Recent World Trade Organization Notices
The World Trade Organization recently posted the following notices:​
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- Azevêdo begins second term as Director-General; sets the course for MC11 and beyond. Roberto Azevêdo marked the start of his second term as WTO Director-General on Sept. 1, focusing on the challenges facing the trading system and stressing the importance of the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11), which will take place in Buenos Aires in December. His term will run for four years, until Aug. 31, 2021 (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 Sept. 22, of the Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members and oversees legal disputes among them. The meeting notice is circulated in the form of a document officially called an “airgram” (here) and (here).
- WTO members resume fisheries subsidies negotiations after August pause. At the Sept. 11-12 informal meeting of the Negotiating Group on Rules (NGR), WTO members started to comb through a compilation matrix of seven proposals to limit harmful fisheries subsidies. Line-by-line topical discussions based on the matrix are aimed at paving the way for a well-supported, draft decision text for submission to the MC11 in December (here).
- Members welcome active engagement of Belarus in WTO accession process. WTO members welcomed the active engagement of Belarus in its efforts to become a member of the organization and expressed readiness to maintain the positive momentum in the ongoing negotiations, at the meeting held by the Working Party on the country’s accession on Sept. 13 -- just over seven months after the last formal meeting (here).
- DG Azevêdo: China’s commitment to openness will continue to drive the economy forward. Director-General Roberto Azevêdo visited Beijing, China, on Sept. 12 to participate in the “1+6” roundtable meeting hosted by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, together with five other heads of major international economic organizations and financial institutions (the IMF, World Bank, ILO, OECD and the Financial Stability Board). They discussed the continued need to promote an open and inclusive global economy, and the central role of the multilateral trading system in this effort (here).
- Indonesia files WTO complaint over Australian duties on paper imports. On Sept. 1, Indonesia requested WTO consultations with Australia regarding Australia’s decision to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of A4 copy paper from Indonesia, and the investigation and determination leading to the imposition of the duties. Indonesia charges that Australia’s actions appear to be inconsistent with provisions under the WTO’s Anti-Dumping Agreement regarding the determination of dumping (here).
- Appellate Body issues report regarding EU anti-dumping measures on fatty alcohols from Indonesia. On Sept. 5, the WTO Appellate Body issued its report in the case “European Union – Anti-Dumping Measures on Imports of Certain Fatty Alcohols from Indonesia” (DS442) (here).
- Trade Policy Review: Jamaica. The fourth review of the trade policies and practices of Jamaica (here).