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Flurry Of Proposals As AG Chair Prepares Draft Agreement, Pessimism Notwithstanding
WTO Members this week produced a spate of new proposals in an attempt to influence the content of the draft agreement text currently being prepared by the chair of the agriculture negotiations. Delegates expect the draft ‘modalities’ paper, which will set out figures and formulae for tariff and subsidy cuts and exceptions, to be circulated…
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Clouds Loom Over US Trade Policy, Despite Successful Re-Negotiation Of FTAs
The US presidential administration last week finalised free trade agreements (FTA) with Peru, Colombia, Panama, and Korea just ahead of the expiry of its ‘trade promotion authority’ mandate on 30 June. Negotiators managed to agree on last-minute changes to environmental, labour, and intellectual property provisions aimed at boosting the accords’ chances of securing legislative approval…
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Antigua Gambling Dispute: Major Economies Demand Compensation From Us
The Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is no longer alone in its efforts to make it harder for the US to avoid complying with multiple WTO dispute rulings against Washington’s restrictions on overseas internet gambling. Eight Members, including the EU, Costa Rica, and Japan served notice before a 22 June deadline that they will…
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Debate on Private Sector Standards Continue in SPS Committee
Some Members have suggested that governments should take responsibility for the WTO-compatibility of voluntary standards set by companies within their borders. At a meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures from 27-28 June, Egypt, Argentina and several other developing countries said that governments were, in fact, responsible for the standard-setting activities of private…
- In Brief
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In Brief
INDIA TO LOWER WINE AND SPIRITS TAXES, PRE-EMPTING POTENTIAL WTO RULINGS The Indian government moved this week to scrap a range of taxes on imported wines and spirits that had become the object of complaints at the WTO. In separate cases, the EU and the US have alleged that India was imposing a series of additional…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
INDONESIA’S TPR: STEADY GROWTH NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO REDUCE POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT Steady economic growth since 2003 has not been enough to reduce Indonesia’s poverty or unemployment rates, according to the WTO Secretariat. The trade policy review noted that 5.2 percent annual GDP growth had not made a dent on poverty or the country’s 10 percent unemployment rate.…
- Events
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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. Coming Up: 5 - 11 July 5-6 July, Geneva, Switzerland. GLOBAL COMPACT LEADERS SUMMIT. The Leaders Summit is a triennial gathering of the top executives of…
- Resources
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RESOURCES
CLIMATE CHANGE, COMPETITIVENESS, AND TRADE. Chatham House, May 2007. This publication by Chatham House’s Richard Tarasofsky and Aaron Cosbey of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) focuses on the nature of concerns over competitiveness and considers the relationship between the Kyoto Protocol and the World Trade Organization. The authors consider "what trade law…