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DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA back to top
Lamy says differences require “recalibration” of Hong Kong expectations, calls for “negotiating spirit” to advance trade talks

Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his report to heads of delegations on 10 November, said that informal meetings of a number of ministers during the past few days have not been able to bridge differences, which would now require members to “recalibrate” their expectations for the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. He stressed the need to maintain the ambition of the Round, and for Hong Kong to mark a step forward in successfully completing the talks next year.

On 26 November, the Director-General introduced the Draft Ministerial Text for the Sixth Ministerial Conference, at an informal meeting of heads of delegations.
  

Find the ‘last bridge’ urgently farm talks chairperson tells negotiators in pre-Hong Kong report

The agriculture negotiations have made “relatively rapid” progress since August, the talks’ chairperson, Ambassador Crawford Falconer, says in a report to the Trade Negotiations Committee circulated on 25 November. But the major differences that have prevented agreement on “full modalities” in the forthcoming Hong Kong Ministerial Conference mean there is a “compelling urgency” to seize the moment and drive the process to a conclusion as rapidly as possible, he warns.

  
Two cotton proposals for Hong Kong conference discussed

Two new or modified proposals on cotton were outlined at the eighth Cotton Sub-Committee meeting on 18 November: from the four African proponents (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) and from the EU. These include proposed actions for ministers to take at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference next month.
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Lamy to NGOs: your criticism is based on a misunderstanding of services talks

Non-governmental organizations that signed an open letter to the WTO misunderstand the way a text on services for the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference is being drafted, the Director-General said in a reply released on 18 November. The text is based on ideas from all participants in the negotiations and at no stage has the chairperson said that parts of the text can only be removed by consensus, Mr Lamy writes.

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ACCESSION back to top
WTO General Council successfully adopts Saudi Arabia’s terms of accession

The General Council formally concluded, on 11 November, negotiations with Saudi Arabia on the terms of the country’s membership to the WTO. The General Council Chair, Ambassador Amina Mohamed of Kenya, said “Members have taken not only a major step towards better international economic cooperation but they have also allowed the WTO to become more universal.” Director-General Lamy said that “Saudi Arabia is on its way to becoming the WTO's 149th Member, paving the way for a stronger multilateral trading system.”
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Ukraine Working Party holds 15th meeting

The Working Party on the Accession of Ukraine held its fifteenth meeting on 23 November. The Working Party reviewed legislative developments, the state of play of the bilateral market access negotiations in goods and services, and examined the third revision of the Draft Report of the Working Party prepared by the Secretariat. The Working Party agreed to target the next meeting in the first quarter of 2006 to review progress on the multilateral and bilateral fronts.
  

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TRADE POLICY REVIEW back to top
Romania: Continued liberalization should improve efficiency and competitiveness

Since its last review in 1999, Romania has continued to liberalize its trade regime. This, in turn, has contributed to a positive overall economic performance during the last few years. Romania has also embarked on a reinvigorated privatization programme to increase efficiency and attract more foreign investment, still largely untapped and low by regional standards, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Romania. Romania’s trade regime would gain from tariff reforms. Indeed, the reduction of the gap between applied and bound MFN tariffs, mainly on agricultural products, would improve the predictability of the regime. Moreover, the reduction of applied MFN tariffs should contribute to diversify the geographical pattern of Romania’s trade away from its preferential partners, according to the report.
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Bolivia: The trade regime has improved but greater predictability is needed

Since its last review in 1999, Bolivia has modernized and simplified its trade policy but economic growth has been sluggish and investment trends have proved disappointing, according to a WTO Secretariat Report on the Trade Policies and Practices of Bolivia. The report notes that it is of critical importance for Bolivia to increase investment, including foreign investment, in order to enhance productivity and promote growth. Bolivia could make significant headway in that direction if it improved the predictability of its trade and investment regime by undertaking broader multilateral commitments to consolidate the considerable liberalization steps it has already taken.This could include new commitments under the GATS. Although Bolivia has bound all its tariffs, predictability would be further enhanced by narrowing the gap between applied and bound tariffs.
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DISPUTE SETTLEMENT back to top
The DSB adopts rulings on Korean and US anti-dumping measures

On 28 November, the DSB adopted panel report concerning Korea anti-dumping duties on certain paper from Indonesia (DS312); and panel and appellate body reports pertaining to United-States anti-dumping measures on oil country tubular goods from Mexico (DS282).
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WTO issues report of compliance panel in softwood lumber dispute

The WTO, on 15 November, issued the report of the panel that had examined Canada's complaint regarding the implementation of rulings in the case “United States — Investigation of the International Trade Commission in Softwood Lumber from Canada.” (DS277).
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Appellate Body issues two reports

The Appellate Body issued the following reports:

• On 2 November, regarding the complaint of Mexico against the United States in the dispute “United States — Anti-Dumping Measures on Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) from Mexico” (WT/DS282/AB/R); and
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• On 29 November, regarding the complaint of the United States against Mexico in the dispute “Mexico — Definitive Anti-Dumping Measures on Beef and Rice, Complaint with Respect to Rice” (WT/DS295/AB/R).

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Least-developed countries have been given an extension until 1 July 2013 to provide protection for trademarks, copyright, patents and other intellectual property under the WTO’s agreement, following a decision reached by member governments on 29 November. The decision by the WTO’s Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) extends the transition period for least-developed countries by seven and a half years, and includes commitments on technical assistance to help them prepare to apply the agreement. The transition period was due to expire on 1 January 2006, 11 years after the TRIPS Agreement came into force.
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Lamy says the Round’s development potential must be preserved

Director-General Pascal Lamy, on 28 November, presented a Secretariat note on Development Aspects of the Doha Round to the WTO's Committee on Trade and Development. He said that “what is already on the table can translate into a good result for development,” adding that “it would certainly be disastrous if what we have disappears because we fail to move the negotiations forward”.
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Patricia Francis appointed as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO

Patricia Francis of Jamaica has been appointed as Executive Director of the International Trade Centre, the joint technical cooperation agency of UNCTAD and WTO for business aspects of trade development. The appointment was made by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy.
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WTO Secretariat prepares implementation of the 2006 technical assistance plan

The Secretariat has started preparations for the implementation of the WTO Technical Assistance and Training Plan for 2006 for developing countries. The plan is designed to enable the Secretariat to pursue in a coherent and cost effective fashion key objectives mandated by members, including “mainstreaming” trade into national development and poverty reduction policies, and reflects the principles and priorities of the Doha Development Agenda.

 

Meanwhile, the following contributions were made during the month:

 

• Luxembourg has donated EUR 250,000 to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund, a contribution that will be used for the implementation of the activities included in the Technical Assistance and Training Plan.
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• The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu made a contribution of USD 20,000 to the trust fund established for the purpose of financing the participation of least-developed countries in the 6th Ministerial Conference.
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• Iceland is donating to the WTO Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund CHF 60,000 for each of the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 in order to finance WTO technical assistance activities.
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Regional trade policy course for Latin America closes in Santiago, Chile

The closing ceremony for the Regional Trade Policy Course for Latin America, organized by the WTO in cooperation with the Institute of International Studies, University of Chile, was held on 25 November. The course started on 5 September 2005.
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The same day, twenty-four government officials from WTO Member States ended a five-day immersion into the rules and procedures governing the WTO Dispute Settlement mechanism.
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WTO ACTIVITIES back to top
WTO Secretariat announces statistics on safeguard measures

The WTO Secretariat, on 16 November, published statistics on safeguards actions notified by WTO Members pursuant to the Agreement on Safeguards during the period 1 January 1995 to 30 June 2005. According to these statistics, a total of 139 safeguard investigations were initiated during the period, and a total of 68 safeguard measures were imposed. These totals are relatively low, compared to the 2743 anti-dumping initiations and 1729 anti-dumping measures, and the 176 countervailing duty initiations and 108 countervailing duties measures notified during the same period.
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