NEW SUBMISSION ON NEGOTIATING PROCESS FOR MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES
On 28 June, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong-China, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and Switzerland submitted a communication to the General Council on the preparatory and negotiating processes for Ministerial Conferences. The paper (see WT/GC/W/477 at http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_search.asp) draws upon the process of debate in the General Council on internal transparency and effective participation and lists the key points emerging from this process, such as the need to maintain a broad and flexible approach while ensuring transparency and inclusiveness. The submission, among others, concludes that prescriptive and rigid approaches to the preparatory process are inappropriate for a consensus to emerge in the next Ministerial Conference scheduled for September 2003 in Cancun, Mexico. The submission also concludes that processes and practices followed since the Seattle Conference in 1999 on internal transparency and effective participation of Members should continue to guide the approaches to the Cancun preparatory process. The paper took up some of the issues raised in an earlier 24 April submission on the same theme by Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe (see WT/GC/W/471). The earlier submission had listed a set of elements to guide the preparatory process both in Geneva as well as the Ministerial Conferences. It underlined transparency, inclusiveness and predictability and suggested, in some detail, ways of streamlining the agenda for discussions at the Ministerial Conferences. Inter alia, it also highlighted the need to reduce the burden for non-Geneva based delegations and ensure adequate time in considering and responding to draft texts and documents.
“Preparatory Process In Geneva And Negotiating Procedure At The Ministerial Conferences (WT/GC/W/471),” WTO, 24 April 2002; “Preparatory Process In Geneva And Negotiating Procedure At Ministerial Conferences (WT/GC/W/477),” WTO, 28 June 2002.
INDIA VICTORIOUS IN PANEL RULING ON US-STEEL
In a decision released on 28 June at a meeting of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body, a dispute settlement panel ruled in favour of India in its dispute over US anti-dumping duties on steel. According to the panel report, the US “acted inconsistently” with WTO rules “in refusing to take into account US sales price information submitted by the Steel Authority of India Limited without a legally sufficient justification”. The dispute has been underway for close to a year and half. It concerns the imposition by the US of anti-dumping measures on “certain cut-to- length carbon steel plate” from India. According to India, the US Commerce Department had failed to consider information submitted by the Indian company involved, Steel Authority of India Ltd., and imposed an anti-dumping duty. The report will be adopted within 60 days of the date of adoption in the event that there is no appeal.
For a full copy of the report visit http://docsonline.wto.org/gen_search.asp and search for WT/DS206/R.
Sources: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm (28 June 2002); Alexander G. Higgins, Trade Panel Gives Split Ruling on US-India Steel Dispute, Associated Press, 28 June 2002.