WTO members welcomed the resumption of WTO membership negotiations for Uzbekistan when the working party on the country’s accession to the WTO met on 7 July 2020 — almost 15 years after its last formal meeting.
The WTO issued on 6 July the latest edition of its annual publication World Tariff Profiles, which provides comprehensive information on the tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed by over 170 countries and customs territories. The publication is jointly prepared by the WTO, the United Nations (...)
The fourteenth review of the trade policies and practices of Japan takes place on 6 and 8 July 2020. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Japan.
Cooperatives and other social and solidarity economy (SSE) enterprises around the world are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In responding to this crisis, they have provided essential assistance to their members, adapted their services, connecting people in need of support with local (...)
On 2 July, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) issued its 2019 Annual Report, outlining EIF support for building the trade capacity of least-developed countries (LDCs). The report notes progress in improving gender equality in LDCs and in enhancing access to new technologies, particularly (...)
The heads of the WTO and six multilateral development banks on 1 July issued a joint statement promising to address shortages in trade finance, so that financial market stresses arising from the COVID-19 crisis do not prevent otherwise-viable trade transactions, including for essential goods (...)
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 (...)