India against new texts for WTO talks
Business Standard, 31 May 2011
Developing nations refuse to accept April 21 texts that call for mandatory sectoral tariff cuts as basis of negotiations. Even as the debate around whether the Doha Round of global trade talks would be concluded by the year-end or not gain momentum, a cohort of developing countries, specifically India, has refused to accept the April 21 texts which call for mandatory sectoral tariff cuts as the basis of negotiations, despite US pressure. More…
India talks tough ahead of WTO ministerial meet
The Hindu, 26 May, 2011
Adopting a tough stand a day ahead of the WTO informal ministerial meeting in Paris, India issued a veiled warning against the attempts by the developed nations to re-open issues on which substantial progress has been made stating it would be counterproductive. More…
WTO starts long countdown to end of EU Airbus aid
Reuters, 25 May, 2011
The World Trade Organization will next month start a six-month countdown for Europe to end aid schemes potentially worth billions of dollars to planemaker Airbus, though a final resolution on aircraft subsidies could be years away. More…
China challenges WTO ruling on U.S. tire tariffs
Reuters, 24 May, 2011
China appealed a ruling by the World Trade Organization on Tuesday, insisting the United States flouted international trade rules when it imposed trade barriers on car tires imported from China, a WTO spokesman said. More…
WTO warns on export restrictions, as G20 protectionism rises
Creamer Media, 24 May, 2011
The number of restrictive trade measures taken by G20 economies increased over the past six months, a new monitoring report for the period from October 2010 to April 2011 has highlighted. More…
EU’s anti-dumping tariffs “unfair”
Xinhua, 16 May, 2011
The European Union’s (EU) move to levy tariffs against Chinese-made coated fine paper is against the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Beijing should take the EU to task to safeguard the interest of Chinese enterprises, experts said on Sunday. More…
WTO Pleased with Ethiopia’s “Renewed” Accession Commitment
Addis Fortune, 15 May, 2011
A senior official of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is pleased with the belated but recent efforts of Ethiopia to join the global agency whose job is to police international trade.
A few months ago, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had met the newly appointed working group chairman for Ethiopia, the Belgian Steffen Smidt, when he “assured us that acceding to the WTO is a priority for Ethiopia,” according to Valentine S. Rugwabiza, former Rwandan ambassador to the WTO, and now one of the four deputy directors of the organisation. More…
Nobody wants Doha trade talks to fail – WTO’s Lamy
Reuters, 12 May, 2011
Counries locked in long-running trade talks do not want the so-called Doha round to fail but may not have the political will to agree on how to cut industrial tariffs, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) said on Thursday. More…
Brazil Gets WTO to Study Relationship of Currencies and Trade
Wall Street Journal, 11 May 2011
Frustrated in its attempts to foster a global debate about currency imbalances, Brazil’s government has turned to an unusual forum, the World Trade Organization, as it seeks redress. More…
U.S. says China agrees market-opening steps
Reuters, 10 May 2011
China has agreed to steps to open its government procurement market to more U.S. companies and let U.S. banks sell mutual funds in the country, a senior U.S. Treasury official said on Tuesday. More…
India blocks EU proposal on allowing duty-free entry to Pakistan textiles
The Economic Times, 05 May, 2011
India blocked a $900-million European Union proposal at the World Trade Organization on Tuesday to give duty-free access to the textile exports from Pakistan. More…
WTO chief urges constructive trade talks
News Channel Asia, 04 May, 2011
World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy on Tuesday urged trading nations to take a constructive and higher-level approach to coax a deal out of the ailing decade-old Doha round of free trade talks. Lamy called on the 153 members “to listen to each other and to focus constructively on our way ahead. This is a time, if there ever was one, to think and act systemically,” he added, calling for political involvement. More…
Lamy strives to keep Doha trade talks alive
The Financial Express, 02 May, 2011
Despite warnings by World Trade Organisation director-general Pascal Lamy that the Doha Round of trade talks are “on the brink of failure”, no member country wants to waste ten years of negotiations. This was what came out of the trade negotiations committee (TNC) meeting after the reports of the chairs of the negotiating committees presented their reports on April 21. More…