Search Results for: World Trade Organisation

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ESTONIAN government has launched an inquiry that is expected to lead it to impose temporary safeguard duties on pigmeat imports. The Baltic republic told the World Trade Organisation it was concerned about the effect on domestic producers of a rise in imports of fresh, frozen or chilled carcasses, half carcasses, hams, shoulders and other cuts.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLITICAL pressure has been placed on European Union ministers to press for reforms to the world coffee trading system, which has experienced a 50 per cent drop in producer prices over the past three years, slashing the income of producers.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States Trade Representative office has published the details of the unconfirmed textile trade agreement that the USA has negotiated with Vietnam. It is available on the Internet at

http://www.ustr.gov/regions/asia-pacific/2003-04-25-Vietnam-textiles-summary.pdf…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A LARGE step has been made by the European Commission towards guaranteeing non-European Union lawyers and law firms the right to establish themselves in any EU Member State, with this principle, (hedged by some exemptions), being offered at the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Development Round.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Labour Organisation (ILO) has warned the globalisation of utility sectors is cutting jobs in gas distribution, with only the roll-out of new services in developing countries generating employment. ILO’s ‘Challenges and Opportunities Facing Public Utilities’ calls for more public consultation when preparing major changes, such as privatisation and liberalisation.*…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released its detailed offer for improving the access of non-European Union travel agents into the EU market, as part of the ongoing Doha Development Round at the World Trade Organisation. If its trading partners offer adequate concessions in return, Brussels will agree that non-EU nationals wishing to establish travel agencies in EU have the same treatment as EU nationals.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLITICAL pressure is rising on negotiators at the World Trade Organisation tasked with striking a deal over a geographical indication register for traditionally made wines and spirits. WTO members have long been debating the issue and have not been able to bridge the gap between countries such as the USA, which want a powerless register for guidance on protected terms and the EU and its allies, which want registration to grant compulsory worldwide protection.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE THAI government has launched disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation over the reclassification of European Union’s customs coding for frozen boneless salted chicken cuts. In the past, they were classified as salted meat (duty rate15.4 per cent), now they are classed as frozen chicken at the higher duty of Euro102.4 per 100 kg.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
ROMANO Prodi, the president of the European Commission, has made an unusual direct appeal to the United States government to compromise in the ongoing World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations over granting developing countries access to cheap generic drugs.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
DRINKS industry lobbyists are waiting for the imminent release of a draft proposal to create a deal at the World Trade Organisation over a geographical indication register for traditionally made wines and spirits. WTO members have long tried to bridge the gap between the USA, which wants a powerless register for guidance on protected terms and the EU, which wants registration to grant compulsory worldwide protection.…