Ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement: The Case of Cameroon
This Note looks at the Costs and Benefits of an EPA for Cameroon if it would ratify the interim-EPA.
The main benefit of the EPA would be the avoidance of duties that EU importers would have to pay. If Cameroon would fall back to EU GSP, these duties would amount to USD 42.5 million / year (top-30 exports under EU GSP). In the case of the GSP+, only two key products will face tariffs: bananas and malt extract/food preparation with low cocoa contents. (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…)
Statement at the high-level panel on Trade, at the LDC-IV conference, Istanbul
Trade has been at the centre of discussion of LDCs improving their economy and social conditions. It was said that LDCs are not integrated into the world economy; that is why they are marginalized. This is not true. Many LDCs have higher exports to GNP ratio than some developed countries. (more…)
EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP): Tools Protecting European Farmers.
The European Union (EU) uses a plethora of policy instruments to protect its agricultural sector and to ensure that European farmers, despite having higher production costs, are still able to continue production for both the European and export markets.
EU’s Increasing Use Of Decoupled Domestic Supports In Agriculture: Implications For Developing Countries.
The EU has been undertaking reform in its Common Agricultural Policy. Nevertheless, subsidies to EU agricultural producers are continuing. The major change is that 93% of these supports are now provided in the form of direct aid payments to producers. (more…)
EPAs and WTO Compatibility – A Development Perspective.
The discussion on WTO compatibility in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and ACP countries has so far been very narrowly defined, and largely from the perspective of the European Union. (more…)
EPA Contentious Issues Matrix: Key Problems and Some Recommendations.
The document contains a matrix of 21 contentious issues pertaining to the goods negotiations in the EPAs. For each issue, the ‘best’ language (i.e. least damaging language) from the various EPA texts is identified. The problems posed by these contentious issues are then highlighted, and some recommendations provided. (more…)
Statement at UNTAD Trade and Development Board, Geneva
First, I would like to reattribute the UNCTAD for its 45 years anniversary on trade work. The UNCTAD has been playing very important roles in the past; the birth of the UNCAD was to make up the vacuum in the trading systems. (more…)
The ACRE Program – A Volatile New Source of U.S. Amber Box Spending.
WTO member countries viewed the 2007-08 farm policy debate as a measure of U.S. seriousness in getting a Doha Round deal. Congress brushed aside these objections and passed a Farm Bill that maintains high levels of subsidies for larger-scale farm operations. (more…)
Statement at the UN General Assembly Extraordinary Thematic Dialogue on The World Financial And Economic Crisis And Its Impact On Development, New York
1. The extraordinarily serious global economic crisis has its origins in the developed countries. Developing countries are not responsible, but they are severely affected, and in ways that are worse than the developed countries, as they also lack the means to counter the effects. (more…)
Comments to the Second Revision of the WTO NAMA Draft Modalities.
This note contains preliminary comments to the second revision of the Draft modalities for WTO NAMA negotiations, released on 20 May 2008 by the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Market Access (TN/MA/W/103/Rev.1). (more…)
