Articles

New Report: Europe and U.S. bear special responsibility for food crisis

19 May, 2009
CIDSE and IATP
Key steps identified to shift course and create a just and sustainable global food system

Lula Calls on Saudis to Join Brazil in Creating Petrochemical Powerhouse

18 May, 2009
Brazzilmag
Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said this Sunday, May 17, at the end of a two-day trip to Saudi Arabia, that he called on king Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the two countries to jointly seek reciprocal investment opportunities.

Mideast leaders defend free market at economic forum

17 May, 2009
Christian Science Monitor
Despite capitalism's recently damaged reputation, participants at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East this weekend agreed that minimal regulation was key to growth.

EU stumbles on Canada's internal barriers: Talk ramp up

15 May, 2009
Financial Post
The historic free-trade negotiations between Canada and the European Union were launched to much fanfare this month, but reaching a deal between the 27-country economic bloc and the provincially dominated federation of Canada will not be a walk in the park.

Chamber Fears Climate Talks Could Set the Stage for TRIPS Changes

15 May, 2009
Inside US Trade
Global climate change negotiations could become the battleground to hammer out a second clarification of intellectual property protection rules in the World Trade Organization to strengthen developing countries rights to use patented technology without authorization of rights holders, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Kirk Highlights Need For New Doha Ideas, Doha Review Bumped Up To NEC

13 May, 2009
Daily News
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a series of private and public gatherings this week in Geneva stressed the need for trading partners to consider new ideas to help break the current impasse in the Doha round of global trade talks, but also said the U.S. would look to build on the work done so far rather than scrapping it.

Adapting the International Trade Regime to New Challenges: Climate Change

13 May, 2009
Tim Groser
But I am acutely conscious that this focus on the traditional agenda, appropriate though it is, should not obscure the vital need to refresh the mandate of the WTO to deal with tomorrow's problems. Here, the interface between the international trade agenda and the climate change agenda looms larger than any single issue.

Kirk Opens Drive to Revive Doha Round To Achieve Successful Conclusion to Talks

12 May, 2009
Daily Report for Executives
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk met with representatives of key World Trade Organization member countries May 11 for a first round of exchanges on how to get the stalled Doha trade talks back on track and towards a successful conclusion.

International trade helps solve food crisis: WTO

11 May, 2009
Reuters
GENEVA (Reuters) - International trade is part of the solution to the global food crisis and not one of its causes, the head of the World Trade Organization said on Sunday.

EU raises stakes for US in biodiesel battle

5 March, 2009
Financial Times

The European Union is gearing up to slap duties on imported US biodiesel in the latest sign of rising trade tensions as world economies slump into
recession.

S2B Letter to Martin Ríman, EU President

1 March, 2009

 
The Seattle to Brussels Network (S2B) would like to welcome you in the EU Presidency. We hope
that we will be able to build a constructive dialogue around the EU trade policy – in the direction of
a trade policy that puts people and the environment first.

Standing Firm and Acting Together Against EPAs!

1 March, 2009

The Africa Trade Network, the broadest, longest -standing network of African social, labour, women’s, faith-based, developmental, environmental, farmers, human rights and other organisations, dealing with the role and effects of international trade and trade agreements in relation to Africa’s needs and aspirations at local, national regional and continental levels, had its 11 Annual Review and Strategy meeting in Accra, Ghana, from 25 to 28 August 2008.

Agriculture Chair to prepare "challenge" paper at end of week

23 April, 2007
Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The chair of the WTO’s Doha agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Crawford Falconer of New Zealand, said Friday that he would be preparing a provocative "challenge" paper at the end of next week that would be a precursor to a revised draft of an agriculture text.

Farmers, CSOs reject accord

18 April, 2007
dawn.com
Over 100 farmers and civil society organisations on Wednesday signed a memorandum rejecting the potential agreement by the Cairns Group and termed it anti-farmer and anti-Pakistan.

Farmers hold protest against WTO regime

17 April, 2007
dawn.com
Farmers here on Tuesday took out a protest procession against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime, terming it lethal for the farming sector in poor countries.

Bipartisan Majority of U.S. Senate Cautions Bush Against New Concessions in WTO Talks

16 April, 2007
Gary G. Yerkey, BNA
A bipartisan majority of U.S. senators called on President Bush April 16 to oppose any further concessions in the World Trade Organization agriculture negotiations, saying that other WTO members have still not done enough in terms of offering enhanced market access for U.S. farm products.

Opening up of Indian imports market may prove fatal for farmers and food security

15 April, 2007
Ashok B Sharma
The suggestion of the developed world that India should open up its market for imports is likely to prove fatal for farmers and food security. US trade representative Susan Schwab in the last week urged India to open up its markets for imports, as it would help in its effort to contain the rising trend in prices.

India under pressure on special products

13 April, 2007
Ashok B Sharma & Arun S
Pressures are mounting on India to play an effective role in resolving the issue of Special Products (SPs) and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) in a way which would not hinder market access for developed countries.

Get to the truth about the SPP: A 4 part series of downloadable, educational Fact Sheets

12 April, 2007
Common Frontiers
Common Frontiers announces a new resource to help cut through the spin and clutter around the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) - a

New Pakistan Communication on Special Products

10 April, 2007
TradeObservatory
The Pakistan communication attempts to 'narrow the gaps' between the G33 negotiating position and other countries positions on Special Products, in particular Thailand's position on SPs.