News on Policy Developments

Note: links are valid for as long as the provider of the information makes them accessible.

FAO assessing damage in countries devastated by tsunamis in South Asia, FAO, 29 December 2004
FAO is conducting damage assessment missions in each of the countries affected by Sunday's devastating tsunamis in South Asia to assess the impact on the agriculture and fisheries sectors and provide detailed information on the assistance needed.

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Russia won't sacrifice its national interests for speedy WTO admission, Russian Information Agency Novosti, 21 December 2004
The additional terms set by the Word Trade Organisation (WTO) to Russia as part of admission negotiations pose a threat to the Russian economy, says Andrei Kondakov, the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Economic Cooperation Department.

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U.S. Wins WTO Case Against EU Over Geographical Food Names, USDA, 21 December 2004
The United States wins a case in the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the European Union system for protecting certain geographical food names -- called geographical indications, or GIs -- as trademarks. A U.S. trade official says the EU would have to change its system to let U.S. and other non-EU producers submit applications for GI protection to the EU registry.

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Beijing considers WTO mini-ministerial meetings, Asia News, 21 December 2004
Beijing is considering holding a mini-ministerial series early next year before the next round of World Trade Organization talks set for Hong Kong in December 2005, China's first ambassador to the WTO said Tuesday.

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South Korea agrees to import more rice after WTO negotiations, Canada.com, 20 December 2004
South Korea has tentatively agreed to allow rice imports of up to eight per cent of domestic consumption by 2014, government officials said Friday.

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Ecuador Plans Coordinated WTO Opposition to EU's Banana Tariff, Bloomberg.com, 21 December 2004
Ecuador, the world's biggest banana exporter, will next month try to coordinate opposition in Central and Latin America to European Union plans to slap a single duty on imports of the fruit, re-igniting a nine-year-old dispute.

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Locust attacks and civil strife compound effects of drought in sub-Saharan Africa, Rome, 20 December 2004
Despite normal or above-average food production in some countries during 2004, food security in sub-Saharan Africa has taken a hit from a combination of factors, including drought, invasions by crop-devouring locusts and civil conflicts, says FAO's Africa Report.

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UN launches Web site on humanitarian early warning, Rome/Geneva/New York 15 December 2004
United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC), a body that fosters enhanced interagency collaboration on humanitarian policy and operations, launched today a new humanitarian early warning service Web site.

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Greater investment in agriculture essential to achieve Millennium Development Goals, Rome, 14 December 2004
Greater investment in agriculture and rural development is essential to spur economic growth in developing countries and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today on the 40th anniversary of its Investment Centre, established in 1964 in partnership with the World Bank to increase support to agriculture

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Lamy says France proposed him as WTO chief,  Reuters, 13 December 2004
France has formally proposed former EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as a candidate to become the head of the WTO, Lamy says. EU governments backed Frenchman Lamy as Europe's candidate last week.

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China faces up to WTO challenges, Hindustan Times, 12 December 2004
Three years after its accession to the WTO, China is coping with the challenges brought by intense foreign competition boldly during the 'transition stage,' expanding the reach of its products in global markets.

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Europe backs special treatment for weaker economies, The Jamaica Observer, 13 December 2004
Speaking to Ministers from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of nations in Brussels on December 1, the new European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson suggested the need for a global strategy for small and vulnerable economies that takes account of the distinctive development profile of each individual developing country. "Advanced developing countries must be aware that they cannot be granted the same advantages and privileges as the weak and vulnerable," he argued.

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Hunger costs millions of lives and billions of dollars - FAO hunger report, FAO Rome, 8 December 2004
Hunger and malnutrition cause tremendous human suffering, kill more than five million children every year, and cost developing countries billions of dollars in lost productivity and national income, according to FAO's annual hunger report, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2004 (SOFI 2004). FAO said it was regrettable that so little is done to fight hunger, although the resources needed to effectively prevent this human and economic tragedy are minuscule when compared to the benefits.

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China, ASEAN nations reach trade accord, Associated Press, 30 November 2004
China moved yesterday to expand its influence in a region long dominated by the United States, signing a deal with Southeast Asian nations aimed at creating the world's largest free trade area by 2010 -- a market of nearly 2 billion people.

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WTO Ready To Unleash Campaign To Find Global Trade Chief, Noticias.info, 30 Nevember 2004
The race to find the next World Trade Organization chief is due to begin on Wednesday, with at least three candidates trying to woo all 148 member states and the former EU trade chief Pascal Lamy lurking in the shadows, reports Agence France Presse (11/29). Current WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi of Thailand, is due to stand down on August 30, 2005 and his successor must steer trading nations to an agreement on scrapping more trade barriers.

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India for G-20 initiative on food safety data at WTO, The Financial Express, India, 28 November 2004
India and other members of G-20 countries plan to counter the emerging non tariff barriers imposed by the developed countries through the formation of a credible scientific database on food safety at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). India and other members of G-20 proposes to extend their unity show of WTO negotiations of July 31 framework to food safety and non tariff barriers also.

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Ten European countries voice fears over sugar reforms, EU business, 23 November 2004

Ten European countries voiced fears late Monday over a plan to overhaul sugar production in the European Union, saying that proposed reforms "depart from the fundamental principles" of the EU's common agricultural policy. In a letter delivered to new Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel on the sidelines of a meeting of EU farm ministers, the signatories asked "that the reform should aim at maintaining the existing distribution of sugar beet and sugar production on the entire EU territory". The letter was signed by Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.

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Sub-committee set up on cotton, WTO, 22 November 2004

WTO members on 19 November 2004 set up a body to focus on cotton as a specific issue in the agriculture talks, as required in the 1 August 2004 decision. The sub-committee will be open to all WTO members and observer governments. International organizations that are observers in the agriculture negotiations will also be observers in the sub-committee. It will report periodically to the agriculture negotiations body, which in turn reports to the Trade Negotiations Committee, General Council and Ministerial Conference.

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African Nations Press U.S. on Cotton, Associated Press, 18 November 2004

The United States must live up to the spirit of a deal with poor countries and halt financial aid to American cotton farmers. On the eve of a World Trade Organization meeting on cotton, West African diplomats said subsidies in rich nations cause artificially low international prices and hurt farmers in developing countries.

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APEC Ministers Urge New Effort on Trade Talks, Reuters, 17 November 2004

Pacific Rim trading nations said on Wednesday they should pool their influence to breathe new life into talks to free up world trade. Officials from China to Canada endorsed the call as trade and foreign ministers from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum met in the Chilean capital.

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Africa Churches, World Bank Try To Break Debt Cycle, Reuters, 16 November 2004

African church leaders joined forces with the World Bank on Monday to try to break the cycle of debt on an impoverished continent that only makes world headlines in times of war and famine. "The churches have enormous moral authority when you are working with the remotest villages," said Richard Scobey, head of the environment program on Africa for the World Bank. But Scobey, speaking at the start of a three-day London conference of church leaders and development agencies, conceded that Africa constantly faced the danger of Western indifference as it lurched from crisis to crisis.

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Farm Trade Negotiators Meet in Geneva, Associated Press, 15 November 2004

Farm trade negotiators kicked off a week of meetings Monday to thrash out agreements on technical issues relating to cutting tariffs and farm subsidies as they try to lay some groundwork toward reaching a binding accord on trade liberalization by the end of 2005. The agenda this week includes issues such as administration of tariff quotas, domestic support for farmers and ensuring that food aid does not contain hidden subsidies, trade officials said Monday. They described the meetings as "vital to enable headline-making news next year."

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SAARC to seek timeframe for end of agri subsidies, Daily Times, Pakistan, 15 November 2004

Members of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), are to seek a timeframe from developed countries of the WTO for the reduction of subsidies of $360 billion per annum being extended to the agriculture sector, a senior government official said. The official said in the July framework, developed countries of the WTO had agreed to reduce the agriculture sector subsides but did not provide a timeframe.

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CARIFORUM and European Commission Advance Regional Integration Elements of EPA Negotiations, CRNB, Barbados, 12 November 2004

Senior Caribbean and European Commission (EC) officials met in Barbados today, November 12.  The significance of the meeting is that it represents the formal launch of the second phase of CARIFORUM-European Union (EU) EPA negotiations.  As such, this phase will seek to establish a common understanding on the priorities for support of Caribbean regional integration, and the targets to be attained by the time of the commencement of implementation of the EPA on January 1, 2008 and beyond.

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The New European Commission: How will emerging priorities impact on ACP-EU agricultural trade relations?, Europa, 29 October 2004

An integral part of the process of appointing new Commissioners is a series of hearings in the European Parliament, a prelude to which is the submission of a questionnaire to each Commissioner both on their general perspectives and on their priorities and perspectives in their specific field of competence. On the basis of the written responses by the Commissioners concerned, the following extended brief seeks to highlight those issues potentially impinging on ACP-EU agricultural trade relations.

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Russia can join WTO on special conditions only, Itar-Tass, 6 Novemebr 2004

Russia can join the World Trade Organization (WTO) on special conditions only – the conditions that would take account of current status of the farming industry, a most vulnerable branch of national economy here, a high-rank agricultural expert told Itar-Tass. “... we must obtain special conditions for our farming sector,” said Dr Ivan Ushachov, director of the Institute of Agriculture Economics.  At present, the WTO preconditions its membership by opening the Russian market to foreign commodities. “This is inadmissible [from the angle of view of agriculture – Itar-Tass] in the current situation,” Dr Ushachov said.

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Canada Sets Parameters Ahead of Nov WTO Farm Talks, Reuters, 2 November 2004

Canada intends to tell upcoming trade talks that it will make no further concessions on the Canadian Wheat Board's marketing monopoly and will push to have U.S. and European Union domestic farm subsidies slashed, a senior government official said on Tuesday. The CWB's government-granted monopoly on sales of western Canadian wheat and barley has long been a target for the United States and European Union, as well as for developing countries that export grain. The board is one of the world's biggest grain marketers.

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A €5 Million Fast-track Fund for Trade-related Technical Assistance in Asia, ITC, 2 November 2004

Nineteen Asian developing countries stand to gain from new, fast-track access to technical assistance in a three-year programme financed by the European Commission (EC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC). They will present the €5 million Asia Trust Fund to ambassadors of the eligible countries, as well as to potential donor countries, at a meeting on 8 November 2004 in Geneva.

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Experts see delay in trade deal, The Telegraph Calcutta, 31 October 2004

UNCTAD experts expect the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations to extend well beyond the Hong Kong ministerial scheduled for December 2005 as the US presidential elections and its aftermath and the exercise to enlarge the United Nations are likely to delay decision-making in key areas related to the trade talks. It could take another two years or so for the final outcome to emerge.

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Race for new WTO DG gains momentum, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), 30 October 2004

The term of the current WTO Director General, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, comes to an end September 1, 2005.  He took up his appointment September 1, 2002. Preparations for the appointment of a new Director General are currently underway. 

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Developing Countries Prepare for 'Banana Battle', World Bank Press Reviews, 29 October 2004

Developing countries have hit back at proposed changes to the European Union's banana regime. The European Union announced Wednesday that it plans to impose a duty of 230 euros per ton of bananas when a new regime enters into force in 2006. The outgoing trade commissioner Pascal Lamy acknowledged that the level could anger some developing countries, but advised them to increase volumes of exports to maintain the same level of income.  The EU says the new level aims to prevent banana producers in ACP countries from losing business to larger growers in Latin America.

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Little Chance Seen for Finishing WTO Farm Negotiations in 2005, USINFO, 26 October 2004

Finishing World Trade Organization (WTO) agriculture negotiations by the end of 2005 is possible but not likely, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official says. Jim Grueff, assistant deputy administrator for international trade, said in a recent interview that negotiators, mindful of years of missed WTO deadlines, are reluctant to set another deadline that might not be met. The July declaration issued by trade ministers in Geneva provided the long-sought framework for conducting the agricultural negotiations and set the next WTO ministers' meeting for December 2005 in Hong Kong.

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EU proposes end to trade dispute with U.S., Associated Press, 26 October 2004

The European Union decided Monday to lift heavy punitive tariffs on U.S. goods - for now - while asking the World Trade Organization to examine possible loopholes in Washington's repeal of illegal corporate tax breaks. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy warned that sanctions - which add up to more than $300 million in 2004 - could potentially return next year if the WTO confirms EU "doubts" about the law signed Friday by U.S. President George W. Bush. Legally speaking, we will suspend the sanctions and we will keep our options open," Lamy said.

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Duma Ratifies Kyoto Protocol, World Bank Press Reviews, 25 October 2004

Russia’s State Duma ratified the Kyoto Protocol on Friday after less than two hours of debate, bringing the international treaty to limit greenhouse gases just a heartbeat away from coming into force worldwide. The motion passed with 334 votes for, 73 against and two abstentions.

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Agricultural Negotiations Backgrounder Updated, WTO, 25 October 2004

25 Oct 04 version, now on the WTO website, includes summaries of the "July package" negotiations and the framework agreed on 1 August 2004, plus the latest agricultural trade data. It also features a new navigational "tree" in the left column to make it easier to find topics.

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Coherence in Global Economic Policy-Making, WTO, 25 October 2004

At a WTO General Council special meeting on 22 October 2004 on “Coherence in Global Economic Policy-Making and Cooperation between the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank”, the Bretton Woods chiefs underscored the importance of the Doha success for development. "Cooperation among the three major economic institutions has never been more critical," WTO Director-General said.

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EU Trade Chief Seeks Overhaul Of EU Tariff Breaks For Developing Countries, Associated Press, 22 October 2004

The European Union's top trade official proposed an overhaul of trade discounts to developing countries Wednesday, a move likely to anger China and India, both of which might no longer qualify for EU trade preferences for such products as clothing and textiles. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said the plan, which still needs approval from EU governments and the European Parliament, would bring the EU's trade rules in line with the World Trade Organization, which has called on the 25-nation bloc to reform its trade system. The plan would replace five separate trade tariff systems with three, including one that would offer more market access, for up to 72,000 products, if those developing countries that qualify abide by international human rights, environment and labor standards. They will also have to combat the drug trade. The new system, if approved, would be in force from 2006-2008. 

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[more on EU GSP...]

G20 Gearing Up for Continued WTO Talks, IPS, 22 October 2004

The Group of 20 (G20), a voice for the developing South in multilateral trade negotiations, plans to expand its focus beyond the agricultural sector and seek closer ties to similar groups, according to the bloc's coordinator and spokesman, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. The G20 is an alliance of larger developing countries -- including China, India and South Africa, as well as Brazil -- that joined forces at the fifth WTO (World Trade Organisation) ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico in September 2003 to push for more open agricultural trade and oppose the farm subsidies of the wealthy developed nations. Since then, the bloc's members have continued to meet and work together towards achieving greater balance between the industrialised and developing worlds in multilateral negotiations.

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Date set for the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, WTO, 21 October 2004

The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in Hong Kong, China from 13 to 18 December 2005.

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Nepad Gets Us$480m Boost From Canada, Business Day, Johannesburg, 19 October 2004

Canada has committed $480-million towards the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) initiative, reports the Nairobi daily, East African Standard Kenyan National Planning Minister Anyang Nyong'o says Canada had disbursed $98-million to help establish the necessary structures and institutions. The G8 countries are committed to supporting the initiative, and more funds will be available in due course," said the minister. [more...]

US appealing against WTO ruling on cotton subsidies, Press Trust of India, 19 October 2004

The US Mission to the WTO said the organization's dispute settlement body (DSB) had based its ruling against the United States on "erroneous findings on issues of law and related legal interpretations." Among the points that the United States plans to appeal is the DSB finding that U.S. Subsidies have suppressed world-market prices for cotton, according to a letter written yesterday to the WTO appellate body. The letter lists a total of 14 points in the DSB ruling that the United States will challenge.

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[more on the appeal and background]

Commission appeals against WTO sugar ruling, Europa, 18 October 2004

Today, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has circulated and made public the panel reports in the dispute brought by Australia, Brazil and Thailand against the EU sugar regime. In response, the Commission announced that it would appeal the ruling. EU Agricultural Commissioner Franz Fischler stated: "We are dissatisfied with this ruling and will appeal it. But the EU’s appeal will not prevent the EU to plough on with a radical overhaul of its sugar regime. This reform is necessary for internal reasons. It will make the EU sugar sector more competitive and trade friendly."

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European Communities' export subsidies on sugar held illegal, WTO, 18 October 2004

The WTO, on 15 October 2004, issued the reports of a panel that had examined complaints by Australia, Brazil and Thailand, respectively, against European Communities' export subsidies on sugar. The WTO dispute panel ruling found that the EC subsidies for its exports of what is known as 'C' sugar and the exports of 'ACP/India equivalent sugar' have violated its obligations under the Agreement on Agriculture and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. The panel has recommended that the EC be asked to bring its sugar regime into conformity with its obligations on export subsidies under the AoA. The panel has also suggested how the EC could implement the ruling so that the preferences enjoyed in the EU by developing countries (the ACP countries, and India) need not be affected.

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Agricultural diversity holds one of the keys to ending hunger, FAO, 15 October 2004

Biological diversity is one of the keys to ending world hunger, Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said today. He was speaking at a ceremony marking World Food Day 2004, which falls on the anniversary of the foundation of FAO in 1945 and is observed in Rome and in some 150 countries around the world. This year's World Food Day theme is: "Biodiversity for Food Security".

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A food safety revolution to protect the world consumers, FAO/WHO Bangkok, 14 October 2004

Profound and at times revolutionary changes to food safety systems are starting to take place as countries learn from each other how best to protect consumers from food-borne illnesses. That was the message coming from the second FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators Building effective food safety systems, which ended its 3-day meeting recognizing the need for a more unified approach to food safety management, according to the two UN agencies.

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Wood production in Europe will shift further to the east in the next decade, Rome/Geneva, 8 October 2004

Countries in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will play a greater role in European forest products markets over the next two decades, according to a statement by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). This was one of the main conclusions of the European Forestry Sector Outlook Study, presented to the joint session of the FAO European Forestry Commission and UNECE Timber Committee in Geneva this week, to be published by end 2004.

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WTO Agriculture Session Addresses Next Steps From July Framework, Bridges, 7 October 2004

Following on from an informal meeting on 24 September, WTO Members convened on 6 October for an informal special (negotiating) session of the Committee on Agriculture. Discussions, chaired by Ambassador Tim Groser of New Zealand, focused mainly on how to carry the momentum forward from the recent July framework agreement. The July agreement, which gave a much-needed boost to the Doha Round, established a framework for conducting future substantive trade negotiations, including in agriculture.

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EU Gives Qualified 'Yes' To Turkey Talks, World Bank Press Reviews, 7 October 2004

Turkey won a green light from the European Commission on Wednesday to open membership negotiations with the European Union, a watershed decision after 40 years of on-again, off-again talks. But the EU executive's recommendation carried several conditions, including the possibility of suspending talks if Ankara backtracks on democracy and human rights and of curbing any surge in labor migration once Turkey joins.

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Textile rules a WTO contention point, UPI, 3 October 2004

Rich and poor World Trade Organization member countries Friday lauded the pending removal of the restrictive textiles and apparel quota regime which has for decades governed global trade in the sector worth annually over $330 billion. However, the pending end of the fourth, and final, phase of the ten year liberalization of the sector on Jan. 1, 2005, has also raised fears among poor developing countries heavily dependent on apparel exports such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius and the Dominican Republic, and Lesotho, that China and India are likely to dominate the global markets and crowd them out in lucrative cash markets like the U.S. and the European Union.

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Developing Countries Propose WTO Study on Textiles and Clothing, Associated Press, 1 October 2004

A group of developing countries Friday proposed that the World Trade Organization study the global impact of phasing out a textiles and clothing quota system, saying many countries are losing out because of this trade liberalization. "Some studies have suggested that the elimination of quotas and the further liberalization of the sector may be beneficial to developing countries as a whole," said Servan Singh, the Mauritius ambassador to the WTO, who is co-sponsoring the proposal at a meeting of the WTO's goods council in Geneva. "But they also clearly indicate that there will be more losers, along with the winners in the process."

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Britain To Write Off Its Share Of Poor Countries, World Bank Press Reviews, 27 September 2004

Britain, in a move that puts pressure on its Group of Seven partners, said Sunday it will unilaterally write off its share of debts owed to the World Bank by the world's poorest countries. The bold gesture was announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in a speech to some 400 debt-relief and fair-trade activists in Brighton,southern England, where the Labour Party is holding its annual conference.

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Committee on World Food Security adopts Right to Food Guidelines, FAO, 24 September 2004

The FAO Committee on World Food Security (CFS) yesterday evening adopted Voluntary Guidelines to "support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security." Seen by many as a breakthrough, the adoption of the Right to Food Guidelines comes after two years of often difficult, but constructive negotiations. The objective of the Guidelines, says FAO, is "to provide practical guidance" to states in implementing their obligations relating to the right to adequate food. This should improve the chances of reaching the hunger reduction target of the World Food Summit.

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Global Recovery Under Way, but with Troubled Outlook, UNCTAD, 17 September 2004

The situation of the global economy and the outlook for developing countries is brighter than a year ago. But there is a risk that the unequal distribution of demand, the impact of higher oil prices and pressures on the dollar could lead to greater exchange-rate and financial instability and a slowdown of growth, concludes UNCTAD´s Trade and Development Report 2004.

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Up to 15 hazardous chemicals and pesticides to be added to trade "watch list", FAO/UNEP, 16 September 2004

Ministers and officials from over 100 countries will mark the debut of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade at a high-level conference in Geneva from 20 - 24 September. The Rotterdam Convention through the Prior Informed Consent procedure, provides a further tool to assist developing countries to more effectively manage hazardous chemicals and pesticides. It prevents shipments of certain hazardous chemicals into their territory unless these have explicitly agreed to their import.

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Impact of Domestic Policies on Trade the Focus of 2004 World Trade Report, WTO, 16 September 2004

Benefits from good trade policy may be attenuated or even undermined if governments pursue deficient policies in other areas of economic activity, according to the 2004 World Trade Report published by the WTO Secretariat.

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12th Raul Prebisch Lecture by Rubens Ricupero, UNCTAD, 15 September 2004

On his last day as Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Mr. Rubens Ricupero delivered the 12th Raul Prebisch Lecture to a packed audience. He reflected on the 40 years of UNCTAD – the changes in the economic and political environment and how they have influenced UNCTAD´s mandate. As a philosopher and humanist he also gave his personal views on what should be the development priorities of poor countries.

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Helping Commonwealth Developing Countries Cope With Loss of Trade Preferences, allAfrica.com, 15 September 2004

Commonwealth finance ministers will be considering a proposal on the development of a private sector fund to assist developing member countries dependent on trade preferences to cope with the phasing out of such privileges in the current Doha Round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations.

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Mercosur, EU Hope to Meet Trade Deadline, Associated Press, 12 September 2004

The South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union said after a ministerial meeting Sunday they hope to conclude stalled talks about free-trade agreement on time. The two trade blocs are aiming to agree on a far-reaching free-trade accord by Oct. 30, but negotiations have stalled in recent months on disagreements over import quotas by the EU for Mercosur agricultural products and demands by the Europeans to gain greater access to financial services and telecommunications markets.

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Brazil Wins Trade Battles Against Subsidies For US Cotton And EU Sugar, World Bank Press Reviews, 9 September 2004

Latin America's agricultural giant won a pair of trade victories against farm subsidies for rich countries after the World Trade Organization agreed that Brazilian farmers have been hurt by government assistance for US cotton farmers and European Union sugar beet growers. American officials vowed to appeal parts of the cotton decision within two months, and a spokesman for the European Union said it would decide soon whether to appeal.

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Panel report out on cotton dispute, WTO, 8 September 2004

The WTO, on 8 September 2004, issued the report of the panel that had examined Brazil's complaint against United States — Subsidies on upland cotton (WT/DS267/R).

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Africa: Trade Deception, AllAfrica.com, 6 September 2004

Initial news stories from world trade talks in Geneva heralded rich country commitments to cut agricultural subsidies, celebrating the July 31 framework agreement as a victory for rich and poor countries alike. For those who followed the later dissection of the fine print, however, it quickly became apparent that the commitment was largely a "shell game"

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Brussels likely to appeal WTO sugar ruling: commissioner, EUBusiness, 5 September 2004

The European Commission is likely to appeal a WTO ruling in favour of Australia, Brazil and Thailand against EU sugar subsidies, EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler said on Sunday. Fischler refused to give out full details of the preliminary WTO ruling for confidentiality reasons, although Brazil last month revealed the panel's decision by claiming victory in the long-running row.

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WTO OKs U.S. Sanctions Over Dumping Rules, Associated Press, 31 August 2004

The World Trade Organization authorized the European Union and seven other leading U.S. trading partners Tuesday to impose more than $150 million worth of sanctions against the United States for failing to repeal anti-dumping rules deemed illegal by the WTO. The ruling by the Geneva-based organization allows the complainants to fine the United States up to 72 percent of money collected from foreign exporters under the so-called Byrd Amendment.

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Appellate Body issues report on wheat dispute, WTO, 30 August 2004

The Appellate Body, on 30 August 2004, issued its report on the United States' complaint against “Canada — Measures Relating to Exports of Wheat and Treatment of Imported Grain” (WT/DS276/AB/R).

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WTO Upholds favourable Ruling on Canadian Wheat Board, Government of Canada Newsroom, 30 August 2004

The Government of Canada welcomed today’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body report, which confirms the findings in an earlier WTO Panel report that the practices of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) are consistent with Canada’s international trade obligations. The United States had filed an appeal of the April 2004 WTO Panel report that found the CWB consistent with Canada’s trade obligations. In its report, the Panel found that the U.S. did not provide any evidence that the CWB—in structure, mandate or activity—acts contrary to these obligations.

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Difficult hurdles still to be cleared in trade talks, parliament told, BusinessReport, 26 August 2004

Difficult and complex negotiations still lay ahead to ensure that developing country needs and aspirations were met in the multilateral trade negotiations now under way under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), parliament heard yesterday. Xavier Carrim, the chief director of trade negotiations in the department of trade and industry, told the two committees dealing with trade that the so-called July package negotiated in Geneva by WTO members to provide a framework for ongoing negotiations had deferred "many difficult decisions" to the next phase.

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Guatemala back to G-20 fold, The Hindu, 26 August 2004

The Clock has turned a full circle. After being reduced to a nineteen-member alliance, G-20, a developing countries' alliance having India as one of its key member, is back again to its original tally of 20. Guatemala, the farm exporting nation, has again joined the group.

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UN Development Goals Fall Short; Poor Nations Need More Aid, Report Contends, World Bank Press Reviews, August 24, 2004

The worlds poorest countries are in severe danger of failing to meet ambitious economic and development goals set for the next decade, according to a report from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The report said developing countries are not getting the economic aid they need, blaming contradictory economic policies on trade and aid in the worlds industrial countries.

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Fight the War on Terror by Battling Hunger, World Bank Press Reviews, August 17, 2004

A universal commitment was made in Rome eight years ago to halve the number of hungry by 2015. Some developing countries are translating this commitment into large-scale national programs for hunger reduction. Others turn a blind eye to the problem and hope that it will go away by itself, writes Jacques Diouf, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in an op-ed published in the online edition of The Globe and Mail (Canada).

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Half the World's Youth Jobless, ILO, 12 August 2004

Youth unemployment has skyrocketed worldwide over the past decade to some 88 million, according to a new study by the International Labour Office (ILO), reaching an all time high with young people aged 15 to 24 now representing nearly half the world's jobless.

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China And India To Dominate Global Textiles Trade From 2005, WTO, 12 August 2004

A new WTO Report The Global Textile and Clothing Industry post the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing assesses the likely impact of trade liberalization in the textiles and clothing sector with the end of import quotas on 1, January, 2005, when the sector will become subject to the rules of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. China and India are expected to dominate world trade in textiles and clothing starting next year when the United States and other industrial countries have to remove restrictions on imports

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European Sugar Subsidies Are Illegal, Rules WTO, World Bank Press Reviews, 7 August 2004

The European Union's regime for subsidizing sugar farmers was declared illegal by the World Trade Organization yesterday in a landmark ruling that will severely curtail dumping of excess production on global markets. Brazil, Australia and Thailand were claiming victory Wednesday night after a preliminary WTO finding that the EU had affected the livelihoods of farmers in the rest of the world by breaching agreed limits on financial support for exported sugar. Coming just three days after the WTO's 147 members agreed to cuts in farm support as part of an attempt to broker a new trade liberalization deal, the ruling in Geneva was seen as an important breakthrough in the fight to reduce western protectionism. The sugar ruling provided Brazil with its second WTO victory over the West this year. In April, the body that polices world trade told the United States that much of the aid for 25,000 American cotton farmers was illegal.

[more...]
See full text of CAP Sugar Sector Reform

Round-the-clock meetings produce ‘historic’ breakthrough, WTO, 1 August 2004

The WTO’s 147 member governments approved on 31 July 2004 a package of framework and other agreements, which Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said will greatly enhance members’ chances for successfully completing the important Doha negotiations.

[more...]

WTO Takes Step Toward Accord Cutting Duties, Farm Aid, Bloomberg, 1 August 2004

World Trade Organization negotiators agreed on the outline of an accord cutting farm aid and tariffs on manufactured goods, taking a step toward a 147-nation pact the World Bank says may add $500 billion to the global economy. Representatives of WTO nations rescued trade talks that collapsed last September in Cancun, Mexico, overcoming differences between rich and poor countries on agriculture and pledging to strike a final accord that lowers border barriers and enables exporters to sell their goods in more markets.

[more...]

India has its way at WTO talks, Hindustan Times, 1 August 2004

India and the Brazil-led group of 20 developing countries are on a high after having pulled off a favourable farm deal at the WTO negotiations in Geneva. The US and European Union's reconciliation to G-20 demands on contentious agriculture issues seems to have paved the way for the next round of trade talks during the weekend. The reported consensus amongst the 147 members is that domestic subsidies will have to be capped at 10 per cent of the total value of agricultural production by developed countries. Similarly, developing countries like India will have to bring down support to the agriculture sector to 5 per cent.

[more...]

WTO Seen on Verge of New Trade Deal, Reuters, 31 July 2004

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Saturday was on the verge of an agreement to get stalled global trade talks back on track after key members struck a hard-won deal on the pivotal issue of agriculture. Following an all-night negotiating marathon, key countries agreed on a package of proposals for future reform of global farm trade, including an elimination of export subsidies, caps in rich nations' support for their farmers, and tariff cuts. Agreement on the sensitive issue of agriculture would open the way for freer trade in other goods as well -- the next item on the WTO's agenda -- which could help boost global growth and potentially lift millions out of poverty.

[more...]

Poor nations urged to accept WTO's free trade deal, The Guardian, 31 July 2004

Trade minister Patricia Hewitt last night urged her counterparts in developing countries to accept a deal aimed at reviving stalled liberalisation talks or run the risk that a global agreement to open markets could be delayed for years. As the final deadline for an agreement was extended by 24 hours to midnight tonight to give negotiators more time, Ms Hewitt said the package was far better for poor nations than the offer they rejected in Cancún, Mexico, last September.

[more...]

New WTO draft 'unacceptable' to India, The Times of India, 31 July 2004

WTO talks at Geneva stood deadlocked on Friday after India rejected a revised draft released by the organisation early on Friday on the ground that it was pro-US and detrimental to the interests of farmers in developing countries. The rejection of the draft was conveyed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by commerce minister Kamal Nath who will, however, be rushing back to Geneva in a bid to see if another revision to could be made so as to make the framework agreement generally acceptable to all WTO member-countries.

[more...]

WTO Inches Closer to Global Trade Deal, Voice of America, 30 July 2004

Delegates from 147 countries are putting the final touches on a proposed new accord aimed at salvaging the multi-lateral trading system. The World Trade Organization says it hopes the new deal will persuade countries to restart the so-called Doha Development Round of free trade talks. The talks collapsed last year when WTO members failed to reach agreement at a ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico. The new blueprint is only 20 pages long, but it is packed with compromise solutions on a range of trading issues. If accepted by WTO's 147 members, this could put the failed global trade talks back on track.

[more...]

Members comment on new draft as chair warns of overload, WTO, 30 July 2004

Most delegations described the second draft of the July package decision as broadly an improvement, but General Council chairperson Shotaro Oshima said he was concerned about the “sheer number” of comments to deal with in the limited amount of remaining time.

[more...]

WTO in Last Day of Talks on Subsidies, Associated Press, 30 July 2004

Negotiators entered the final official day of trade talks Friday with much work ahead of them if they are to agree a deal to cut tariffs and subsidies and give a boost to the global economy. Trade ministers and diplomats met late into the night to try to iron out differences over farm produce and industrial goods in the World Trade Organization agreement that will pave the way for a legally binding treaty. The talks were boosted on Thursday when ministers from five major agricultural producers - the United States, the European Union, Australia, Brazil and India - offered to cut farm subsidies.

[more...]

Supachai welcomes input from the Five as a key first step, WTO, 30 July 2004

Agreement among five key members on the agriculture text is a welcome and important input into the talks, WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi said on 29 July 2004. But he cautioned that no WTO agriculture framework deal is possible without support from the rest of the membership.

[more...]

Clock ticks on WTO talks, BusinessDay, 29 July 2004

A new draft text to revive global trade talks was due out on Thursday as members of the World Trade Organisation struggled to resolve rifts on hot topics such as farming before the end of the week. On Wednesday, powerful players Australia, Brazil, the European Union, India and the United States were locked in discussions for a second straight day on the sidelines of the crunch gathering of the WTO's 147 member states in Geneva to salvage the so-called Doha round of free trade negotiations. And the stakes are high, as officials have warned that failure to secure a compromise could severely delay efforts to prise open multi-billion dollar agriculture markets, especially for poor countries.

[more...]

No Compromise On Agriculture: Nath At WTO, The Financial Express, 28 July 2004

India has told the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that it will not compromise on agriculture issues in the on-going multilateral negotiations as it will affect the livelihood of millions of farmers in the country. In a meeting with WTO director general Supachai Panitchpakdi a day before the launch of the crucial WTO general council meeting in Geneva, India’s commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath pointed out developed countries must understand that in agriculture India was battling not so much for trade as for subsistence.

[more...]

EU committed to progress in WTO negotiations, Europa, 27 July 2004

EU Foreign Ministers meeting today in Brussels have sent a strong message of the EU’s commitment to conclude a framework commitment in the on-going WTO negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) by the end of July. Speaking from Brussels EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler said: “The message coming out of Brussels today is loud and clear: the EU is working full steam ahead to make the WTO talks in Geneva a success. Be it agriculture, industrial tariffs, services or development issues, we want results which are both balanced and ambitious. In the days to come we will negotiate constructively. But it is not only up to the EU to make the running. Now it is also up to others to finally show the colour of their money.”

[more...]

Geneva talks aim to end trade deadlock, The Guardian, 26 July 2004

Ministers from 147 countries arrive in a tense and heavily-protected Geneva today for a week of make-or-break talks aimed at reviving the troubled Doha round of trade negotiations. Many smaller, developing countries remain unhappy about the concessions being offered by the west, believing that they do not go far enough to make good the promise that development would be central to the Doha round. But as officials spent the weekend working on a compromise text proposed by the WTO's director-general, Supachai Panitchpakdi, the hope was that fear of failure would act as the catalyst for an agreement.

[more...]

Africa softens stand on cotton subsidies, East African Standard, 26 July 2004

Four West African cotton producing states have dropped their demand that the crop be treated as a special agenda item at World Trade Organistion (WTO) farm talks, but insisted on guarantees of financial aid. Benin, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali told a WTO meeting they were ready to see cotton included in the overall negotiations on lowering barriers to farm trade, on certain conditions.

[more...]

Developing Countries Demand Changes As Obstacles Mount In Trade Talks, World Bank Press Reviews, 23 July 2004

Developing countries have called for "important changes" to the World Trade Organization’s attempt to relaunch deadlocked global trade talks by an end-July deadline, it emerged Thursday, reports Agence France Presse. The G-20 group of developing countries said in discussions this week that the draft proposals on agriculture put forward by the WTO's chief negotiator last Friday favored the demands of wealthy countries. Business Line (India) meanwhile writes that there is also a division among developing countries regarding their own treatment. A number of countries, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific remain strong advocates of special treatment, including exemptions and additional flexibilities for weaker and more vulnerable countries and measures to deal with the erosion of preferences. Countries from Latin America and Asia are [however] afraid that these proposals would create new categories of countries. The latter group also objects to preferences that are given only to selected group of countries.

[more...]

First draft discussed as chairs warn of 30 July ‘drop dead’ deadline, WTO, 21 July 2004

WTO members broadly welcomed the first draft of a package of “framework” agreements when they met on 19–20 July, although they had reservations — sometimes serious — about some parts of the text. However, General Council chairperson Shotaro Oshima warned that agreement would have to be reached by the “drop-dead” deadline of Friday 30 July, and WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi urged delegations not to make too many changes at this stage, but to leave other concerns for the next phase of negotiations.

[more...]

Supachai urges members to reach agreement as talks start on first draft Doha Agenda text, WTO, 19 July 2004

Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi called on WTO member governments on 19 July 2004 to make every effort over the next two weeks to strike a deal on a framework accord in the Doha Development Agenda which would pave the way for the elimination of all forms of farm export subsidies, enhanced trading opportunities for all countries and more equitable rules for global trade.

[more...]
Click here for draft text.

EU says WTO trade "road map" on right track, Reuters, 19 July 2004

The European Commission says a proposed deal to rescue global trade talks is a step in the right direction but needed clarification if it was to lead to an agreement by the end of July.

[more...]

Brussels Set to Cut Sugar Output and Dumping, World Bank Press Reviews, 15 July 2004

The European Union's controversial sugar subsidy regime is likely to have an overhaul under a proposal agreed yesterday that should help cut production and reduce the dumping of sugar by the EU on world markets reports the Financial Times. The proposal adopted by the European Commission tackles one of the bastions of the EU's farm support regime and is the first attempt to alter substantially the EU's sugar policy since its launch in 1968. The overhaul is certain to spark a battle with the powerful sugar lobby, which has warned of job losses, and member states that have farming regions that rely on sugar beet production. However, it could help pre-empt a legal challenge against the sugar regime pending at the World Trade Organisation. The case, brought by Brazil, Australia and Thailand, could force a reform of the sugar policy whatever happens, if the WTO deems the EU sugar export regime illegal.

[more...]

U. S. Trade rep pledges to push for cotton program reform, Southwest FarmPress, 14 July 2004

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick emphasized a “real opportunity to achieve historic reforms of global agricultural trade,” including an overhaul of the U.S. cotton program, during a G-90 meeting of trade ministers in Mauritius. Zoellick pledged to push for reforms in the United States cotton program. “We know this is of primary concern to a number of countries. And I want you to know that I’ll push for reforms too, at home, as well as in the international context.”

[more...]

Pakistan advocates G-90 interests in Global trade regime, Pakistan Times Business & Commerce Desk, 14 July 2004

Pakistan's Commerce Minister, Humayun Akhtar Khan has urged the developed countries to take safeguard measures for the protection of developing countries' interests, while going ahead with the process of multilateral trade regime. The Commerce Minister, while speaking at the G-90 countries meeting in Mauritius, particularly mentioned issues of Agriculture Reforms and Non-Agriculture Market Access (NAMA).

[more...]

Doha Round: Draft July Deal Expected in Next Few Days, BRIDGES Weekly, 14 July 2004

The formal Committee on Agriculture (CoA) special (negotiating) session was postponed late last week, with a new date yet to be set. A critical end-July deadline for agreeing on an overall framework for WTO negotiations is rapidly approaching. Trade sources indicate that Members have yet to reach agreement on key issues, and the final July text is likely to remain at a very general level rather than set out specific details.

[more...]

Survey shows cautious support for global trade, The Financial Times, 14 July 2004

More than 80 per cent of people in the US, Britain, France and Germany broadly support international trade, but most believe it threatens jobs and mainly benefits multinational companies rather than workers, according to a survey. The survey, conducted for the German Marshall Fund of the US, which works to promote transatlantic understanding, found that everywhere except France most people thought trade promoted international growth and the competitiveness of their own economies.

[more...]

Trade Talks Need a little Intelligent Discrimination, World Bank Press Reviews, 14 July 2004

The Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations is, yet again, on the brink of failure. In response, Supachai Panitchpakdi, the World Trade Organisation's director-general, has pleaded with developing countries not to strike intransigent negotiating positions. He is right to be concerned. The round is in serious trouble, Martin Wolf writes in a opinion piece in the Financial Times. What is needed is not special and differential treatment of developing countries but intelligent differentiation among them. The WTO cannot work on the basis of universal participation of all its members, however small and weak, in all areas and disciplines. But its rules and principles can also no longer bind only the rich countries. The way forward is to avoid both these evidently unworkable and undesirable extremes, concludes Wolf.

[more...]

Singaporean warns of risk in trade talks, IHT, 13, July, 2004

Singapore's trade minister said, another failure in World Trade Organization liberalization talks could spell the end of multilateral trade agreements and see the world divide into trading blocs.

[more...]

Supachai Urges G-90 Ministers, All Ministers To Show Flexibility, WTO, 12 July 2004

Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi urged Trade Ministers from the G-90 group of developing countries to adopt realistic and constructive negotiating proposals when they meet on 12 July 2004 in Mauritius and warned that all 147 WTO Members stand to lose a great deal should WTO Member governments fail to agree on a framework agreement later this month in the Doha Development Agenda round of global trade talks.

[more...]

Trade Talks Move Slowly as Deadline Looms, Business Reuters, 11 July 2004

Five key trading nations made some progress at weekend talks, but cautioned that many obstacles still lay ahead of an end-July deadline for an outline accord on global trade, officials said on Sunday. Top trade officials from the United States, the European Union, Brazil, India and Australia met in Paris and concentrated mainly on the politically sensitive area of agriculture. At the same time, a group of poor and developing nations got together in Mauritius to determine how they will press their demands in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.

[more...]

Codex adopts more than 20 food standards New guidelines on animal feeding and milk products, FAO, 9 July 2004

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) adopted over 20 new and amended food standards during its annual meeting, which finished 3 July. Among new standards and other texts that will protect consumers' health and facilitate fair practices in the food trade worldwide are ones concerning animal feeding, milk products and a newly adopted definition of traceability/product tracing.

[more...]

EU May Revamp Trade Preference System, Associated Press, 7 July 2004 

The European Union unveiled proposals Wednesday to revamp trade preferences for developing countries, aiming to shift tariff breaks to those that need it most. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said the reform would take greater account of market share in particular exports, such as textiles, when determining which countries should be eligible for the tariff reductions.

[more...]

New Trade Pact Seen Unlikely Before 2007, Reuters, 5 July 2004

A new trade pact that global financial institutions say would put vigor into the world economy is unlikely to be ready for at least another two years, trade sources and diplomats said on Monday. The original target date for the deal at the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO) was the end of this year.The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that at the current pace of negotiations completion during 2007 looked a more likely outcome, even if a "road map" for the way ahead is wrapped up this month, as officials hope.

[more...]

Countries debate strategies for managing fleet capacities and combating illegal fishing, FAO, 1 July 2004

At the close of a technical consultation held from 24 to 29 June at FAO's Rome headquarters, the group of countries, including the European Union, recommended that governments increase the severity of penalties for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, cooperate more to suppress trade in illegally caught fish, and establish better international controls on exports of fishing boats from one region to another. According to FAO reports presented during the meeting, the problem of IUU fishing continues to worsen, while global fishing capacity has started to level off, at least in terms of the number of vessels in the world fishing fleet and their combined tonnage.

[more...]

International plant genetic treaty becomes law, FAO, Rome, 29 June 2004

A crucial legally binding global treaty on sustainable agriculture has become law today. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has entered into force, 55 countries having now ratified it. "This is the start of a new era," said FAO Director-General, Dr Jacques Diouf. "The Treaty brings countries, farmers and plant breeders together and offers a multilateral approach for accessing genetic resources and sharing their benefits. Humankind needs to safeguard and further develop the precious crop gene pool that is essential for agriculture."

[more...]

Codex urged to speed up work and increase participation by developing countries, FAO/WHO Geneva, 28 June 2004

The Codex Alimentarius Commission convened its 27th session today. As food safety issues are increasingly seen in a context that runs from the farm to the consumer's table, FAO and WHO have urged the Codex Commission to seek additional ways to address risks throughout the food chain. Setting international food standards requires the participation by all countries, including developing ones. Since March 2004, the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund has supported the participation of nine countries in Codex technical committee meetings and more than 30 countries have been funded to attend the present session of the Codex Commission.

[more...]

ACP Summit Expresses Concern Over Reform Of Sugar Regime, World Bank Press Reviews, 25 June 2004

The summit of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries that wound up in Maputo Thursday urged the European Union to maintain a high price for the sugar it imports from ACP suppliers.

[more...]
See also Maputo Declaration.

EU Proposes Changes To Sugar Subsidy Regime, World Bank Press Reviews, 24 June 2004

Franz Fischler, the European Union farm commissioner, will next month propose an overhaul of the Union's controversial sugar subsidy regime that will force a steep drop in European sugar production and significantly reduce the dumping of EU sugar on to world markets.

[more...]

WTO Rules Against US Cotton Subsidies, World Bank Press Reviews, 21 June 2004

In a landmark decision, the WTO ruled against American cotton subsidies in a case brought by Brazil. The decision could eventually lead the United States to reduce subsidies for its entire farm sector and encourage other countries to challenge such aid in wealthy nations. The WTO ruling is not expected to be made public until late August.

[more...]

Convergence on Agriculture Matters, IPS, Sao Paolo, 15 June 2004

The ''Five Interested Parties'' -- P5, the leading actors in international agricultural trade comprising Australia (representing the Cairns Group), Brazil, European Union, India, and the United States -- have achieved a ''convergence'' that officials and activists alike agree could prove an important step towards a global agreement. The members of the group agree that ''export subsidies need to be removed gradually, domestic farm aid needs to be reduced substantially, and market access needs to be increased substantially.

[more...]
Joint Press Conference of the G-5

Agricultural support in OECD countries have increased slightly, OECD, Paris, June 2004

The agricultural sector in many OECD countries continues to be characterised by high levels of support and protection. Support to agricultural producers accounted for 32% of total farm receipts -- a slight increase from 2002, but down from 37% from the late 1980s. Progress in reducing the level of market price support and outpayments is notable with the share of the most production and trade distorting forms of support continuing to decline from over 90% in the late 1980s to 75% in 2003. But this is still too large a share that it continues to distort production and impedes the trade of agricultural commodities on the world market.

[more...]

G-90 “mini-Ministerial” meeting adopts comprehensive proposals on Doha programme, TWN, 9 June 2004

The “mini-Ministerial” meeting of the Group of 90 in Georgetown, Guyana, ended on 4 June with the adoption of three documents relating to the G90’s positions on the post-Cancun Doha work programme. 18 delegations attended the meeting, with ten of them led by Ministers. The three documents were the Georgetown Communique, the Georgetown Consensus on the Doha Work Programme and a set of main decisions of the meeting. A fourth document, the G90 Platform, was debated intensely and will be revised and then sent to the G90 Ambassadors in Geneva to discuss.

[more...]

Progress reported in implementation of international fishing code, FAO, Rome, 8 June 2004

A growing number of countries are taking steps that will help conserve and restore the world's oceans by bringing their fishing sectors in line with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. According to FAO, 52 of its member countries report having fisheries management plans in place that incorporate elements of the Code, including measures to promote use of selective fishing gear, to prohibit destructive practices and to ensure that permitted catch-levels reflect the state of stocks and allow depleted populations to recover.

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Supachai commends negotiators, urges more progress, WTO, 4 June 2004

WTO Director-General commended negotiators for their success in narrowing differences in critical agriculture negotiations during the week, but urged them to make every effort to build on this progress and cautioned that time is rapidly running out to achieve a framework agreement in farm trade by the end of July.

[more...]

Living modified organisms: new guidelines for risk assessment, FAO, 1 June 2004

New guidelines for determining if a living modified organism (LMO) poses a hazard to plants have been published by FAO. Some 130 countries adopted this unique international standard on how to assess the risks of LMOs to plants. With some LMOs there is a potential risk of introducing a gene that could cause a normal plant to become a weed, FAO said. FAO published the guidelines two weeks after the release of its annual report 'The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04' which calls for adequate biosafety regulations.

[more...]

G20 Developing Nations Propose Farm Tariff Reduction Plan To WTO, World Bank Press Reviews, 1 June 2004

The Group of 20 developing countries in the WTO proposed a progressive formula Friday for reducing farm tariffs ahead of next week's talks on the thorny issue of agricultural trade. The proposal by the G20, which includes Brazil, China and India, would impose sharper reductions in the higher farm tariffs. The plan was expected to be discussed at WTO farm talks beginning at the 147-member organization's headquarters in Geneva Wednesday.

[more...]

Asia-Pacific trade ministers to set pace for reviving stalled WTO talks, AFP, 31 May 2004

Ministers of 21 Asia Pacific economies, controlling nearly half of world trade, meet in Chile this week under pressure from business groups in the region to jumpstart stalled global trade talks. Facing a self-imposed July deadline, the trade ministers from industrialized and developing economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum may achieve agreement on some key issues that could salvage the Doha round of trade talks, officials said.

[more...]

WTO urged to defer scrapping garments quota, Inquirer News Service, 28 May 2004

THE CONFEDERATION of Garments Exporters of the Philippines (Congep) announced on Thursday that it had signed with 78 other exporters' groups from 36 countries a petition seeking a three-year deferment of the removal of the export quota system for garment and textile. The petition will be filed soon with the WTO. The 1995 Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) under the WTO provides for gradual integration or removal of the quotas in 10 years, up to Jan. 1, 2005. This means that by January next year, the quota system will be completely removed. Garment and textile exporters from the 36 countries want the date moved to 2008 to set off that they call China's "unfair" advantage.

[more...]

Linking International Trade with Poverty Reduction, UNCTAD, 27 May 2004

The Least Developed Countries, 2004 Report assesses the relationship between international trade and poverty within the LDCs, and identifies national and international policies that can make trade a more effective mechanism for poverty reduction in these countries. International trade is vital for poverty reduction in all developing countries. But the links between trade expansion and poverty reduction are neither simple nor automatic. The purpose of this Report is to clarify the links and to contribute thereby to a better understanding of the national and international policies that can make international trade an effective mechanism for poverty reduction in the least developed countries (LDCs).

[more...]

India vows tough WTO stand, The Australian, 25 May 2004

INDIA will take a tough stand on agricultural issues in WTO talks to protect farmers' rights, the country's new commerce minister said today. "In the area of multilateral negotiations, we are pledged to fully protect our national interests, especially of the farmers," Kamal Nath told his first news conference. Agriculture has suddenly been brought to the fore in India due to the stunning electoral defeat of the Hindu nationalist government, swept from power earlier in May on a tide of anger reflecting rural voters' unhappiness about being excluded from India's economic boom.

[more...]

Food safety at risk in Asia and the Pacific, FAO/WHO, Seremban, Malaysia, 24 May 2004

Food-borne diseases pose a serious threat to densely populated areas of Asia and the Pacific, two UN agencies said today. TIn the region, more than 700 000 people die and many more are debilitated every year from single cases of food- and water-borne disease - single cases that most often do not hit press headlines. On the trade side, disruptions due to shortcomings in food quality have also been on the increase.

[more...]

African Finance Ministers Set July Target For Trade Concessions, ECA, Kampala, 23 May 2004

African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development have ended their annual conference demanding that rich countries remove obstacles holding up international trade negotiations by July. Complaining that OECD countries had done too little to remove high tariffs and trade-distorting subsidies to their farmers, the ministers said in their closing statement: 'These issues are a litmus test of their commitment to Africa's development.' They called for full momentum to be restored to the WTO 'through the adoption of meaningful frameworks in agriculture, non-agricultural market access and other relevant areas.'

[more...]
See also Ministerial Statement.

G90 Ministerial set for Guyana, CRNM, 21 May 2004

Guyana will host a G90 Ministerial Meeting, slated for Georgetown, June 3 to 4. The forum will be preceded by a CARICOM Ministerial Consultation, June 2. The G90 meeting is expected to contribute to efforts to revive troubled World Trade Organization (WTO) talks.

[more...]

Canada's Top Court Backs Monsanto Against Farmer, IPS News, 21 May 2004

Canada's top court ruled against farmer Percy Schmeiser on Friday, upholding agri-business giant Monsanto's patent on genetically modified (GM) canola, a decision observers say will have implications for agriculture worldwide. However, the Supreme Court of Canada also ruled Schmeiser does not have to pay Monsanto's court costs of more than 200,000 dollars (146,000 U.S. dollars) and can keep 20,000 dollars in profits from his 1997 crop that sparked the six-year legal battle.

[more...]

Biodiversity for food security, FAO, Rome, 20 May 2004

"Biodiversity for Food Security" is the theme of this year's World Food Day, to be celebrated on 16 October 2004. This year's World Food Day/TeleFood campaign will emphasize the importance of biodiversity for agriculture, food security and rural livelihoods, and especially for those populations living in marginal and harsh environments. [ more ...]

GM Food aid: Africa denied choice once again, Grain, 20 May 2004

Controversy over the shipment of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as food aid has erupted once again in Africa. In March 2004, Angola and Sudan introduced restrictions on genetically modified (GM) food aid, with Sudan requesting that food aid be certified “GM free” and Angola accepting GM food aid only on condition that whole GM grain is first milled. Both decisions were strongly criticized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Food Programme (WFP), and constant pressure has been applied in both countries to remove the restrictions.

[more...]

WTO DG welcomes “encouraging political signals” for Doha progress, WTO, 19 May 2004

Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, at the General Council meeting on 17-18 May 2004, urged trade negotiators “to show the world that Geneva is capable of delivering significant results”.

[more...]
Opening and closing remarks by the Director-General and General Council Chairman; Statement by the Director-General.

U.S., Australia Sign Free-Trade Agreement , Associated Press, 18 May 2004

The United States and Australia signed one of the biggest free-trade agreements the Bush administration has negotiated in its dash to strike two-way deals with countries all over the world. While Tuesday's deal would eliminate nearly all tariffs on manufactured goods, it maintains U.S. trade barriers against imports of Australian sugar, beef and dairy products, reflecting the clout farmers have in Congress, particularly in an election year.

[more...]

Trade Talks Focus on Tariffs, World Bank Press Reviews, 17 May 2004

Two days of talks in Paris among 29 trade ministers produced both major progress on subsidies and the tariff roadblock. Trade ministers in Paris said momentum had shifted in favor of a deal by summer, after wealthy nations broadly agreed on eliminating export subsidies on farm products and slashing direct domestic support to farmers. The US and the EU said they would listen to fresh proposals on cutting tariffs. Celso Amorim, Brazil's foreign minister and unofficial head of the so-called G-20 negotiating block of developing countries, said he rated the chances of an agreement as high as 80 percent.

[more...]

The gene revolution: great potential for the poor, but no panacea, FAO, Rome, 17 May 2004

Biotechnology holds great promise for agriculture in developing countries, but so far only farmers in a few developing countries are reaping these benefits, FAO said in its annual report 'The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04', released today. "Neither the private nor the public sector has invested significantly in new genetic technologies for the so-called 'orphan crops' such as cowpea, millet, sorghum and tef that are critical for the food supply and livelihoods of the world's poorest people," said FAO Director-General Dr Jacques Diouf. [more...]

France raises trade talks hurdle, BBC News Online, 14 May 2004

French trade minister Francois Loos rejected a plan for massive subsidy cuts outlined by EU trade commissioner Lamy. He warned France would be waiting for other countries to make concessions before accepting any trade deal. But Australia's trade minister Mark Vaile was "extremely optimistic" a breakthrough deal could be reached. Trade ministers from around the world are currently meeting on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of the OECD in Paris.

[more...]

Health, Economy and Trade Feature at OECD Forum 2004, Ministerial Meetings, OECD 13 May 2004

Ministers from OECD countries will hold two days of talks in Paris on 13-14 May 2004 on the economy, trade, and issues relating to health and ageing populations. Ministers will also review the outlook for the Doha Development Agenda, international trade talks, notably in relation to developing country concerns. A number of emerging and developing countries have been invited to participate in this part of their discussions.

[more...]

Lamy Defends Plan on Subsidies, World Bank Press Reviews, 12 May 2004

In an interview in his Brussels office, Lamy said rather than complicate negotiations, as many trading partners have argued, his plan would simplify them. It calls on the US and other countries to eliminate all agricultural export supports that hurt developing nations, while releasing most of those nations from most new free-trade obligations. Lamy suggested that after his own letter, it was up to the US and a group of developing nations, known as the G-20, to make the next moves.

[more...]

EU to lift US sanctions once tax law repealed, AFP, 12 May 2004

The EU said it would lift hefty trade sanctions against the United States once a contentious US tax law is fully repealed, after the US Senate approved a tax reform scheme. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said the Senate had taken "a very important step" towards ending one of the worst transatlantic trade disputes. But he noted that the repeal of the US Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) scheme, which has been deemed illegal by the WTO, must still be approved by the House of Representatives.

[more...]

Trade Partners Are Skeptical on EU Offer to Drop Subsidies, World Bank Press Reviews, 11 May 2004

The EU proposal for eliminating the world's agriculture export subsidies to break the logjam in global trade talks, was greeted by its trading partners with a mix of diplomatic niceties and plain-spoken skepticism.

[more...]

EU to offer to get rid of farm export subsidies in WTO talks, EUbusiness, 10 May 2004

The European Union is to offer to get rid its agricultural export subsidies and soften its demands for new trade rules in an effort to restart stalled WTO trade talks. The EU would make a sign in a letter to the trade ministers of 147-member World Trade Organisation that it was willing to be more flexible in negotiations ahead of a key meeting in Paris later in the week.

[more...]
For more details, including letter sent by Commissioners Lamy and Fischler to their WTO counterparts, see [more...]

G-20 considers "blended formula" for tariff cuts "fundamentally flawed", Associated Press, 10 May 2004

An influential group of developing countries on Friday formally rejected a joint American and European plan on reducing import tariffs for agricultural goods as part of a global trade treaty. The so-called Group of 20, led by Brazil and India, said the proposal was "fundamentally flawed" and could not be the basis of an agreement within the WTO. They declined to suggest an alternative, however, blaming the intransigence of the United States and the European Union.

[more...]
For G-20's communication see [more...]

EU, Mercosur leaders face hard choices to clinch trade deal, EUbusiness, 7 May 2004

After a week-long set of negotiations in Brussels, the EU underlined that political will would be needed to meet the October target set by both sides. According to European sources, the EU is proposing improved access for Mercosur farm produce in a bid to win the Latin American bloc's support at the current round of WTO talks. Mercosur countries would in turn have to lower their industrial trade barriers, liberalise investment and open services and government procurement to EU suppliers. The EU proposals, if accepted, risk splitting blocs of agricultural exporters and developing countries, led by Brazil, that have banded together at the WTO to defend their interests. [more...]

Poor nations agree on flexible approach to kickstart global trade talks, AFP, 6 May 2004

Trade ministers from the world's least developed countries (LDCs) meeting in Dakar agreed to adopt a more flexible approach with their richer trading partners to revive stalled global trade liberalization talks. The "Dakar declaration" details among other things a concession on the issue of cotton. A major concern of LDCs, most of which are African countries, is that a broad lowering of trade barriers as part of the Doha round would erode preferential access they currently enjoy to developed countries' markets.

[more...]

Brussels Woos Poor Countries With Tariffs Pledge, World Bank Press Reviews, 5 May 2004

The European Union yesterday made a fresh attempt to win the support of the world's poorest countries for a global trade agreement by promising that Brussels would not ask them to lower their tariffs. Pascal Lamy, the EU trade commissioner, said the poorest members of the WTO would be able to reap the full benefits of a trade deal even without making a "significant contribution". Lamy's comments, in a speech at a trade conference in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, were intended to bring back to the negotiating table a group of about 90 poor countries located mainly in Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia and the Pacific.

[more...]
[Lamy's speech]

Contents of WTO trade agreement taking shape, EUbusiness, 2 May 2004

The substance of an agreement between WTO members that would relaunch the so-called Doha round of trade talks is taking shape after discussions in London. The London meeting was hosted by US trade representative Robert Zoellick, and involved EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy, Kenyan Trade Minister Mukhisa Kituyi, his South African counterpart Alec Erwin and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. In addition to the trade representatives at the London meeting, 15 other negotiators will meet on May 14 on the sidelines of a ministerial conference of the Organsation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

[more...]

New Zealand lobbies WTO to prohibit $20bn in fisheries subsidies, Business Report, 30 April 2004

New Zealand had made a proposal to WTO to prohibit an estimated $20 billion in fisheries subsidies paid out worldwide. At the world trade body in Geneva the proposed prohibition was immediately criticised by the EU as "brutal and over the top", a trade source said. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan also opposed the move, the source said. Argentina, Australia, Chile, Iceland, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines and Thailand supported the proposals, but many Asian countries also called for special treatment for developing countries.

[more...]

Member States Prepare For Cautious Steps Towards New WTO Agreement, World Bank Press Reviews, 30 April 2004

Governments prepared to take tentative steps towards a new free trade agreement at the WTO on Thursday with a series of crunch meetings planned over the next month. Delegates from the 147-member trading group met [in Geneva] to discuss a July deadline to agree on a framework for particularly contentious topics, notably the fate of agricultural subsidies. In London on Friday, a small group of top diplomats from the United States, the European Union and a few other nations are due to meet for a private discussion on how to make progress with the trade round, which has been on hold since a failed ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico last September.

[more...]

Subsidy Disputes Could 'Damage' Doha, World Bank Press Reviews, 29 April 2004

Robert Zoellick, the US trade representative, warned yesterday that developing countries risked damaging the Doha Round world trade negotiations if they were to file new dispute cases aimed at forcing the US to dismantle its farm subsidy programs. The comments came following Monday's preliminary decision by a WTO dispute settlement panel that US subsidies for cotton growers violate international trade rules.

[more...]

US seeks £1bn from Europe over GM ban, The Guardian, 27 April 2004

The US has demanded that the EU abandon its ban on the growing of genetically modified crops and pay at least $1.8bn (£1bn) in compensation for loss of exports over the past six years. The WTO is now facing the biggest case in its history, one that could spark a damaging trade war between the US and Europe and split the international community.

[more...]

WTO Rules Against US on Cotton Subsidies, World Bank Press Reviews, 27 April 2004

Brazil won a preliminary ruling at the World Trade Organization on Monday night that could force the United States to lower the subsidies it pays farmers to grow cotton and, eventually, most subsidized crops. The decision supports Brazil's contention that the subsidies paid to American cotton farmers violate international trade rules. A final ruling against the United States could lead to stiff penalties if it fails to change its practices.

[more...]

Food safety and quality the focus of FAO's 24th Regional Conference for Europe, FAO, Rome, 26 April 2004

Coinciding with the entrance of ten new member states into the European Union, FAO hosts its 24th Regional Conference for Europe between May 5th and 7th in the French town of Montpellier. Agriculture ministers from 44 European member States and representatives of the enlarged European Union will discuss food safety and quality as well as the important role played by agricultural research in sustainable rural development. Improving food safety and quality is a key goal shared by governments, the private sector and civil society organizations across Europe.

[more...]

EU Reaches Pact on Farm Subsidies, World Bank Press Reviews, 23 April 2004

European governments agreed on a package of farm-subsidy changes primarily on three crops: cotton, tobacco and olive oil. Under new plans that will take effect in 2006, 65 percent of cotton subsidies will be separated from output and will be based instead on other criteria such as how well a farmer cares for the environment. The remaining 35 percent of the subsidies will be based on the amount of land farmed. Farmers still will get subsidy money, but the EU hopes they may take up other crops.

[more...]

Global photography contest on rice launched, FAO, Rome, 22 April 2004

A global photography contest to highlight the importance of rice as a staple food crop and a symbol of cultural and global identity has been launched by FAO and the United Nations. As 2004 is the UN International Year of Rice (IYR), professional and amateur photographers are invited to capture the "Rice is Life" theme in photographs illustrating the rich diversity of regions, people and resources linked to this internationally vital food source.

[more...]

EU-25 in the Global Economy, EU, 21 April 2004

The European enlargement which will occur the 1st of May is an extraordinary achievement, and arguably Europe's most important ever. This enlargement will bring huge benefits in political terms... will create a market of more than 450 million consumers – the biggest market in the world, accounting for roughly 20% of world trade and contributing to more than a quarter of the world's gross domestic product.

[more...]

Lamy assures Cariforum preferences will stay during trade talks, The Jamaica Observer, 18 April 2004

Caribbean Forum and the European Union opened a near four-year trade negotiation round Friday with assurances from EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy that preferences for sugar and bananas would not be disturbed over the period, and the impending expansion of the EU would not affect the talks.

[more...]
[Lamy's speech]

Europe and South America Near Trade Accord, World Bank Press Reviews, 20 April 2004

South America's biggest economies moved a step closer on Monday to sealing a long-sought trade deal with the European Union. The talks also managed to make progress in agriculture, a sector that has proved to be a deal breaker repeatedly in global trade talks. Brussels proposed a two-step approach by which it would initially offer Mercosur more generous import quotas for agricultural goods like beef, dairy products, sugar and instant coffee. The remaining quotas would later be divided up in the continuing Doha round of negotiations at the WTO.

[more...]

Seed Treaty Boosts Farmers, Fails to Weed Out GM Crops, IPS News, 19 April 2004

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture will enter into force on June 29 2004, seven years after FAO launched negotiations. The accord is designed to ensure that the genetic resources of most of the world's food crops are conserved and sustainably used, and that any commercial benefits from seed use are distributed equitably, including among farmers in the developing South.

[more...]

"Core Group" of Countries to Discuss Ending Doha Stalemate in Private, World Bank Press Reviews, 16 April 2004

Top trade policymakers from the United States, the EU and a small group of other countries plan to try to break the impasse in the Doha world trade round at a private meeting in London on April 30. Participation is expected to be restricted to ministers, from countries including Brazil, Kenya, Mexico and South Africa, while India, which has elections this month, is said to have declined an invitation.

[more...]

Farming support: the truth behind the numbers, OECD Observer, 16 April 2004

How much public money do the world’s richest nations spend on supporting their agricultural sector? This is a crucial question in the context of current trade negotiations. The OECD is the only institution publishing internationally comparable information on this topic and Steffan Tangermann clarifies the numbers contested in a recent exchange between the European Union trade commissioner and the Director-General of the WTO.

[more...]

IMF Approves Loan Program To Allay Trade Disruptions, IMF 14 April 2004

The International Monetary Fund's Executive Board yesterday approved a new loan program to offset adverse impacts developing countries may feel from trade liberalization. The new program aims to help poor countries that stand to lose exclusive trade preference if the World Trade Organization successfully completes the current Doha Round of talks.

[more...]

Morocco and Turkey sign free trade agreement, Arabic News, 8 April 2004

Morocco and Turkey signed in Ankara this Wednesday a free trade agreement at the end of the 8th joint economic commission. The FTA provides for the creation of a free trade zone in industry after a 10-year transition period and the lifting of all customs tariffs for Moroccan industrial products, while Turkish products would benefit from a gradual exemption of duties.

[more...]

Pessimistic on poverty?, The Economist, 7 April 2004

If one focuses on the developing world outside China, the number of poor has changed very little. The number of poor has fallen in Asia, but risen elsewhere. It has roughly doubled in Africa. In the early 1980s, one in ten of the world's poorest lived in Africa; now the figure is about one in three. Yes, on the whole the poorest people in the world have been doing better. But the fight against poverty is far from won.

[more...]

Brazil wants to speed up EU-Mercosur free trade talks, Business AFP, 3 April 2004

With talks stalled on a Free Trade Area of the Americas, Brazil wants to speed up negotiations for a free trade agreement between the South American trading bloc Mercosur and the European Union

[more...]

USTR Releases Draft Texts of U.S.-Morocco FTA, USTR, 2 April 2004

The Parties to this Agreement, consistent with Article XXIV of GATT 1994 and Article V of GATS, hereby establish a free trade area in accordance with the provisions of this agreement.

[more...]

US industry rallies to protect shrimp trade, AFP, 2 April 2004

A coalition of US restaurants, grocers, seafood distributors and others was launched to fight a US trade panel ruling that could lead to anti-dumping tariffs against six countries. The newly formed Shrimp Task Force said the case could end up hurting many US industries and consumers.

[more...]

Outcome of the WTO African workshop on cotton, WTO, 2 April 2004

The WTO African regional workshop on cotton in Cotonou, Benin (23-24 March 2004) underlined the importance of establishing a constructive partnership between the trade and development communities. Broad and specific outcomes, for follow-up action, were evident in three distinct areas, namely: i) areas of focus; ii) delivery mechanisms for cotton-specific financial and technical assistance; and, iii) enhanced coordination and follow-up arrangements.

[more...]
See also [more...]

Treaty on biodiversity for food and agriculture to become law, FAO, Rome, 31 March 2004

Twelve European countries and the European Community have ratified the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, triggering the 90-day countdown to the Treaty's entry into force, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today. The latest ratifications bring to 48 the number of countries worldwide that have ratified the agreement, which will therefore enter into force on 29 June 2004.

[more...]

U.S.,Thailand to Hold Trade Talks in June, Business - Reuter, 30 March 2004

The United States and Thailand, after months of preliminary consultations, will formally begin negotiations on a free trade agreement the week of June 28, a U.S. trade official said on Tuesday.

[more...]

U.S. and D.R. reach free-trade agreement, Puerto Rico WOW, Business News, 29 March 2004

A fourth round of marathon negotiations between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic (D.R.) concluded in Washington last week with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick announcing that a bilateral trade agreement had been reached. The D.R. pact is the eighth free-trade agreement concluded by the Bush administration in the past three months.

[more...]

Nepal to enter World Trade Organisation on April 23, Hindustan Times, 27 March 2004

Nepal will become the 147th member of the World Trade Organisation on April 23, the WTO announced on Thursday. Nepal is the first least developed country to complete the cumbersome accession procedure by adapting its trading system after complex negotiations with WTO member states.

[more...]

India, China formally launch talks on Free Trade Agreement, IndiaExpress Bureau, 25 March 2004

India and China have formally launched talks to study the feasibility of signing a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as well as a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) to cement their booming commercial ties, official sources said in in Beijing today. Senior officials from the two sides discussed the possibility of signing a FTA and CECA during the first meeting of the Sino-Indian Joint Study Group (JSG) on trade and economic cooperation in Beijing, the sources said.

[more...]

WTO Agriculture Week: No Negotiating Breakthrough Expected, Bridges Weekly, 24 March 2004

Despite a new negotiations format focusing on informal meetings, a 24 March stocktaking session on the agriculture negotiations failed to indicate any significant advances.

[more...]

On the positioning of the various negotiating blocs at the onset of this week's talks see also

[more...]

A case for regional integration, LOGE, 24 March 2004

A new World Bank study says that regional integration agreements can help developing countries boost growth and reduce poverty, if they use the agreements to foster competition in domestic markets, seek access to rich-country markets, and enhance the credibility of their own economic reforms

[more…]

EU Urged to Reject GM Rice, IPS, Brussels, 23 March 2004

Leading environmental groups (Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace) are urging the EU to reject the importation of a new strain of genetically modified rice (LL Rice 62) to prevent the ”world's most important staple food” falling into the hands of multinational companies. Rice is staple diet for an estimated 2.5 billion people.

[more...]

EU ready to discuss elimination of agricultural export subsidies, LOGE, 23 March 2004

The European Union is prepared to discuss the elimination of agricultural export subsidies on all products, European Union agriculture minister Franz Fischler said in a press conference in Geneva at the resumption of the WTO negotiations on agriculture. Fischler recalled that the EU last year asked developing countries to provide a list of specific products on which they wanted to see the subsidies scrapped. "It is up to them to say in which products they are interested, and if they say 'all products,' then we have to engage in a discussion also about that," he said.

[more...]

WTO regional workshop on cotton opens in Cotonou, LOGE, 23 March 2004

This two-day workshop (23-24 March) is in response to the "Sectoral Initiative in Favour of Cotton", proposed by Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. The workshop would not address directly trade issues related to cotton subsidies but focus exclusively on the development aspects of the cotton sector, particularly the scope and opportunities for financial and technical assistance and the institutional coordination of such assistance. Thirty African countries are participating together with the four WTO QUAD Members (Canada, EC, Japan and the United States) and China. In addition, relevant multilateral institutions, whose roles and contributions will be vital in any final package on financial and technical assistance as part of the overall solution, are taking part.

[more...]

Stalled talks: FTAA deadline in doubt, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, 22 March 2004

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) was not reconvened as previously scheduled, on March 18 to 19. The TNC will resume in Puebla, Mexico, April 22 to 23.

[more...]

WTO Agriculture Negotiations resumed, LOGE, 22 March 2004

For the first time after 8 months and after the setback at the WTO Cancun Ministerial Conference in September 2003, negotiations on agriculture opened today for a five-day session in Geneva (22-26 March), under the new Chairperson Tim Groser (New Zealand). Following a short open session on Monday, negotiators will engage in a series of consultations and "open-ended" informal sessions until Friday afternoon (26 March) when the Formal Session on the Committee on Agriculture will resume to take stock of the week's talks.

for some press reviews see [more...]

Mercosur hopes to secure EU free trade deal, Financial Times, 22 March 2004

Mercosur - the South American customs union comprising Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay - has voiced optimism that it can finalise a free trade agreement with the European Union before October.

[more...]

Expanded EU could offer promising new markets for bananas, FAO, 22 March 2004

The expansion of the European Union (EU) from 15 to 25 countries in May 2004 could signal the promise of lucrative new markets for banana producers, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruit is meeting in Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands (22-26 March) to discuss future challenges and opportunities in the banana sector.

[more...]

Commissioner Lamy: "we are now coming out of our post-Cancun swoon", LOGE, 22 March 2004

In a speech in China (15/3/04) Lamy reiterated that 2004 is a crucial year for the Doha Round, with a real opportunity to make progress. "We want the rich countries to offer access at zero duty for 50% of their imports from poor countries, for instance, and want a special safeguard for food security. We want the G20 and others to take seriously our proposal to eliminate export subsidies on a list of products of interest to DCs, and for others to take equally comprehensive commitments to dismantle their own means of export support. And we want to see progress on cotton as a key part of the agriculture negotiations," he said.

[more...]

Brazil Raises Hopes Of Doha Deal Next Year, World Bank Press Reviews, 19 March 2004

Brazil, leader of the Group of 20 developing countries pressing for farm trade reforms, on Thursday voiced cautious optimism that a deal could be reached this summer that would enable the Doha global trade talks to be concluded next year.

[more...]

EC-sugar panel scheduled for 30 March to 1 April, Bridges Weekly, 18 March 2004

The first substantive meeting of the EC-sugar panel is scheduled for 30 March to 1 April. Brazil and the other complainants will present their case, and the EC and third parties will also have a chance to comment in a special session. The parties will provide written rebuttals towards the end of April, with the panel holding its second hearing the week of 10-14 May.

[more...]

Sugar a Celebrity in Trade, Villain of Obesity, IPS News, 17 March 2004

The international offensive against refined sugar ”is foolishness based on erroneous science,” and could aggravate the trade protectionism that is already taking a toll on Brazil's sugar exports, says a Sao Paulo sugar industry executive. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that people should limit refined sugars to a maximum of 10 percent of the calories they consume each day.

[more...]
For more background on health aspects see [more...]

Reports on Globalization and the Right to Food to be discussed by Commission on Human Rights, LOGE, 16 March 2004

The Commission on Human Rights, the principal human rights organ of the UN, commenced its annual session for 2004 in Geneva (15 March to 23 April). Its agenda includes, inter alia, a report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on globalization and its impact on full enjoyment of human rights (E/CN.4/2004/40) and report of its Special Rapporteur on the right to food (E/CN.4/2004/10).

[more...]

Applications sought for support from FAO/WHO Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex, LOGE, 15 March 2004

The FAO/WHO Project and Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex is now operational, and eligible countries are encouraged to apply for support, with a view to enhancing their participation in international standard setting in the area of food safety. Applications should be received before 15 April 2004 in order to be treated as a matter of priority.

[more...]

Poverty and inequality: A question of justice?, The Economist, 11 March 2004

Hundreds of millions of people in the world are forced to endure lives of abject poverty. The toll of global poverty is a scandal, but deploring economic “injustice” is no answer, writes the Economist.

[more...]

Agricultural Subsidies Lock-In Coffee Farmers, IPS News, 11 March 2004

The World Bank is blaming over-supply from coffee producing countries and protectionism in rich nations for complicating a worldwide coffee crisis that has dealt a blow to some 20 million farmers globally.

[more...]

New Focus on EU-ACP Negotiations Sought, IPS News, 11 March 2004

A new report recommends a far-reaching review of the trade negotiations under way between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The report says current negotiations should focus on trade in traditional export crops such as cotton, cocoa, coffee and sugar, but ACP countries should not stick indefinitely to traditional produce.

[more...]

Japanese Trade Breakthrough With Mexico Points Way To Asia Deals, World Bank Press Reviews, 11 March 2004

Japan has made a "big breakthrough" in trade talks with Mexico, opening the way for early signing of an agreement and the possibility of a flurry of bilateral trade deals with neighboring Asian countries.

[more...]

Mali's Government Supports Its Growing Textile Industry, World Bank Press Reviews, 9 March 2004

Following the failure of the WTO negotiations in Cancun, Mexico last September, agricultural exporting countries such as Mali have decided to focus on the transformation of raw materials, rather than pure cotton exports.

[more...]

Battle Over Transgenics Rages On, IPS News, 8 March 2004

The cultivation of transgenic soy beans is harmful to human health, the environment and agriculture, according to the Brazilian Consumer Defense Institute (IDEC), a government agency. But Monsanto, the U.S.-based biotech giant that produces genetically modified (GM) soy beans, wholly disagrees.

[more...]

India, Brazil, South Africa Ready to Lead Global South, IPS News, 8 March 2004

India, Brazil and South Africa, representing three major democracies in three different corners of the globe, emerged confident in leading South-South cooperation at a two-day meeting of their foreign ministers that ended in New Delhi on Friday.

[more...]

Commission takes steps to adapt banana import regime to enlargement, EC, Brussels, 5 March 2004

In view of accession of ten new Members States on 1 May 2004, appropriate arrangements have to be made to ensure sufficient supply of bananas to consumers in the new Member States. To this end, the current import volumes for bananas have to be increased for an EU of 25. The exact additional volume of bananas will be based on historical imports to the new Member States and is subject to negotiations with our WTO trading partners and hence still to be determined.

[more...]

US, Morocco reach free trade agreement, The New Zealand Herald, 4 March 2004

The United States and Morocco said on Tuesday that they have concluded a free trade agreement that strengthens business and investment ties between the two countries and lowers barriers to trade. The pact, which is subject to congressional approval, would immediately eliminate tariffs on 95 per cent of consumer and industrial products traded between the two countries.

[more...].
For more details, see also USTR.

USTR Releases Draft Texts of United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, USTR, 3 March 2004

The US-Australia FTA, concluded on 8 February 2004. Draft texts of the FTA have now been released.

[more...]

One-third of global meat exports affected by animal disease outbreaks, FAO, Rome, 2 March 2004

Approximately one-third of global meat exports, or 6 million tonnes, are presently being affected by animal disease outbreaks, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today. With the value of global meat and live animal trade estimated at $33 billion (excluding EU intra-trade), this could amount to world trade losses of up to $10 billion, if import bans extend throughout 2004.

[more...]

UN agencies applaud new political focus on hunger and rural poverty, FAO, Rome, 1 March 2004

In a meeting today with French President Jacques Chirac, the heads of the three Rome-based UN food agencies welcomed the renewed vigour with which hunger and rural poverty are being addressed. They reiterated their commitment to intensifying support for the efforts of countries to halve hunger and poverty by 2015, one of the primary targets of the Millennium Declaration in 2000.

[more...]

EU Imposes Sanctions on U.S. Goods, Reuters, 29 February 2004

The European Union imposed sanctions on the United States for the first time on Monday as a dispute over tax breaks for U.S. firms turned into a trade war that could cost American exporters $300 million this year. The lower tax rates for exports for firms, including Boeing and Microsoft, were judged an illegal subsidy by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which ruled the EU could impose $4 billion in sanctions a year on U.S. goods.

[more...]

Economic Development in Africa: Trade Performance and Commodity Dependence, UNCTAD, 26 February 2004

The majority of African countries are boxed into a trading structure that subjects them to secular terms-of-trade losses and volatile foreign exchange earnings, according to a new UNCTAD report, released today. This position severely encumbers effective macroeconomic management and stunts capital formation, hampering efforts to diversify into more productive activities and adding to the debt overhang. As a result, and despite years under structural adjustment programmes, much of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has remained commodity-dependent.

[more...]

Rotterdam Convention enters into force, FAO, Rome, 24 February 2004

The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade becomes international law and thus legally binding on its members today. Jointly supported by FAO and UNEP, the Rotterdam Convention enables countries to decide which potentially hazardous chemicals they want to import and to exclude those they cannot manage safely.

[more...]

Farm trade nations to meet in Costa Rica, Agence France-Presse, 21 February 2004

The 17-nation Cairns Group of agricultural exporters meets in Costa Rica next week... WTO members are preparing to resume the so-called Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations following the failure of a September ministerial conference in Cancun, Mexico, that collapsed largely over the issue of agricultural subsidies in the European Union and the United States.

[more...]

Commodities crisis will need a multifaceted approach, LOGE, 19 February 2004

At the WTO Committee on Trade and Development (18 February 2004), a group of African countries called for a multifaceted approach to the declining terms of trade for primary commodities.

[more...]

Commonwealth ministers hopeful for WTO revival, but farming key, EU business, 18 February 2004

Commonwealth trade ministers expressed optimism Wednesday about the prospects for reviving global trade talks but stressed the rich world must address poor nations' demands on agriculture. A Commonwealth mission led by Nigerian Commerce Minister Alhaji Idris Waziri was in Brussels for talks with EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy after also visiting Geneva, Tokyo and Washington.

[more...]

African Trade Ministers Attempt New WTO Deal, The East African (Nairobi), 16 February 2004

Trade ministers from 17 key African countries converge in Mombasa this week in what is widely seen as a desperate attempt to build consensus and jumpstart last September's failed World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations. The Ministers from Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, DR Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and Mauritius will be joined by US trade representative Bob Zoellick, EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy and WTO Director-General Panitchpakdi Supachai at the meeting on Wednesday at the Serena Beach Hotel.

[more...]

Promoting a more responsible global trading system for fisheries products, FAO, Bremen/Rome, 16 February 2004

Countries participating in the 9th session of FAO's Sub-Committee on Fish Trade have issued a draft report outlining the challenges and opportunities facing FAO and its member countries as they work to promote a stronger and more responsible global trading system for fisheries products. Questions of food safety and better ways to protect the health of fish consumers in today's global marketplace topped the meeting agenda. FAO was charged by the Sub-Committee with organizing a Technical Consultation in order to finalize guidelines on the use of eco-labels to protect fishery resources.

[more...]

WTO Chairpersons for 2004 agreed, WTO, 11 February 2004

The WTO General Council at its first meeting this year agreed on a new slate of Chairpersons for WTO regular bodies for 2004 as well as Chairpersons of negotiating bodies established under the Trade Negotiations Committee. The new Chairperson of the General Council is Ambassador Shotaro Oshima (Japan). The Special Sessions of the Committee on Agriculture will be chaired by Ambassador Tim Groser (New Zealand). The various negotiating bodies are expected to begin their work in March.

[more...]

US-Australia Free Trade Agreement concluded, USTR, 8 February 2004

The US-Australia FTA, concluded on 8 February 2004, has been described as historic and comprehensive accord designed to "eliminate and reduce tariffs and other trade barriers and promote economic growth and prosperity." The trade deal now faces US Congressional approval.

[more...]

It’ll be subsidies vs tariffs, The Financial Express, India, 7 February 2004

"There has to be a movement which synchronises reduction of subsidies with that of tariffs." said India’s ambassador and permanent representative to WTO K M Chandrasekhar. He added that "the flexibility shown by developed countries in reducing subsidies will determine our flexibility in reducing tariffs. We are not going to accept a situation where subsidies remain at the same level."

[more...]

Deadlock in FTAA Negotiations, Puebla, Mexico, 2-6 February 2004

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Free Trade Area of the America’s (FTAA) Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) ended inconclusively, mainly because of differences on the contentious issues of agricultural export subsidies and domestic support.  Mercosur, led by Brazil and Argentina, had pressed for farm subsidies to be included in hemispheric trade talks, with a view to their reduction. The US argues that these issues can only be effectively addressed within the WTO, which includes other countries utilizing farm subsidies. Trade officials decided to "suspend" the meeting and to reconvene in Puebla in the first week of March for new discussions.

[more...]

Experts issue recommendations to manage avian flu crisis, FAO, Rome, 5 February 2004

A targeted vaccination campaign for poultry at risk of being infected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus may be required in heavily affected countries to control the further spread of the epidemic, according to global animal and human health experts gathered for emergency talks at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

[more...]

Veterinary experts meet to discuss control strategies against the spreading of Avian Influenza, 3-4 February, FAO, Rome

A joint FAO/OIE/WHO emergency meeting on avian influenza will set policies and strategies for controlling the disease and develop action plans to address the animal as well as public health concerns in each affected country. Meanwhile, FAO provided $1.6 million in emergency aid to four Asian countries

[more...]
See also FAO background analysis, situation update and response [more...]

Economic benefits of eliminating child labour will vastly outweigh costs, ILO News, 3 February 2004

A new study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) says the benefits of eliminating child labour will be nearly seven times greater than the costs, or an estimated US$ 5.1 trillion in the developing and transitional economies, where most child labourers are found. The study says that child labour - which involves one in every six children in the world - can be eliminated and replaced by universal education by the year 2020 at an estimated total cost of US$ 760 billion.

[more...]

Global initiative launched to fight hunger, United Press International, 31 January 2004

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva joined by French President Jacques Chirac called Friday at the United Nations in Geneva for global mobilization of political support in the fight to eradicate hunger which every day causes 24,000 people to perish, including 11 children under the age of 5 each minute. "Political will is an indispensable element of this equation," said Lula in launching the joint appeal to mobilize political and financial support. He spoke at the United Nation's European headquarters, known as the Palais des Nations.

[more...]

Global alliance against hunger and poverty, Geneva, 30 January 2004

Joint Press Conference by the Secretary-General and the Presidents of France, Brazil and Chile

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Unprecedented spread of avian influenza requires broad collaboration, FAO/WHO/OIE, Rome/Geneva/Paris, 27 January 2004

The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza in several areas in Asia is a threat to human health and a disaster for agricultural production, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a joint statement today. Although it has not happened yet, the so-called "bird flu" presents a risk of evolving into an efficient and dangerous human pathogen, the three agencies warned.

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India signs preferential trade agreement with Mercosur, IndiaExpress Bureau, 25 January 2004

Opening new economic frontiers, India today signed a preferential trade agreement with Latin American trading bloc Mercosur that could lead to a free trade arrangement between the two sides. The landmark agreement was signed by ministers from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina with Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley in the presence of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

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Kofi Annan pleads for fair trade deal for poor, Reuters, Davos, 23 January 2004

United Nations chief Kofi Annan made an impassioned plea on Friday for the poor to get a fairer deal from trade as top officials tried to inject life into stalled talks on freeing up world commerce. "More than anything else, we need a poor-friendly deal on agriculture. No single issue more gravely imperils the multilateral trading system, from which you benefit so much," Annan said in a speech at the forum.

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Re-opening a discussion on the Doha agenda totally counterproductive, EU Commissioner Fischler, Brussels, 21 January 2004

"... it was always our concern to ensure that schemes which promote the viability of rural communities or food security for developing countries as a weapon against poverty should be accepted. ...proposals currently under debate in the WTO show very well that separate and differential treatment is a major topic and that there is scope for helping the developing countries in this way."

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G-20 responds positively to the US initiative to revive the DDA, LOGE, 20 January 2004

In a communiqué issued in Geneva on 19 January 2004, the G-20 stated that it stands ready to contribute and to cooperate with all Members of the WTO to achieve substantive progress in the negotiations and, in this context, considers positively the recent contribution by the United States (of January 11, 2004) as well as the dialogue with the European Union started during the Brasilia Ministerial Meeting.

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Framework and calendar adopted towards the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), Summit of the Americas; Monterrey, Mexico, 14 January 2004

...We recognize that liberalization of trade of agricultural products constitutes, inter alia, an essential element for the development of agriculture in the countries of the Hemisphere. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to trade negotiations to promote effective access to markets.

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Farm products exporters welcome Doha talks revival, Financial Times, 13 January 2004

The initiative by Robert Zoellick, US trade representative, to revive the Doha round has drawn a guarded welcome from some World Trade Organisation members. However, several yesterday said they needed more time to study it and that it left a number of questions.

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'We are ready to go and negotiate - 2004 will not be a lost year,' says Lamy, Financial Times, 13 January 2004

Brussels strongly welcomed the US initiative to inject new life into the stalled round of world trade talks yesterday, insisting the European Union was ready to move "beyond rhetoric" and start negotiations in earnest.

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US initiative to revive the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), LOGE, 14 January 2004

The US Trade Representative (Robert Zoellick), in a letter to trade ministers of WTO Members (11 January 2004) urged them to re-engage productively and explore every avenue to make 2004 not a lost year, but a year of accomplishment for the DDA and the WTO. He referred to agriculture as "the essential topic and catalyst" in view of the critical role it pays in the negotiations, and made specific suggestions on how to proceed in practical terms on all three pillars of the negotiations (market access, domestic support and export competition). On cotton subsidies, he re-affirmed the US position that this issue should be treated within the overall negotiations on agriculture and "examine possibilities in this sector that are both trade- and development-related."

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BSE controls still not sufficient - FAO urges countries to strictly apply preventive measures, FAO, Rome, 12 January 2004

The discovery of the first case of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad-cow disease) in the United States in December 2003 highlights the need for countries to strengthen their BSE control measures, FAO said in a statement issued today.

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Steps towards a free trade area in South Asia, Daily Times, Pakistan, 7 January 2004

At the 12th SAARC summit being held in Islamabad, member countries agree to scale down tariffs to 0-5 percent under SAFTA treaty, which will come into force on January 1, 2006 and fully implemented by December 31, 2015.

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