Archive - Oct 2005 - Article

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 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

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.

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.

Trade officials have warned that global trade talks are close to breaking point, leaving the European Union with ten days to either resolve a bitter internal rift or convince partners in the WTO to tame their demands on farm import barriers.

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.