Articles

WTO Trade Negotiations Committee hears assessments on state of negotiations

31 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Aug05/2)
The Trade Negotiations Committee heard assessments from members on 28 July 2005on the state of play in the negotiations, with many members expressing disappointment that there had not been as much progress as scheduled, and urging that negotiating momentum pick up from September, after the summer break.

Democracy Sold Out - CAFTA Approved by Pork and a Hill of Beans; Razor Thin Vote Seals Fate Against More Expansion of NAFTA

28 July, 2005
by Deborah James
At 12:03 am on July 28th, the House of Representatives approved the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA. CAFTA, which would expand NAFTA to Central America and the Dominican Republic, would devastate farmers, privatize essential public services, and accelerate the race to the bottom on wages in the US and all over Central America.

?Make or Break' Re-Launch in September

28 July, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
Key members of the World Trade Organization yesterday vowed to launch a make-or-break next phase of Doha Development Agenda consultations starting in September to arrive at full modalities in agriculture, market access for industrial products and services

Washington Trade Daily

28 July, 2005
Agriculture
The highlight of yesterday's one-year assessment of the Doha Development Agenda farm negotiations focused mostly on the evaluation by agriculture negotiations chairman Tim Groser

Cafta Vote Clouds Prospects For Other Trade Deals; Bitter Fight Reveals Fears of Globalization, as Talks in Doha Round Languish

28 July, 2005
By NEIL KING JR. in Washington, SCOTT MILLER in Geneva and JOHN LYONS in Mexico City, The Wall Street Journal
Congressional approval of a trade pact with six small Central American countries nudged forward the Bush administration's free-trade agenda. But the close vote and bitter fight underscored anxiety about the pace of globalization and clouded prospects for approval of future deals.

Sparking the Process in Geneva

28 July, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
General Council Chair Amina Mohamad will announce a 'rigorous and regimented' work program leading to an ambitious outcome at the World Trade Organization Hong Kong ministerial conference this December

Ambassador Jara's report to the Trade Negotiations Committee

27 July, 2005
focusweb.org
Following the World Trade Organization (WTO) Mini-Ministerial Meeting in Dalian, China earlier this month, Ambassador Alejandro Jara, Chairman of the WTO Council for Trade in Services Special Session, issued a report on the state of play in the Doha Round services negotiations.

Press release: Passage of DR-CAFTA Bad News for Farmers

27 July, 2005
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
The passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in the U.S. House of Representatives late last night signals a major setback for U.S. sugar farmers and a damaging blow to Central American farmers

European Commission's DG Trade reply to questions raised by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)

27 July, 2005
Olivier Hoedeman, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
The European Commission's DG Trade has finally replied to questions raised by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) about the privileged access and influence of industry lobby groups like the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) and the European Services Forum (ESF).

India's Revamped Services Offer

27 July, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
India yesterday offered a substantial market-opening for foreign financial services companies

NAMA chair confirms impasse in NAMA negotiations

27 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/13)
The talks on non-agricultural market access(NAMA) are at an impasse on key issues and the consultations at the WTO this weekcould not come up with agreement, according to Ambassador Stefan Johannesson ofIceland.

No progress in agriculture talks

26 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/13)
There has been no progress in the agriculture talks over the past days, but it is not a crisis

WTO agriculture talks centre on 'FIPS-plus' process

24 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/11)
Negotiations on agriculture in the World Trade Organisation have been taking place in a small group involving 14 WTO member countries (known as the extended FIPs, five interested parties)

Jara vows to work on advancing services, says offers fall short

21 July, 2005
Inside US Trade
The chairman of the Doha round's services negotiating group this week told the Trade Negotiations Committee that offers now on the table provide few if any new commercial opportunities to services companies.

U.N. Adviser: Africa Should Refuse Talks

18 July, 2005
By Tom Maliti, Washington Post
The United Nations' top poverty adviser said Monday that African countries should refuse to begin negotiations on a new round of world trade talks if rich nations do not cut farm subsidies and tariffs.

G8 moves a bit on aid and debt, but fails on trade and climate

14 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/8)
The recent G8 Summit in Gleneagles has been proclamed to be proofof the G8's new commitment to development. However the outcome was mixed, with some progress in aid and debt.

Economic arguments surrounding CAFTA remain misunderstood

13 July, 2005
Mark Weisbrot
As the U.S. House of Representatives moves closer to a vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), much of the debate over the economic costs and benefits to all potential signatories remains unclear.

Splitting Down the Middle on NAMA

13 July, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
At the wrap-up of the latest informal trade ministerial meeting conducted by the World Trade Organization yesterday, Deputy US Trade Representative Peter Allgeier made a strong case for a two-coefficient simple 'Swiss' formula to cut industrial tariffs.

Major differences remain in NAMA talks

12 July, 2005
TWN Info WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/7)
A week of discussions (beginning on 4 July) in the Negotiating Group on Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) ended on the morning of 7 July with indications that the end-July target for coming up with 'first approximations' on the deal to be taken to Hong Kong was not likely to be met.(M.Khor)

WTO Agriculture Talks: 'First approximation' unlikely by end July

11 July, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jul05/6)
Negotiations on agriculture ended Wednesday with the Chairperson Tim Groser concluding that the chances are unlikely at this stage that he will be able to produce a 'first approximation' of the full modalities on agriculture by the end of July.