Articles

Assessment of Tim Groser on Agriculture Negotiations

30 June, 2005
IATP
An assessment of the current agriculture negotiations by Tim Groser

Trade Pacts to the South Losing Appeal

29 June, 2005
By Juan Forero, New York Times
An ambitious American plan for a hemisphere-wide trade pact is mired in disputes that have led to widespread skepticism about its chances of ever materializing.

Controversial 'benchmarking' idea to dominate GATS talks?

27 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/11)
It is still not clear what exactly the proponents of 'benchmarking' are proposing. However, many developing countries have been sceptical about the concept, believingthat it is being used as an instrument to oblige them to open up more of their servicessectors and in more ways than they would otherwise like.(M.Khor)

Services Still At a Standstill in Geneva

26 June, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
A 'brain-storming' session on Friday among nine key members of the World Trade Organization to set quantitative benchmarks in the sluggish Doha Development Agenda services negotiations has failed to bring about convergence

Civil society groups voice concerns over GATS talks at WTO

26 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/10)
More than 160 civil society organizations from around the world sent a letter to WTO ambassadors in Geneva Thursday expressing their deep concerns regarding the current round of negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which is part of the 'single undertaking'under the July 2004 Framework

Civil Society Statement to the Trade Experts Meeting preparing for the Meeting of the Ministers Responsible for Trade in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Livingstone, Zambia, 25 June 2005

25 June, 2005
IAfrica
Civil Society Statement to the Trade experts meeting preparing for the meeting of the ministers responsible for trade in LDCs

Trade: WTO members discuss 'tiered' tariff cuts in agriculture

24 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/8)
Agriculture negotiations resumed in the WTO from 30 May to 3 June, with members engaging since 30 May on issues relating to market access for the first time after an understanding was reached earlier this month among the major countries on the conversion of non ad valorem duties to ad valorem equivalents.

WIPO members split on future work on patent law treaty

24 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/7)
A meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation's standingcommittee on patents (SCP) was held on 1-2 June 2005. At the meeting,WIPO member states were unable to agree on how the future workof the committee should proceed(M.Khor)

Key ?building blocks? for disciplines at the end of the implementation period

24 June, 2005
IATP
EC proposal on food aid presented at a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in Divonne on 18th June 2005

No agreement on future work of WIPO Patents Committee

24 June, 2005
TWN Info on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/9)
The Standing Committee on the Law ofPatents (SCP) at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ended itsmeeting on 3 June 2005 without any agreement among Member States on how the future workprogramme of the committee should proceed.

Trade: WTO Rules Group discusses new proposal on anti-dumping

24 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/8)
The WTO Negotiating Group on Rules, holding a weeklong meeting (30 May - 3 June), has received a new proposal with respect to thedetermination of dumping margins under the Anti-Dumping Agreement.

Divisions continue at WIPO patents committee meeting

24 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/8)
Divisions continue at WIPO patents committee meeting of the WIPO Standing Committee on Patents, held on 1-2 June 2005.

Battle of Swiss vs Swiss-type formula continues in NAMA negotiations

22 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/6)
Negotiations on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) at the WTO wrapped up a week-long meeting on 10 June with the Chair of the talks indicating that support for a simple Swiss formula for tariff reduction 'has grown measurably.'(M.Khor)

Civil Society Slams Services Negotiations at the WTO; Developing Countries Pressured To Open Services to Foreign Corporations

22 June, 2005
Alexandra Strickner
Over 160 civil society organizations from around the world sent a letter to WTO ambassadors today calling on negotiators to stop pressuring developing countries to open up their services sector to the corporations based in industrialized countries.

A ?Green Room? Meeting Today

22 June, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
World Trade Organization Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi holds a small 'green room' meeting today to finalize how the process leading to the end-of-July General Council session can be conducted

G20 Proposal on the Green Box

21 June, 2005
IATP
The main objective of this review and clarification is to ensure that domestic support measures notified conform to the fundamental requirement that they have no, or at most minimal, trade-distorting effects or effects on production

Canadian Proposal on the Green Box

21 June, 2005
IATP
In response to the Chair

New TWN Paper on WTO Negotiations on NAMA

20 June, 2005
TWN
The paper examines key elements of the NAMA negotiations, the history of protectionism in industrial products (including the use of tariffs by developed countries), the optimal use of industrial tariffs at different phases of a country

Sorting Out the DDA End Process

19 June, 2005
Washington Trade Daily
A dozen capital-based senior trade officials today will be asked by the European Union to provide some indication as to how far they can go in advancing all the pillars of the Doha Development Agenda work program

WTO members discuss 'tiered' tariff cuts in agriculture

13 June, 2005
TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Jun05/1)
A session of mainly informal negotiations took place at the WTOon agriculture issues on 30 May to 3 June. One of the key issues discussed was market access, especially the nature of the 'tiered formula' for tariff reductions.(M.Khor)