Archive - jun 2005 - Article

Divisions continue at WIPO patents committee meeting of the WIPO Standing Committee on Patents, held on 1-2 June 2005.

Agriculture negotiations resumed in the WTO from 30 May to 3 June, with members engaging since 30 May on issues relating to market access for the first time after an understanding was reached earlier this month among the major countries on the conversion of non ad valorem duties to ad valorem equivalents.

The WTO Negotiating Group on Rules, holding a weeklong meeting (30 May - 3 June), has received a new proposal with respect to thedetermination of dumping margins under the Anti-Dumping Agreement.

World Trade Organization Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi holds a small 'green room' meeting today to finalize how the process leading to the end-of-July General Council session can be conducted

Over 160 civil society organizations from around the world sent a letter to WTO ambassadors today calling on negotiators to stop pressuring developing countries to open up their services sector to the corporations based in industrialized countries.

Negotiations on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) at the WTO wrapped up a week-long meeting on 10 June with the Chair of the talks indicating that support for a simple Swiss formula for tariff reduction 'has grown measurably.'(M.Khor)

The main objective of this review and clarification is to ensure that domestic support measures notified conform to the fundamental requirement that they have no, or at most minimal, trade-distorting effects or effects on production

In response to the Chair

The Geneva People's Alliance has released information on the proposed program for the General Council of People's during the July WTO General Council Meeting from July 27th to 29th, 2005.

The paper examines key elements of the NAMA negotiations, the history of protectionism in industrial products (including the use of tariffs by developed countries), the optimal use of industrial tariffs at different phases of a country