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Textiles Row Deepens As China Revokes Export Tariffs
The Chinese government on 30 May revoked export tariffs on several categories of textile and clothing products in retaliation against import restrictions imposed by the US, as well as an EU move to impose similar restrictions. The Chinese move came just ten days after it announced that it would raise export tariffs five-fold on 74…
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Pascal Lamy Confirmed As Next WTO Director-General
WTO Members formally appointed former EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy to be the next Director-General of the WTO at a 26 May meeting of the organisation’s General Council. The Frenchman will start his four-year term on 1 September 2005. At the gathering, General Council Chair Ambassador Amina Chawahir Mohamed of Kenya, who had led the consultative…
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Talks On Small Economies Move Towards Solutions
WTO Members on 25 May considered a new paper that proposes solutions to the problems faced by small economies as well as a process for these solutions to be adopted into ongoing negotiations. The paper (WT/COMTD/SE/W/13) was submitted to the meeting of the Committee on Trade and Development Dedicated…
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Dispute Settlement Update: Airbus, Sugar And Gambling
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced 30 May that it would file a request for the establishment of a WTO panel to hear its challenge against EU subsidies for ‘large civil aircraft’ manufacturer Airbus the following day. The EU responded by saying that it too…
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Negotiators Debate Climate Strategy To Follow Kyoto
Climate change negotiators from around the world met for the biannual meetings of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) subsidiary bodies from 19-27 May in Bonn, Germany. These meetings, focusing on science, technology and implementation, directly followed a 16-17 May Seminar of Governmental Experts on Climate Change,…
- In Brief
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In Brief
APEC MEETING WILL PROMOTE DOHA NEGOTIATIONS Trade ministers from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries will focus on advancing the ongoing Doha Round negotiations at the WTO, during their upcoming 2-3 June meeting in Jeju, South Korea. The ministers expressed "serious concern" about the slow progress of the services talks in a 5 May joint statement. The statement…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
IRAN TO START WTO ACCESSION TALKS Iran is to start membership negotiations with the WTO, after the US chose not to block Iran’s request for accession at a 26 May meeting of the WTO General Council. The General Council duly established a Working Party on Iran’s accession and granted the country observer status, which allows it…
- Events
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Events
EVENTS For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. If you would like to submit an event, please email us. Coming Up: 2 June - 8 June 2 - 3 June, Jeju, Korea: APEC MEETING OF MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRADE.…
- Resources
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Resources
A GLOBAL ALLIANCE AGAINST FORCED LABOUR. International Labour Organization, May 2005. At least 12.3 million people are trapped in forced labour around the world. This report offers comprehensive analysis of the facts and underlying causes of contemporary forced labour. It finds forced labour is present in all regions and in all types of economy. The…