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10 Sep 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 WTO Public Forum 2024 kicks off with record participation expected The 2024 edition of the WTO’s Public Forum kicked off on 10 September with a record number of participants expected to attend. This year’s theme for the nearly 140 sessions taking place over the course of the four-day event is how re-globalization can help make trade more inclusive. The first day of the Public Forum saw the presentation of the WTO’s 2024 World Trade Report by Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Chief Economist Ralph Ossa as well as the launch of the WTO’s new Trade Concerns Database. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM Trade and inclusiveness: How to make trade work for all Making trade more inclusive is a key priority for WTO members. Their shared goal is to ensure that trade benefits more economies and more people, building on the vision articulated in the preamble of the WTO’s founding Marrakesh Agreement. The 30th anniversary of this agreement provides a natural opportunity to review past progress, assess current trends and identify the path forward towards making trade work for all. Blog   ⟶

NEWS ITEM DG Okonjo-Iweala meets Young Trade Leaders on eve of Public Forum, welcomes youth input The WTO’s Young Trade Leaders met with Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on 9 September at the start of a comprehensive programme of activities for the group during the Public Forum. The Director-General congratulated them on becoming the first cohort of Young Trade Leaders and stressed the importance of this initiative in helping to better connect the WTO with young people around the world. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM Key role of WTO rules in furthering development objectives in focus at Public Forum A panel held on Day 3 of the 2024 WTO Public Forum explored how developing economies and least-developed countries (LDCs) can optimize the flexibilities contained in WTO agreements to advance economic prosperity through trade. Panellists focused in particular on the participation of these economies in trade in agriculture, textiles and e-commerce. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM WTO, World Bank launch Trade in Services for Development Initiative at Public Forum The WTO and the World Bank launched the Trade in Services for Development Initiative, a new joint Aid for Trade work programme, on Day 2 of the 2024 Public Forum to help developing economies benefit fully from the economic growth and development opportunities presented by services trade. The United Kingdom announced an upcoming contribution of up to USD 1 million (CHF 780,000), the first in support of the initiative. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM WTO announces winner of 2024 Essay Award for Young Economists The winner of the 2024 WTO Essay Award for Young Economists is Carlos Góes of the University of California, San Diego. His paper, “Trade, Growth, and Product Innovation”, was ranked first by the Selection Panel. He was presented with his prize of CHF 5,000 at the annual meeting of the European Trade Study Group in Athens (Greece) on 12 September 2024. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM Harvard’s Jason Furman urges continued embrace of trade to further reduce global inequality Trade and globalization have been key to reducing global inequality and raising living standards and as the world faces new challenges the WTO plays a crucial role in fostering a more inclusive trading system, noted Harvard Economics Professor Jason Furman in the Opening Lecture on Day 2 of the WTO Public Forum on 11 September. The event, opened by Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, brought together WTO ambassadors, intergovernmental and non-governmental representatives, business leaders and academics. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM WTO and ITC commence implementation of fund for women exporters, welcome first grant The WTO and the International Trade Centre (ITC) on 11 September kickstarted at the WTO Public Forum the implementation of the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, a global fund to help women tap into opportunities in international trade and the digital economy. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton also signed the first grant agreement to the WEIDE Fund with the United Arab Emirates government. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM China initiates dispute complaint against Canadian surtax measures China has requested WTO dispute consultations with Canada regarding surtax measures imposed by Canada on certain products of Chinese origin, including electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products. The request was circulated to WTO members on 11 September. News item   ⟶

NEWS ITEM Indonesia launches safeguard investigation on polyethylene On 11 September 2024, Indonesia notified the WTO's Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 9 September a safeguard investigation on polyethylene containing 5% or less alpha-olefin monomers in other than liquid/paste form. News item   ⟶