Agricultural G-20 proposals could revive negotiators’ engagement, chair says
WTO News, 28 September, 2012
The Group of 20 (G-20) developing countries, an alliance in the WTO agriculture talks, presented two new proposals on 28 September 2012, described as an effort to comply with instructions from the December 2011 Ministerial Conference, to explore how to progress in the Doha Round negotiations. More…
EU will ask for “countermeasures”
WTO News, 27 September, 2012
The European Union notified the WTO today, 27 September 2012, of its intention to request the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to grant authorization “to take countermeasures” against the United States for an approximate value of US$12 billion annually (EUR 9.35 billion) because of the US failure to withdraw subsidies in the dispute involving “Large Civil Aircraft” (DS353). In its communication, the European Union says it intends to put this request on the agenda of the regular DSB meeting of 23 October 2012. This request will be under Article 22.2 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding concerning failure to comply with DSB recommendations and rulings. More…
Experts say trade is part of the answer in the fight against record unemployment
WTO News, 26 September, 2012
On the final day of Public Forum 2012, a high-level panel agreed that trade enables job creation, but jobs will not be created by trade alone. It is the role of governments to put in place the right domestic measures for job creation and income distribution. More international co-operation and coherence between the trade and job agendas is highly desirable, they concluded. More…
EU rejects U.S. claim to have weaned Boeing off subsidies
Reuters, 26 September, 2012
U.S. aircraft giant Boeing is still getting U.S. subsidies despite Washington’s claim to have stopped the handouts, the European Union said on Tuesday in the latest round of the world’s biggest trade dispute. More…
WTO reforms urged
WTO News, 25 September, 2012
Global economic problems, including record unemployment in many parts of the world, indicate that multilateralism is in crisis, and the WTO must be reformed to be in better position to help workers, farmers, businesses and the youth. This was the assessment of a high-level panel moderated by Director-General Pascal Lamy on the second day of Public Forum 2012. More…
Pascal Lamy calls on decision-makers
WTO News, 21 September, 2012
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech at the Singapore Schuman Lecture Series of the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore on 21 September 2012, said that the “the impasse in the negotiations is political and must be addressed at the political level if we want the multilateral trading system to contribute to exiting the crisis, sooner rather than later.” More…
China and EU differ in farm committee over right to renegotiate commitments
WTO News, 20 September, 2012
China urged the European Union to accept it has the right to negotiate amending EU chicken import quotas, and members continued to be concerned about Costa Rica exceeding its domestic support limits, in the WTO Agriculture Committee on 20 September 2012. More…
Lamy warns rise of regional trade agreements could lead to “policy fragmentation”
WTO News, 20 September, 2012
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing on 20 September 2012 said that “as an international community we must continue to fight protectionism, but in the WTO in particular, we must also fight policy fragmentation.” More…
US files dispute against China on subsidies to the automobile industry
WTO News, 17 September, 2012
On 17 September 2012, the United States notified the WTO Secretariat of a request for consultations with China on “China’s measures providing subsidies such as grants, loans, forgone government revenue, the provision of goods and services and other incentives contingent upon export performance to automobile and automobile-parts enterprises in China”. More…
China files dispute against US countervailing and anti-dumping measures
WTO News, 17 September, 2012
On 17 September 2012, China notified the WTO Secretariat of a request for consultations with the United States on countervailing and anti-dumping measures applied to a wide range of products exported by China to the US. Among the products cited by China, affected by the measures, are paper, steel, tyres, magnets, chemicals, kitchen appliances, wood flooring, and wind towers. Further information will be available within the next few days in document WT/DS449. More…
WTO to cut forecast for 2012 world trade growth: Lamy
Chicago Tribune, 12 September, 2012
The World Trade Organisation expects global trade in 2012 to grow less than it forecast six months ago, its chief Pascal Lamy said. More…
Argentina files dispute against the US on imports of lemons
WTO News, 03 September, 2012
On 3 September 2012, Argentina notified the WTO Secretariat of a request for consultations with the United States on measures applied by the United States to imports of fresh lemons from the north-western region of Argentina. Argentina claims that the prohibition of imports of this fruit for the last 11 years, and other restrictive measures, lack scientific justification. Argentina also claims that the measures of the United States appear to cancel or impair the benefits for Argentina derived, directly or indirectly, from the relevant WTO Agreements. More…