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Lamy Urges Countries to 'Remain Vigilant' against Protectionism
WTO delegates meeting in Geneva last week agreed that, despite warnings to the contrary, the world economy has not fallen into an all-out tit-for-tat protectionist battle since onset of the global financial crisis in September. But WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy told the trade officials that there has been a slight up-tick in new trade-restricting measures…
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Obama Administration Not Ready to Support Carbon Border Tax: Kirk
A recent letter from US Trade Representative Ron Kirk downplays the notion that the Obama Administration would implement a border tax on imports from large developing countries to help domestic industry under a cap-and-trade scheme. Kirk issued the statement in response to questioning from Republican Congressman Joe Barton regarding comments made by Energy Secretary Stephen Chu…
- In Brief
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Norway Threatens WTO Suit if EU Bans Seal Imports
Norway has said it will bring a WTO challenge against the European Union if the bloc moves ahead with a proposed ban on trade in seal products. Environmentalists, who claim that the seal hunt is inherently cruel and inhumane, have long fought for such a prohibition. “The Norwegian government has decided to initiate consultations under the…
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Monsanto Mulls Legal Action as Germany Bans Strain of GM Maize
Resisting the will of the European Commission, Germany has become the sixth European country to impose a national ban on the cultivation of MON810, a genetically modified strain of maize. The country said the ban, imposed on 14 April, was based on environmental concerns, but agriculture giant Monsanto, which manufactures the pest-resistant strain, said that…
- WTO in Brief
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New Zealand's Walker Becomes New Chair of WTO Farm Talks
David Walker, New Zealand’s ambassador to the WTO, is the new chair of the agriculture negotiations at the WTO. The third New Zealander to hold the position, he will be responsible for nurturing a consensus on agricultural issues in the WTO’s Doha Round. Walker faces a tough task in resurrecting the farm talks, which, according to…
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China Instigates WTO Dispute Case against US Poultry Ban
Beijing launched a WTO challenge to a US ban on Chinese poultry imports on Friday. The request for consultations follows months of outspoken criticism from Chinese officials, who denounced the regulation before the WTO’s Agriculture Committee last month (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 20 March 2009, http://ictsd.net/i/news/biores/43671/). At issue is a ban of Chinese poultry that…
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Search Is on for Two New Appellate Body Judges
Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, the European Union and Mexico have presented their candidates for two vacancies on the WTO’s Appellate Body, the organistion’s highest court. The Appellate Body (AB), which is composed of seven judges, saw the departure of one of its members, Luiz Olavo Baptista, a Brazilian lawyer, earlier this year; that post must be…
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Canada Challenges Korean Beef Ban at the WTO
Canada has launched a WTO case against a South Korean ban on imports of Canadian beef, Ottawa announced on 9 April. The ban was put in place five years ago after Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, was found in Canadian cattle, but Ottawa now insists that a prohibition based on health concerns is…
- Events
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Events
24 April 2009, Geneva, Switzerland. SHORT COURSE ON KEY INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ISSUES: BRIDGING THE TECHNOLOGY GAP. The second in a series of short courses on key international economic issues, put on my UNCTAD, is for delegates and staff from permanent missions in Geneva. The aim is to give permanent missions an opportunity to follow a…
- Resources
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Resources
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC BULLETIN. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2009 April. This new periodical draws on the expertise of Carnegie’s global centres to provide a candid view of the economic crisis and its political implications. Addressing the momentous challenges of the economic downturn will require objectivity, and the ability to analyse the political dimensions of reforms…