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'Buy American' Provision in Stimulus Bill Rankles US Trading Partners
Free trade advocates and US trading partners are up in arms over the ‘Buy American’ provision included in the US$ 819 billion economic stimulus bill that was passed by the US House of Representatives last week. Critics of the provision say the move is a blatant protectionist measure during hard economic times. But proponents argue…
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Brazil Slams EU for Seizure of Generic Drugs
The Brazilian ambassador to the WTO condemned the EU on Tuesday for seizing a shipment of generic drugs that was bound for his country, claiming that the move “sets a dangerous precedent” for public health. The cargo, 500 kilograms of the hypertension drug losartan potassium, was confiscated on 4 December while the ship that was delivering…
- In Brief
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African Leaders Vow to Work Toward 'United States of Africa'
African leaders meeting at a summit in Ethiopia this week agreed to work to forge a ‘United States of Africa’, despite the fears of some nations that such a move could threaten national sovereignty. The heads of state and senior officials present at the African Union summit, which met from 1-3 February in Addis Ababa…
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Meeting in Madrid Calls for 'Food Security for All'
A meeting of the heads international organisations and representatives from 126 countries was convened in Madrid by the Spanish government to address ongoing problems caused by high food prices in the developing world. The crisis, which drew significant media attention over the summer, has recently been overshadowed by the turmoil in the global economy. The gathering…
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Czech President Denies Global Warming
Czech President Václav Klaus, whose country now holds the rotating EU presidency, insisted this week that climate change does not exist. “I don’t think that there is any global warming,” Klaus said at a meeting on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “I don’t see the statistical data for that. I…
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OECD Confirms Drop in Rich Country Trade Flows
International trade flows declined over the last three months of 2008, a recent report has revealed, confirming fears that the ongoing economic turmoil has slowed the pace of global commerce. Analysing statistics from the Group of Seven world economic powers, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that merchandise export volumes fell 0.2 percent in…
- WTO in Brief
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Trade Ministers Pledge to Push for Doha Closure This Year
Trade ministers from 24 countries have pledged to resist protectionism and strive to conclude the seven-year-old Doha Round of trade talks before the end of the year, according to a statement that emerged from an informal high-level gathering on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos over the weekend. But such progress may not…
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Chair Calls for Focus on Technical Aspects of NAMA Talks
The chair of the WTO negotiations on industrial goods trade is working to develop a plan for technical work that trade diplomats could undertake in the upcoming months, without having to tackle persistent differences on countries’ future ceilings on manufacturing tariffs. Luzius Wasescha, Switzerland’s ambassador to the WTO, hopes to present Members with a work…
- Events
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Events
Coming up this week 4-7 February, Delhi, India, DELHI SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2009. This meeting will focus on finding equitable and ethical approaches to arrive at a global consensus on climate change beyond 2012. It is open to industry leaders, opinion makers, and climate change experts to attain a level of understanding among all stakeholders in order…
- Resources
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Resources
WTO CONSTRAINTS ON DOMESTIC SUPPORT IN AGRICULTURE: PAST AND FUTURE. By Lars Brink, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, January 2009. This article first reviews domestic support under the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture. It then estimates the constraints on the various categories of trade-distorting domestic support in the future, using the provisions of the draft modalities for…