Archive - Oct 2005

The statement has been signed by 35 groups from over 30 countries representing development, environment, gender, fair trade and religious groups as well as farmers, trade union related groups and research groups.

Mr Breton is as ardent as any French minister in arguing that the CAP is essential for Europe's future and must not be sacrificed at the altar of the World Trade Organisation.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.'

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.