The WTO’s Agriculture Domestic Supports Negotiations
The historical problems in agriculture continue today. Developed countries with the financial capacity continue to subsidise their farmers and export these agricultural products. This has also been enabled by the Uruguay Round through large AMS entitlements for mostly developed countries ($19 billion for US and now about $95 billion for EU27), as well as the Green Box (Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture). (more…)
10 documents were distributed to WTO Members on 26 November 2013 at the last General Council meeting before the Bali Ministerial Conference (MC9). These documents are being transmitted to Bali. (more…)
WTO’s MC9: Analysis of the Food Security ‘Peace Clause’ Text
The Peace Clause is time-limited (4 years) and partial in coverage (no inclusion of the WTO’s Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures- ASCM). Countries can still be taken to dispute. It also has onerous and intrusive transparency and information requirements and conditions. (more…)
WTO Negotiations on Trade Facilitation: Development Perspectives
A possible new trade facilitation agreement has occupied the most time in the preparations for the WTO’s Ministerial Conference in Bali in December. A new experts report is being issued by the South Centre on “WTO’s Trade Facilitation Negotiations: Development Perspectives”. (more…)
A WTO Treaty on Trade Facilitation? Regulatory, Institutional, Legislative, and Cost Challenges for Developing Countries
The WTO members are negotiating a possible trade facilitation agreement, which could be a potential outcome in the WTO’s Bali Ministerial in December. However, the developing countries face many challenges in such a treaty and have asked for special and differential treatment as well as finance to meet the costs of new obligations. (more…)
An agreement on trade facilitation is being propped as a viable outcome from the World Trade Organization (WTO) 9th Ministerial Conference, to be held in Bali at the end of 2013. WTO Members formally agreed to launch negotiations on trade facilitation in 2004 pursuant to the July 2004 Framework Package (referred to as the post-Cancun decision) . (more…)
Brief on Bali Issues; Summary Evaluation and Recommendations
I. INTRODUCTION
The WTO Membership is looking at four mains areas for possible decisions in Bali; as of mid-September the issues have been categorized as follows, in the manner of a package: (more…)
Special And Differential Treatment Under A Potential Trade Facilitation Agreement
I. BACKGROUND
Negotiations of a trade facilitation (TF) agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) were launched pursuant to the 2004 July Framework Package (referred to as the post-Cancun decision). (more…)
Summary of South Centre Analysis of Implementation Issues Likely to Arise from Trade Facilitation Rules
This note provides a summary of the South Centre’s analysis of the implementation issues that might arise from new trade facilitation rules as proposed under Section I of the trade facilitation negotiating text (based on TN/TF/W/165/Rev.16). It also highlights few general considerations in regard to the overall negotiations on trade facilitation. (more…)
Summary Table of the Cancun Annex C 28, Special and Differential Treatment Proposals.
The Cancun Annex C containing 28 S&D proposals has been put forward for possible adoption at the WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference (MC9) in December 2013. (more…)
WTO’s MC8: Some Critical Issues for Developing Countries.
This Analytical Note provides an overview of the following: issues at stake in MC8 for developing countries and key messages for Ministers; the state of play including the main events that took place in the production of the ‘Elements for Political Guidance’ text; the legal status of the Chairman’s Statement as the outcome document of the Ministerial; (more…)
