The Chair of the Negotiating Group, Ambassador Wayne McCook (Jamaica), reported that his recent consultations indicated that there was no consensus for holding a stocktaking workshop.

Japan, on behalf of the Friends of Anti-dumping Negotiations (FANs) which proposed the stocktaking workshop, expressed disappointment with the result of the consultations. It reiterated the FANs position on the importance of including anti-dumping in the post-Bali work programme. It noted that the FANs have also proposed starting discussions on anti-dumping, starting with the least controversial issues.

Australia, Canada, the United States and Brazil questioned the utility of a stocktaking workshop in looking back at old issues that had led to stalemate and in the light of substantial changes in members' anti-dumping systems.

New Zealand, speaking on behalf of the Friends of Fish, said that they remain committed to having a fisheries subsidies outcome in the post-Bali work programme. Saint Lucia, speaking on behalf of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group and the small, vulnerable economies stressed that fishing is a vital source of income for them. Ghana, speaking on behalf of the African Group, said they could support a stocktaking workshop that would be extended to fisheries subsidies.

The European Union said it is becoming increasingly urgent to explore other Doha Round issues, adding that a Doha outcome would not be possible without some results in rules. In the absence of agreement on stocktaking, it proposed that the WTO Secretariat produce background notes on the rules issues, and also conduct briefing sessions similar to those done in the TRIPS (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) Council earlier in the week.

On the role of rules in the work programme on the Doha Round, China, the Philippines and Chile said that rules and other Doha Round issues are already on the table as mandated by Ministers.

The Chair said that a lot of informal conversation between WTO members must now take place, and that he is open to consulting with members at any time. For structured consultations, he said he would hold the next round in the last week of March.

WTO members agreed at the Doha Ministerial Conference to launch negotiations in the area of “WTO rules”. These negotiations relate to the following subject matter: the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of GATT 1994 (better known as the Anti-dumping Agreement); the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and, in this context, WTO disciplines on fisheries subsidies; and WTO provisions applying to regional trade agreements.

For more information. https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/rulesneg_e/rulesneg_e.htm