Articles

Moving 'In Concert' in Geneva

23 February, 2006
Lori M. Wallach
Brazil is more than willing to come forward with an improved offer on reducing tariffs for industrials beyond its 54 percent cut already announced if the European Union improves its stance on agricultural market access and the United States further reduces its own domestic farm supports, said Brasilia's chief trade negotiator in Geneva yesterday.

Agriculture: No convergence from week of consultations

23 February, 2006
By Kanaga Raja, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/18)
A week-long series of meetings on agriculture on 13-17 February at the WTO did not result in more convergence on the issues covered, although positions of various countries or groupings were further clarified.

New proposal on reducing cotton domestic subsidies

23 February, 2006
By Kanaga Raja, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/18)
A new proposal was tabled last week on an accelerated programme for reducing domestic support for cotton by the four West African countries that are co-sponsors of the sectoral initiative in favour of cotton.

WIPO meeting discusses African and Colombian proposals

22 February, 2006
Sangeeta Shashikant (TWN): Geneva, 23 Feb 2006
The third day of the meeting of the WIPO's Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a Development Agenda (PCDA) discussed proposals of the Africa Group and Colombia.

Technical paper by US and New Zealand on sensitive agriculture products

22 February, 2006
IATP
A link to a technical paper produced by the U.S. and New Zealand on an approach to sensitive agriculture products in the WTO agriculture negotiations.

WTO services talks resume, uncertainty on plurilaterals

21 February, 2006
By Kanaga Raja, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/16)
The Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services, meeting this week for the first time since the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, has been taking up some organizational matters including on how to proceed with respect to the plurilateral process.

WTO's plurilateral services negotiations are voluntary, stresses developing countries

21 February, 2006
By Goh Chien Yen, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/17)
At a meeting on services at the WTO last week, several developing countries have stressed their understanding that participation in the plurilateral mode of negotiations would be on a voluntary and non-compulsory basis.

WIPO: Most delegations and NGOs support 'public domain' proposal

21 February, 2006
Sangeeta Shashikant (TWN) Geneva, 22 Feb 2006
The importance of the 'public domain' in knowledge and the need to protect it from the incursion of private rights was a strong theme on the second day of the WIPO meeting on the Development Agenda initiative taking place here this week.

Norway takes salmon row to WTO in surprise move

21 February, 2006
By Lisbeth Kirk
The Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs announced on Tuesday (21 February) it will bring EU rules to curb salmon trade to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Development: Development Agenda process resumes in WIPO

21 February, 2006
By Sangeeta Shashikant, TWN Info on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/14)
The process on a Development Agenda for the World Intellectual Property Organisation resumes with a week-long meeting starting 20 February.

Questions For a NAMA Text

20 February, 2006
Washington Trade Daily
The friends of ambition in Doha market access negotiation for industrial products led by the United States and the European Union on Monday submitted a set of questions to negotiations chair Don Stephenson suggesting how to finalize modalities by the end of April, WTD has learned (WTD, 2/20/06).

Agriculture Chairperson issues list of WTO negotiating issues

20 February, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/12)
A long list of questions has been distributed by the Chairperson of the agriculture negotiations for members to use during the 'agriculture week' of negotiations being held at the WTO this week.

WIPO: G77 calls for structured talks at Development Agenda meeting

20 February, 2006
Sangeeta Shashikant (TWN)
The start of substantive discussion on the Development Agenda was delayed at a WIPO meeting on Monday due to wrangling over who would be the Chair.

Big losses projected for developing countries from WTO's NAMA proposals

19 February, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/12)
Developing countries are projected to suffer significant 'adjustment costs' as a result of reduction commitments in industrial tariffs under the Doha agenda. The costs, which will vary among different countries, include loss of output and jobs in some industrial sectors and loss of government revenue.

Sensitive products are key

19 February, 2006
By Ian Elliott, Feedstuffs
A DEAL on 'sensitive products' is one of the keys to unlocking progress in World Trade Organization talks on market access, Canada's lead agricultural negotiator Steve Verheul said recently.

UNCTAD panel debates state of WTO services negotiations

19 February, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/11)
Developing countries taking part in an UNCTAD meeting have reiterated that they are entitled to exercise flexibility when deciding on liberalisation commitments in the WTO's services agreement (GATS).

ACP Group wants development focus at WTO's trade facilitation talks

16 February, 2006
Kanaga Raja (SUNS): Geneva, 17 Feb 2006
In the context of the current negotiations on trade facilitation, development must be the main objective and focus, said the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of developing countries in a proposal submitted to the WTO's Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation.

UNCTAD raises development concerns on services liberalization

16 February, 2006
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb06/9)
Trade liberalization alone does not automatically lead to services growth and development in developing countries, and there is a need to establish necessary preconditions such as flanking policies and regulatory frameworks for liberalization to yield development-oriented results, according to a new UNCTAD paper.

Ways and means chair says US should drop lagging FTA partners

16 February, 2006
Inside US Trade
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) this week said the U.S. should drop partners in free trade agreement negotiations if talks on those agreements are not progressing.

US Congress Keeps Its Hands Untied on Agriculture Subsidies

14 February, 2006
David, FoE
A revised one-page factsheet on US Congressional resistance to agriculture policy reform