Archive

October 27th, 2005

G33 Proposal on the Special Safeguard Mechanism in Agriculture

26 October, 2005
G33 proposal in the agriculture negotiations, on the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) for use by developing countries to protect against import surges.

Agriculture: 'Agreement needed by 31 October or no Hong Kong deal'

26 October, 2005
The Chair of the WTO agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Crawford Falconer of New Zealand, has warned members that 'material convergence', particularly on market access, was needed by 31 October, otherwise he would have to report that objectives for the Hong Kong Ministerial cannot be met.

Arbitratror issues second award on Banana dispute

26 October, 2005
The WTO issued the second award of the arbitrator regarding the European Communities' implementation of the waiver granted by the Doha Ministerial Conference in relation to its banana regime

G20 submits six proposals on agriculture

26 October, 2005
The Group of 20 developing countries has presented six new proposals for the WTO agriculture negotiations. The papers were distributed at two informal meetings on agriculture held at the WTO on 21 October.

October 26th

Agriculture: ACP Group proposes lower tariff cuts for developing countries

25 October, 2005
The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of countries in the WTO on Friday 21 October submitted a proposal on market access inagriculture, with its own set of thresholds in the tariff reduction formula for developed and developing countries, and with suggested tariff reduction rates for developing countries.

EU trade talks undermined as sugar reform blocked

25 October, 2005
Further troubles for Brussels' negotiating position in worldwide trade liberalisation talks emerged on Tuesday (25 October), as 11 member states reaffirmed their opposition against a commission-proposed sugar reform.

October 25th

Canadian criticism strains relations with U.S.

24 October, 2005
Perceived slights and misunderstandings are normal features of the United States' relationship with Canada. But Canadians and outside experts say Ottawa's view of Washington now is as strained and combative as anyone can remember.

New agriculture proposals by G20 and Australia

24 October, 2005
Links to several G20 papers on elements of the agriculture negotiations plus a proposal by Australia on Sensitive Products

October 24th

EU farm struggle casts doubt on WTO Hong Kong meet

23 October, 2005
A meeting of world trade ministers to hammer out a new global pact is in jeopardy unless Europe offers big cuts to its farm tariffs, the United States warned on Monday, and the EU itself admitted talks were on a 'knife-edge.'

WTO Secretariat reports continuing declines in both new anti-dumping investigations and new final anti-dumping measures

23 October, 2005
The WTO Secretariat, on 24 October 2005, reported that in the period 1 January-30 June 2005, the number of initiations of new anti-dumping investigations and the number of new measures applied continued their previously-reported declining trends.