Archive - mai 2005

Trade officials in Geneva May 23 were stunned by the news that the chairman of the WTO's agriculture negotiations, New Zealand ambassador Tim Groser, has resigned as New Zealand's ambassador to the WTO, calling into question his continued leadership at a sensitive stage in the farm trade negotiations.

While some members pressed ahead with proposals for new clarification of the relevant existing GATT rules as well as new obligations, several developing countries voiced their concern that some proposals that have been put forward exceeded the mandate for the negotiations.(M. Khor)

The US Treasury has told the Chinese authorities that they must revalue their currency by at least 10 per cent against the dollar to prevent protectionist legislation in the US Congress.

National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), said that hundreds of millions of dollars a year worth of priority NFTC-member non-agricultural exports to six countries--Brazil, Egypt, India, Malaysia, South Africa, and Turkey--currently face 'uncertain' or 'prohibitive' tariffs.

Trade diplomacy takes a new turn with the election of Pascal Lamy as the new director-general of WTO. His election is said to be an outcome of

'[CAFTA] is going to be a disaster for farmers, in particular in the other member countries,' predicted Robert Scott, director of international programs at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI),

AMSTERDAM, LONDON, BRUSSELS, MONTEVIDEO, WASHINGTON DC, May 23, 2005 - Friends of the Earth International today publishes a revised analysis of the World Trade Organization

The proposals at the WTO in the negotiations on non-agriculture market access (NAMA) to slash industrial tariffs in developing countries are inappropriate and... would result in devastating effects on local industrial firms and jobs...(M.Khor)

An informal meeting on 10 May 2005 of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture of the WTO was presented with an updated set of draft guidelines on the methodology for converting non-ad valorem duties into ad valorem equivalents (AVEs). (M.Khor)

WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi reiterated May 19 the need to step up efforts in advancing the Doha Round of trade talks, despite an agreement among WTO members earlier this month resolving a long-standing feud over the conversion of agricultural tariffs.