Mexico Forwards Its Candidacy To Host Next Ministerial Conference
On 27 November, Mexico became the first WTO Member since the trade body’s last Ministerial from 9-14 November in Doha, Qatar, to offer to host the next Ministerial Conference, scheduled for 2003. South Africa has also reportedly expressed interest in acting as a host for the meeting, which would be the WTO’s fifth Ministerial Conference. China, which is likely to enter the WTO later in December, is also a candidate. Trade officials conjecture that the fifth Ministerial would be held around the middle of 2003 and would act as a midway point between the launch of negotiations after Doha and their projected termination date of 1 January 2005."Mexico offers to stage WTO conference in 2003," REUTERS, 27 November 2001.
Philippines And EU To Start Talks On Tuna
The Philippines and the EU have tentatively blocked off 6-7 December in Brussels to begin talks around canned tuna as agreed in Doha earlier this month at the WTO’s Fourth Ministerial Conference. The Philippines, together with Thailand, wants the EU to eliminate a 24 percent tariff on canned tuna exports, particularly in light of the EU’s zero duty on tuna imports from countries in the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific group. Philippines Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas said that talks should be completed by 30 April 2002, and that if results were not satisfactory, the issue would be brought to the WTO’s dispute settlement system. "We are hopeful that the negotiations will lead to the drastic reduction, if not elimination of the current 24 percent tariff on canned tuna exports of the Philippines," said Roxas on 22 November. Although the discussions will proceed on a bilateral basis, trade sources said the issue had already been notified to the WTO’s Council for Trade in Goods."Philippines to ask EU to eliminate high tariffs on canned tuna," AFP, 22 November 2001; ICTSD Internal Files.
WTO Releases Report On Dumping For First Half Of 2001
On 27 November, the WTO released a report documenting the 134 antidumping investigations initiated by Members in the period 1 January - 30 June 2001. The US came first on the list, with 39 cases, which represent a 44 percent increase over the same period last year. Canada ranked second, with 23 cases, followed by India with 16 and the EC with 13. Among the countries accused of dumping goods on others’ markets, China, which will join the WTO next month, accounted for the largest number, with 22 cases. The WTO list confirms that China’s exports, which are driven primarily by cheap labour costs, have been a major source of friction with its trading partners. Other countries weighing in heavily on the dumping side were South Korea with 10 cases, Taiwan nine, and India eight. Overall, the WTO list shows a growing tendency on the part of industrial countries filing antidumping charges against developing countries. For the WTO press release and accompanying information on this issue see http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres01_e/pr259_e.htm."U.S. ranks top in antidumping probes: WTO," KYODO NEWS INTERNATIONAL, 27 November 2001.