Director-General Pascal Lamy told journalists on 24 April 2006 that 'we may have missed the deadline but we are not in deadlock'. Earlier, in a statement at an informal meeting of heads of delegations, he said that 'genuine and important progress has been made, but not fast enough to allow us to reach agreement on modalities by the end of the month'.
The Appellate Body, on 18 April 2006, issued its report regarding the case 'United States - Laws, Regulations and Methodology for Calculating Dumping Margins ('Zeroing')' (DS294), which was brought by the European Communities to the WTO.
The Appellate Body, on 13 April 2006, issued its report regarding thecompliance panel report in the case 'United States-Investigation of the International Trade Commission in Softwood Lumber from Canada'.
The World Trade Organisation Monday finally made the conclusion that the deadlines for reaching 'modalities' for agriculture and non-agricultural market access by the end of this month could not be met, and that a planned meeting of some 30 Ministers would be called off.
In a move that has upset many developing countries, the European Union and Japan have recently proposed new treaties in the WTO to prevent or restrict the use by WTO members of export taxes and export restrictions.
The WTO's agriculture negotiations this week have focused so far on issues relating to the export competition pillar, specifically on food aid, state trading enterprises and export credits.
