trump…
- Much talk about which city will host the new European Customs Authority - but the EU institutions still haven't decided on the process. Talks between the parliament - which wants more of a role - and the member states are continuing. A decision is due to be taken next month
- Commission wants to suspend 0% duty on sugar imports to help producers - but EU sugar users are up in arms! More on this intra-sugar fight below borderlex.net/2026/01/28/e...
- French far right MEP Virginie Joron slams Lille's bid to host the European Customs Authority, saying it is the 3rd worst city in Europe for burglaries (!). Lille's representatives say the ECA building is in a safe area of the city and there is even a "crisis room" in the building.
- Reposted by Rob FrancisGranular overview of the EU India trade accord announced today #EUIndia #EUTrade By @robfranciseu.bsky.social
- The EU-India deal is being described as "the mother of all deals" - but it's missing some key chapters, and market access for sensitive agfood products are left out. Still, there's lots there. Now for ratification - yay! What could go wrong... borderlex.net/2026/01/27/e...
- European Commission framing the India agreement as the “mother of all deals” - but there are several chapters missing because the two sides couldn’t agree on them, and market access for sensitive agricultural products just hasn’t been negotiated.
- EP committee chair Bernd Lange says no decision taken on when the vote to lower tariffs on US goods will take place. Next meeting on 4 February “to reassess the situation”
- EU talks to finalise the customs reform continue to drag on, with the next trilogue not due until March. But it looks like they will agree how to decide the host city of the European Customs Authority this week. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/01/26/e...
- Commission to table prolongation of the suspension of retaliatory tariffs against the US for another 6 months. Current suspension expires on 7 Feb. EC also says it hasn't yet taken a decision on whether to provisionally apply the Mercosur pact borderlex.net/2026/01/23/e...
- The EP committee vote to approve the lowering of the tariffs on US goods could be back on now that Trump has walked back his tariff threat. EP trade committee to discuss on Monday. Vote could take place 23-24 February. More by me for Borderlex subscribers borderlex.net/2026/01/22/e...
- European Parliament narrowly votes to request an ECJ opinion on EU-Mercosur, thereby potentially delaying ratification for 2 years. And you thought this thing was done...
- Earliest judgement on Trump IEEPA tariffs not likely until 20 February - we could be a lot further along by then (but where exactly we will be - who knows?!)
- EU and India may be "on the cusp" of finalising a trade deal - but they have had to cut corners to get here, and the sustainability provisions may be very weak. More by me below borderlex.net/2026/01/20/e...
- Macron tying himself in knots trying to explain to the Davos crowd how protecting European industries is not "protectionsim"
- Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says the EU and India are "on the cusp" of agreeing a trade agreement with India, calling it "the mother of all deals". Still some work to do though. VDL will travel to India this weekend.
- Saying you support launching the anti-coercion instrument without specifying what measures you'd like to see the EU implement is kinda worthless IMO
- Reposted by Rob FrancisTrump Greenland tariff threat. EU options now: 1/ Anti-coercion instrument? 2/ Not applying Turnberry deal 3/ Let 2025 retaliation tariffs kick in next Feb 4/ Wait & see: By @robfranciseu.bsky.social
- Th EU and UK can, and should, hit back hard against Trump’s Greenland tariffs - but boycotting the World Cup is an absolute non-starter. Would be extremely unpopular among their own electorate apart from anything else, and some of us (!) have already booked our flights…
- Chair of European Parliament’s trade committee Bernd Lange says MEPs should halt their discussions on lowering tariffs on US goods as part of the EU trade deal, following Trump’s Greenland tariff announcement. Adds it’s now time to launch the anti-coercion instrument
- Interesting catch here by @chrishorseman.bsky.social on a UK anti-subsidy probe targeting - for the first time - an EU member state borderlex.net/2026/01/16/u...
- Trade disputes between the EU and Ukraine have not gone away. Export bans, import bans, the fact that the new trade arrangements have not led to "stability" in Kyiv's eyes. It's a tricky situation. More in my piece below borderlex.net/2026/01/15/e...
- Plenty of nuggets in this report of a meeting on trade between the EU and Ukraine from December. Kyiv wants longer to align its pesticide legislation, saying it will cost US$2-4 billion to implement. Says revised FTA has not provided stability circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/092...
- No agreement today to postpone the vote in the European Parliament’s trade committee on lowering tariffs on US goods. Another meeting will take place next Wednesday. But feelings are running high amid the Greenland saga. More by me here borderlex.net/2026/01/14/e...
- Reposted by Rob FrancisMEPs in trade committee consider postponing a vote to eliminate tariffs on US industrial goods import & quotas for US ag products #Greenland #EUUS By @robfranciseu.bsky.social
- Amid all the controversy around the EU-Mercosur pact, Borderlex dived into the actual text - so you don't have to - and pulled out the key facts and figures you need to know ahead of this weekend's signature ceremony - by @chrishorseman.bsky.social borderlex.net/2026/01/14/e...
- Commission likely to propose legislation to phase out Russian nuclear energy, the EU energy commissioner said today, as there is no chance the council will include it in their sanctions given unanimity requirement borderlex.net/2026/01/13/c...
- Moderator at an event I'm at today threw her assistant under the bus for "misspelling" the name of a panellist on her notes. Not a great look.
- The EU should be ready to trigger the anti-coercion instrument against the US, says leader of Renew Europe group in the European Parliament @valeriehayer.bsky.social. “Don’t mess with us. The costs could be high” Hayer says
- EU publishes guidelines to help China-made electric vehicle exporters escape the punishing countervailing duties. More by me here borderlex.net/2026/01/12/e...
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- A historic day today - even if we do end up re-running all this drama in a few months when it comes to ratification borderlex.net/2026/01/09/e...
- Never forget
- Today is the first time the council has failed to back a trade agreement unanimously. 68.7% of the EU population supported the EU-Mercosur deal, just above the required 65% figure
- The commission on Tuesday: "we need to keep anti-dumping tariffs on fertilisers" The commission on Wednesday: "we need to reduce tariffs on fertilisers to help farmers" Life comes at you fast. Link to comm regulation on anti-dumping duties here datahub.borderlex.net/documenthub/...
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