• AG Chair Describes 'Centre Of Gravity' For Realistic Doha Deal
    The chair of the deadlocked Doha Round talks on cutting farm tariffs and subsidies on 30 April issued a paper outlining parameters for a plausible deal on several issues in the negotiations, in an effort to goad WTO Members into reconsidering their bargaining positions. Using blunt language rarely heard in trade negotiations, Ambassador Crawford Falconer (New…
  • Services Cluster Finishes With New Focus On 'Breakthrough Sectors'
    The first formal cluster of services meetings held at the WTO since the Doha Round talks were suspended last July concluded on 27 April after two weeks of intensive plurilateral and bilateral negotiations. Although many developing countries remain reluctant to further open their markets to foreign services providers until…
  • Heated Debate Over Pakistan's Attempt At Compromise On 'Special' Farm Products
    WTO Members have kicked off a new attempt to try to bridge their differences in the faltering Doha Round trade talks and conclude a deal by the end of the year (see related article, this issue). Last week’s meeting of the agriculture negotiating committee only served to underline how difficult it will be for them…
  • Brazil Calls WTO Ruling In Retreaded Tyres Dispute 'Favourable'
    Brasilia has expressed satisfaction with the ruling of a WTO dispute panel in the EU’s high-profile complaint against its import limitations on ‘retreaded tyres’. It claims that the decision was largely favourable to its environmental and health-related arguments for the restrictions. Brussels is studying the details of the ruling and will decide whether or not…
  • WTO in Brief
  • WTO In Brief
    WTO MEMBERS CONTINUE TO REFINE, CLARIFY PROPOSALS ON TRADE FACILITATION The Doha Round talks on trade facilitation are slowly moving towards the development of a future WTO agreement on reducing red tape and other obstacles to the transit and customs clearance of goods. A 30 April - 1 May informal meeting of the trade facilitation negotiating…
  • Events
  • Events
    EVENTS For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar at: http://www.ictsd.org/cal/index.htm. If you would like to submit an event, please email events@ictsd.ch. Upcoming : 3-9 May 4 May, New York, US. HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS AND ALTERNATIVES IN THE ENERGY AND TRANSPORT SECTORS: POLICY ISSUES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. Recent…
  • Resources
  • Resources
    SHOULD THE GREEN BOX BE MODIFIED? By David Blandford and Timothy Josling. International Food and Agriculture Trade Policy Council. March 2007. In this IPC Discussion Paper, David Blandford and Timothy Josling raise important questions around the WTO’s Green Box category. With agriculture dominating the current Doha Round negotiations, the author’s bring forth timely and salient…