EU Makes Proposal Aimed at Reviving Stalled WTO Negotiations
Bloomberg, 29 April, 2011
The European Union put forth a proposal aimed at rescuing the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of talks, seeking to unlock negotiations on market access in three key areas. More…
Informal WTO ministerial meet in May-end
Business Standard, 27 April, 2011
Trade ministers from key member-countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) would hold informal talks on the margins of the OECD Ministerial Meeting in Paris scheduled on May 24-26 to take stock of progress and understand the main issues. More…
Doha trade round faces risk of collapse after 10 years of talks
The Guardian, 24 April, 2011
Make-or-break talks will be held in Geneva this week to rescue the troubled Doha international trade round, amid fears that a deepening rift between rich and poor countries will see the collapse of almost 10 years of negotiations. World Trade Organisation chief warns of grave situation ahead of Geneva crisis meeting. More…
BRICS nations call for Russia to be admitted to the WTO
RiaNovosti, 14 April, 2011
Russia’s partners in the BRICS grouping of large emerging nations called on Thursday for Moscow to be granted membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as soon as possible.”Brazil, India, China and South Africa extend full support to the early accession of Russia to the World Trade Organization,” a joint English-language declaration issued after a summit in the south China resort of Sanya read. More…
US to Protect Interests in WTO Boeing Ruling
Reuters, 14 April, 2011
The U.S. Trade Representative left little doubt on Thursday that the Obama administration would appeal a World Trade Organization ruling that Boeing received illegal government subsidies. More…
Doha draft texts to be out on April 21: Pascal Lamy
The Financial Express, 14 April, 2011
WTO director-general Pascal Lamy has informed all member delegations that the Doha Round draft texts would be out on April 21, just before the Easter holidays begin. The draft would include a series of draft agreements on tariffs, disputes, services, rules, agriculture, NAMA, etc. prepared by the chairs of the different sessions. This will give time for countries to study them, before Lamy calls a Green Room meeting of major players and groupings on April 28, followed by a meeting of the entire membership on April 29, according to reports. More…
India may move WTO against US countervailing duty on steel
Business Standard, 13 April, 2011
Govt to appeal amid fear that the US and EU may extend it to other products. Exporters of steel and, in turn, the Union ministry of commerce are getting worried at the increased resort by the US of countervailing duty (CVD) to bring down imports from India. More…
Doha Round: no happy ending in sight
The Hindu, 11 April, 2011
These are not the best of times for the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the aegis of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The talks, which began in November 2001, are nowhere near completion. What is worse the topic appears to have been dropped from public discourse. One hardly hears anything that would induce optimism on concluding the talks. More…
WTO subsidies talks on pause
FIS News, 11 April 2011
The chair of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Negotiating Group on Rules handling subsidies said he needed time for “reflections” despite an impending deadline for a draft agreement in a few weeks. Meanwhile, nations touting themselves as “friends of the fish” pressed for rules that limit fisheries subsidy payments. More…
India will not accept any intellectual property talks outside WTO: Anand Sharma
The Economic Times, 09 April, 2011
Responding to questions on India’s position on the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a new intellectual property treaty being framed by a group of developed nations, the minister said a few countries cannot get together and try to change what is and will always be a multilateral regime called the TRIPS agreement. More…
Amend drug seizure rules to end WTO case: India to EU nations
The Economic Times, 06 April, 2011
India has said that it will withdraw its case from the WTO against EU on wrongful seizure of drug consignments of Indian companies, only when all the members of the 27-nation bloc amend their rules to prevent recurrence of such incidents. More…
Russia most probably to join WTO
The Voice of Russia, 05 April, 2011
The year 2010 marked a breakthrough in talks on Russia’s joining the World Trade Organization. Speaking at a meeting of the Council of International Relations in New York, Russia’s Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov expressed hope that Russia will join the WTO already this summer or autumn. More…
EU Complains at WTO Over U.S. Duties on ThyssenKrupp Steel
Business Daily, 04 April, 2011
The European Union complained at the World Trade Organisation that U.S. anti-dumping duties on imports of stainless-steel sheet and strip in coils produced by G( TKA) in Italy are based on a mathematical mistake. More…
WTO boss warns global trade talks face hurdles
Business Daily, 04 April, 2011
The long-drawn search for a global pact to lower trade barriers around the world is headed for failure, World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy said in Nairobi last week, even as government officials maintain the decade-old talks will be concluded this year. More…
EU files tactical appeal in Boeing trade spat
Reuters, 01 April, 2011
The European Union filed an appeal against an aircraft subsidies ruling on Friday just hours after calling it a victory, a tactical move in a transatlantic game of global trade chess. More…
Saving Doha: Polly Wants a Trade Deal
The Seattle Times, 01 April, 2011
Given the stakes for the global economy, the Doha Round trade talks must be saved, writes Columbia University professor and international trade expert Jagdish Bhagwati. Pressure must be applied to U.S. politicians to prevent a breakdown in the critical trade negotiations. More…