Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 7 • Number 41 • 4th December 2003
Goods Council Reviews China’s Implementation Of WTO Requirements
The WTO Council for Trade in Goods met on 26 November to conduct its second review of China under the transitional review mechanism. The EC, Japan and US had previously expressed concerns over transparency issues in China, and during the meeting, China stressed it was meeting its obligations in this regard and said public comment had been integrated into the processes for amending laws and regulations. China also outlined its conformity with GATT rules in specific areas, such as certain export restrictions and limited VAT rebates. China also used the meeting to urge the US to follow recommendations by the Textiles Monitoring Body for granting China improved market access for textiles, stressing that the Chinese textiles sector plays a key role in the creation of jobs and poverty alleviation. The US defended its approach on textiles, which phases in Chinese products more slowly than the Chinese would like. The US and China have recently been clashing over trade issues, especially in the textiles sector, where the US recently slapped tariffs on some products from China (see BRIDGES Weekly, 26 November 2003). Also at the meeting, the Chair, Ambassador Hovorka of Czech Republic, said he had held informal consultations on the review of the Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) Agreement — which began in 2000 — without reaching concrete results. Some countries, including Brazil, India, Pakistan and Colombia said they wanted to see more background work carried out by the relevant international organisations, while the EC said it saw no need for changes to the TRIMs Agreement, and the US felt the discussion had proceeded as far as Members were able to take it.
The Goods Council approved its annual report to the General Council, and is scheduled to meet again on 26 January 2004.
ICTSD reporting.