10 Jul 2024
Latest news
Dear maria CHADZIDAKIS VAVOURANAKIS,
Below are the news items published today on the WTO public website which match with your news preferences.
NEWS ITEM
DDG Ellard, at FAO meeting, urges completion of critical work on fisheries subsidies
Addressing the 36th session of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries in Rome on 10 July, WTO Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard highlighted the critical importance of entering into force the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and successfully concluding the second wave of negotiations for additional provisions. DDG Ellard noted that the WTO Fish Fund is ready to support developing members and least-developed country members once the Agreement enters into force.
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NEWS ITEM
Trade Policy Review: Jamaica
The fifth review of the trade policies and practices of Jamaica takes place on 10 and 12 July 2024. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Jamaica.
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NEWS ITEM
WTO members discuss efforts to reinvigorate farm trade talks
The Chair of the WTO's agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy of Türkiye, invited members to share details of their ongoing efforts to reinvigorate talks on agricultural trade at a meeting of the Agriculture Committee on 5 July. He also encouraged them to share their thoughts on how the negotiations can be resumed after the summer break.
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WTO Thematic Course on Trade in Value Added and Global Value Chains concludes in Geneva
A group of 30 government officials from 26 WTO members and observer governments completed the fourth thematic course on trade in value added and global value chains (GVCs), which took place in Geneva from 1 to 5 July. The training programme aimed to deepen participants’ understanding of trade in value added concepts, tools and indicators, with a view to enhancing their use in policy-making related to trade and GVCs.
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WTO monitoring shows members acting to facilitate trade despite protectionist pressures
WTO members continue to introduce more trade-facilitating measures than trade-restricting measures on goods, an important signal of members’ commitment to keep trade flowing despite the current geopolitical uncertainty, according to the latest Trade Monitoring Update issued on 8 July. The Update, covering the period between mid-October 2023 and mid-May 2024, also notes a rapid increase in industrial policy subsidies, particularly in areas related to climate change and national security.
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Revisit rulebook on food and agriculture, DG Okonjo-Iweala urges workshop participants
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 2 July urged members to revisit the organization’s rulebook on food and agriculture. She made her remarks at a two-day workshop for members and external experts dedicated to examining contemporary challenges in the agriculture sector in the context of WTO negotiations.
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Steering Committee of the WTO Fish Fund moves towards making the Fund operational
At its second meeting held on 3 July, the Steering Committee of the WTO Fish Fund endorsed several framework documents that will govern the Fund’s operations once the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies enters into force. The Fund was created to support developing and least-developed country members’ (LDCs) implementation of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
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Advanced course on economic analysis of trade policy concludes in Geneva
A group of 25 government officials, researchers and academics from various WTO members and observer governments concluded on 28 June a five-day advanced course on economic analysis of trade policy. The objective of the training programme was to equip participants with the essential skills to conduct detailed economic analysis, a vital first step in designing trade policies.
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WTO members consider four regional trade agreements
At the meeting of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) on 2 July, WTO members reviewed four RTAs involving Cambodia, Iceland, India, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Ambassador Salomon Eheth of Cameroon, the new CRTA chair, also provided an update on RTAs still to be considered by the Committee.
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Goods trade posts 1% growth in the first quarter of 2024 after 2023 plateau
The volume of world merchandise trade turned up in the first quarter of 2024 after remaining flat throughout 2023, according to the latest trade statistics released by the WTO. Merchandise trade as measured by the average of exports and imports was up 1.0% in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter. Trade in the first quarter was also up 1.4% compared to the same period in 2023.
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Working group on small business considers future topics for discussion
At its meeting on 1 July, the Informal Working Group (IWG) on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) considered possible topics for discussion in their future work. The Group welcomed Mauritius, Cabo Verde and Maldives as new participants, bringing the total number of WTO members taking part in the initiative to 103.
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Members advance Sixth Review of SPS Agreement, address trade concerns
WTO members made further progress on the Sixth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) at a meeting of the SPS Committee on 25-28 June. They also discussed numerous trade concerns and acknowledged the Declaration adopted at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) on enhancing the implementation of special and differential treatment provisions in the SPS Agreement and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. Cecilia Risolo of Argentina was elected as new Chair of the Committee.
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Report highlights success of EIF in helping disadvantaged countries address global challenges
Projects funded by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) have helped “least-developed countries (LDCs) in achieving significant milestones,” said Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a meeting of the EIF Steering Committee on 28 June. The meeting saw the launch of the “EIF Phase Two Report: Delivering on inclusive trade for the LDCs”, which looks into how the EIF has helped LDCs between 2016 and 2023 to better integrate into world trade amidst multiple global crises.
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