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WTO Talks Resume: Ag Negotiating Committee Meets For First Time Since Suspension
Following the full-scale resumption of the Doha Round trade talks last week, WTO Members on 9 February held the first regular multilateral ’special session’ meeting of the agriculture negotiating committee since June 2007. In spite of this return to standard practice, delegates believe that any progress in the still-deadlocked negotiations will occur in the quiet,…
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USTR Schwab Sets Out Case For TPA Renewal, As Trade Deficit Hits Record High
US Trade Representative Susan Schwab on 12 February called on the new Democrat-controlled Congress to renew the presidential administration’s trade promotion authority (TPA), warning that a failure to do so would "signal to the world that the United States has lost faith" in the Doha Round negotiations. "We must not let that happen," she said. The…
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West, Central African Countries To Try For EPAs With EU By End-2007
West and Central African countries have agreed to try to conclude their Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the EU in time for a December 2007 deadline. They appear to have dropped requests to extend talks beyond this date in exchange for more binding promises of aid from Brussels. Chief trade negotiators from the two regions…
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US FTA With Malaysia Struggles; Hope Yet For Korea Deal?
Prospects for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between the US and Malaysia appear to be fading, as yet another round of talks ran aground over a handful of contentious issues. "It would be very difficult to conclude an FTA with the deadline we have set," US lead negotiator Barbara Weisel told reporters on 9 February…
- In Brief
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In Brief
INDIA, JAPAN SET OUT PARAMETERS FOR FTA NEGOTIATIONS Senior officials from India and Japan wrapped up the first round of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on 2 February in New Delhi, setting out a framework for the prospective deal. They are aiming to conclude talks within two years. The two sides agreed that the…
- WTO in Brief
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Members Pick Up Where They Left Off On GIs, TRIPS-CBD - Still Stuck
WTO Members remain divided on how to address geographical indications and the relationship between biodiversity conservation and intellectual property protection, even though discussions are set to pick up as the Doha Round negotiations fully resume after a gap of six months. Both ‘outstanding implementation issues’ have been the subject of informal consultations conducted by WTO Deputy…
- Resources
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Resources
OVERVIEW OF THE REGIONAL EPA NEGOTIATIONS. European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), 2006. This ‘InBrief’ series provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the background, structure, phasing, challenges, and main developments in the negotiations of economic partnership agreements (EPA) between the EU and each of the six African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) negotiating…