IN A move analysts say could help restart stalled world trade negotiations, Canada has taken the US to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over trade-distorting maize subsidies.
The World Bank has come under a torrent of criticism from the G-33 group, comprising India and 45 other developing countries, for its paper, which called for raising agricultural prices substantially through special products (SPs)
CONTENTS: I. THE WTO IN 2006: a year in review; II. LETTING GO OF AN IDEOLOGY: embracing the present; III. WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2007; IV. IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER; V. DOCUMENTS
The push for tariff reduction worldwide along with the pressure to eliminate production subsidies, which has been largely commanded by the World Trade Organization (WTO), has brought serious repercussions to the dominantly agrarian Asian economies.
As 2007 starts off as a 'make-or-break' year for the languishing Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations, the chair of the current agriculture negotiations - New Zealand's Crawford Falconer - feels strongly that a deal is do-able despite many unresolved issues.
The G-33 group of 46 developing countries had sent a detailed critique on the initial draft paper authored by Maros Ivanic and Will Martin for the World Bank, pointing out that the paper was fundamentally flawed in its assumptions and methodology, ignored the reality of the prevailing agrarian structures in most developing countries and misinterpreted the proposed operation and impact of Special Products (SPs).
As the negotiating climate for the Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations receives a boost from two major players - the United States and the European Union - increased activity in the nonagricultural market access negotiations is expected in the weeks ahead
