-
WTO Report Finds 'Limited Evidence' of Protectionism amidst Economic Crisis
WTO Members have not resorted to full-fledged protectionism amidst the ongoing global economic turmoil, a report from the office of WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy concluded earlier this week. But as the crisis continues, countries could still raise new trade barriers to protect domestic industries even while respecting their WTO commitments, Lamy warned in the 14-page…
-
WHO Executive Board Grapples with IP Issues
Intellectual property was one of the contentious issues debated at the recent World Health Organisation Executive Board (EB) meeting, which concluded on Tuesday after just over a week of talks. Discussions centered on the WHO report and draft resolution on counterfeit medicines and on the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health,…
- In Brief
-
Dutch Seizure of Generic Drugs Sparks Controversy
The recent seizure of a shipment of generic drugs by Dutch customs authorities sparked controversy at the World Health Organisation’s Executive Board meeting this week and elicited a strong reaction from Brazil and India (see related story, this issue). Some observers warned that the actions of the Dutch authorities could set a negative precedent…
-
India-ASEAN Trade Pact to Be Finalised Soon
India is poised to sign a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the group’s upcoming February summit in Thailand. The agreement will give the ten-nation bloc a massive trading partner, and will create a free trade area of over 1.7 billion people, with a combined gross domestic product of…
-
EU, Central America Aim for Free Trade Deal This Year
The European Union and six Central American countries are meeting this week for the sixth round of negotiations aimed at establishing a comprehensive agreement on lowering trade barriers and increasing political dialogue between the two regions, the EU said on Friday. The EU also announced a £15 million aid package intended to bolster regional…
- WTO in Brief
-
Ruling in US-China Piracy Dispute Raises Controversy
A highly anticipated ruling by a WTO dispute settlement panel brought by the US against China has been issued this week, concluding that some of Beijing’s copyright and trademark policies contravene multilateral trade-related rules protecting intellectual property. The panel also did not agree with one of Washington’s most serious allegations: that Chinese law is lax on…
-
EU Dairy Export Subsidies Draw Fire from Cairns Group
Citing a decline prices for farm goods, the EU has re-introduced export subsidies for some dairy products after two years of suspending the payments. The Cairns Group of agriculture exporters at the WTO responded vocally, decrying the subsidies as “not the leadership we require from key economies at this point in time.” The EU’s ‘export refunds’…
-
US Takes Aim at EU Poultry Ban
The United States announced last week that it was filing a WTO complaint against a long-running European Union ban on imports of chemically treated poultry. For more than a decade, Brussels has barred the import of chicken treated with anti-bacterial chemicals such as chlorine dioxide, a practice that the US contends is safe and effective. The…
-
Canadian Delegation in Brussels to Stop Proposed Seal Ban
Canadian officials were in Brussels last week in an attempt to persuade the European Union to abandon its proposed plan to ban imports of seal products. If passed, the proposal would ban seal products from countries whose hunting practices involve ‘unnecessary pain’. Rumours of a vote on the EU proposal are not new. However, recent moves…
- 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 eve…@ictsd.ch. Coming up: 22-28 January 28-30 January, Bangkok, Thailand. CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP ON IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND STRENGTHENING…
- Resources
-
Resources
GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS. The World Bank, January 2009. This report presents current economic developments relevant to low and middle-income countries. Finding the global economy transitioning from a period of strong growth to an improbability as the financial crisis derived in high income countries influenced financial markets worldwide. To access this report, please…