Archive - Jun 7, 2006

India has warned that it may withdraw some of its services offers if developed countries do not respond to its requests in the area of off-shore services (mode 1) and movement of workers and professionals (mode 4).

A number of recent studies have predicted losses for Africa from the Doha trade round, in the industrial sector, but also in agriculture. This is contrary to the conventional view that many African policy makers have.

A senior US agricultural trade negotiator in the Doha Development Agenda commented yesterday that he has not seen so much 'negotiating enthusiasm' in Geneva for months - but not enough to create a 'level of ambition' that would lead the way to an eventual conclusion (WTD, 6/6/06).

Link to a new proposal by the African Group for modalities on agricultural commodities.

The World Trade Organization Doha Round will not succeed without an 'ambitious' aid-for-trade package, WTO Deputy Director General Valentine Sendanyoye-Rugwabiza said yesterday (WTD, 6/6/06).

A senior U.S. trade official said June 6 that the administration has come under 'some pressure' from the U.S. agriculture community to consider scaling back its domestic support proposal in the World Trade Organization negotiations in response to the European Union's failure to offer greater access to the European market.

The United States yesterday sharply opposed the idea of commencing text-based negotiations on disclosing the origin of biological resources and 'traditional knowledge' in patent applications (WTD, 5/26/06).

Developing countries led by India and Brazil are set on a collision course with Washington by stepping up their campaign in the World Trade Organisation to oblige patent applicants to disclose the origin of inventions using biological resources or traditional knowledge.

Links to a new set of agriculture simulations on domestic support (AMS and overall support) and on tariffs.