At a meeting of the Council for Trade in Services on 1 July, WTO members discussed their efforts to increase the digital capabilities of businesses and consumers in view of the growing importance of online services, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. They also raised specific trade concerns (...)
At a time when the WTO is under heightened scrutiny and reform of the WTO is a subject of concern for all, the efforts undertaken by acceding governments to join the organization are a force for change, Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff said on 29 June. Speaking at the virtual opening session (...)
While import-restrictive measures introduced by Group of 20 (G20) economies continue to cover a growing share of trade, the WTO’s latest biannual monitoring report on trade measures — the first to cover a time period coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic — points to significant moves to (...)
WTO members agreed at a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) on 29 June to a request from the European Union for a dispute panel to examine India’s tariffs on certain high-tech goods. The DSB also agreed to an EU request for a panel to review Colombia’s anti-dumping duties on frozen fries (...)
The WTO and four academic institutions on 28 June awarded winners of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law, a simulated hearing of the WTO dispute settlement system for law students which mainly took place virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India’s Government Law (...)
The heads of the WTO, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) announced on 26 June the rollout of an improved and expanded digital tool, the Global Trade Helpdesk, that will help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) (...)
Addressing a webinar on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) held on 26 June to mark MSMEs Day, Director-General Roberto Azevêdo stressed that addressing the challenges faced by small businesses is a critical part of ensuring a socially inclusive economic recovery. He said that the (...)
WTO members have discussed a possible Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Declaration for the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference next year which would address the growing pressures on international agri-food production and trade. The proposal was discussed for the first time at a meeting of the SPS (...)
The 2020 International Day of Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) was celebrated on Saturday 27 June. This year, the theme was "COVID-19: The Great Lockdown and its impact on Small Business" which is closely linked to SDG8. On this occasion ILO Director-General, Guy (...)
At the 25 June meeting of the Negotiating Group on Rules concerning the fisheries subsidies negotiations, the chair, Ambassador Santiago Wills of Colombia, introduced to heads of WTO delegations a draft consolidated text of disciplines in anticipation of the text-based phase of the (...)