Recent World Trade Organization Notices
The World Trade Organization recently posted the following notices:​
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- Fisheries subsidies talks move forward with seven proposals and forthcoming compilation. WTO members on July 18 agreed to move to the next phase of negotiations on fisheries subsidies after a surge of new and revised proposals aimed at reaching a decision by December at the Ministerial Conference were submitted (here).
- Ecuador confirms final removal of import surcharges. WTO members welcomed Ecuador’s announcement that it has completely removed import surcharges imposed in 2015 to address the country’s deteriorating balance of payments situation. Ecuador told a meeting of the WTO’s Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions on July 21 that the final phase-out of the surcharges was made effective on June 1 (here).
- WTO members step up work to ensure implementation of Trade Facilitation Agreement. WTO members stepped up efforts to ensure the implementation of the landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) at the July 19 meeting of the Committee on Trade Facilitation. Members highlighted the need for continued submissions of remaining ratifications and notifications and worked on defining the committee’s work and procedures (here).
- WTO members record lowest monthly average in new trade restrictions since 2008. Between mid-October 2016 and mid-May 2017 WTO members recorded the lowest monthly average of new trade restrictions since the financial crisis of 2008, according to the Director-General’s mid-year report on trade-related developments presented to members on July 24. Director-General Roberto Azevêdo welcomed this news, and urged WTO members to show continued moderation. The report also shows that the trade coverage of the trade-facilitating measures was significantly higher than that of the restrictions (here).
- Items proposed for consideration at the next meeting of Dispute Settlement Body. The WTO Secretariat has circulated a meeting notice and list of items proposed for the next meeting, on July 20, 2017, of the Dispute Settlement Body (here).
- Goods negotiations restart, members divided on transparency proposal. WTO members on July 21 took up a proposal which proponents said would facilitate the participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in global trade by establishing rules to bring about greater transparency and access to information pertaining to government regulations on food and product safety (here).
- DG Azevêdo welcomes India’s Minister Sitharaman to the WTO. Director-General Roberto Azevêdo met July 18 with Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss developments at the WTO and preparations for the 11th Ministerial Conference to be held in Buenos Aires, Dec. 10-13 (here).