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Rethinking special and differential treatment in the World Trade Organization

Posted on Nov 29 2021 by Sarah Warner

WORKING PAPER 05
The overarching principle of SDT is encapsulated in paragraph 1 of the preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement (1994), establishing the WTO and specifying its functions. The WTO Secretariat lists 155 SDT provisions in the WTO Agreements. Development issues have been dealt with in the WTO for over sixty-years in subsequent ‘Trade Rounds’ and have concluded with varying degrees of success.

Special and differential treatment (SDT) in the World Trade Organisation (WTO)

Posted on Nov 22 2021 by Sarah Warner

Monday 22 November, 2021. The Institute for International Trade (IIT) presented their findings of a global opinion survey on rethinking Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The webinar was held intention of enhancing understanding of the pertinent issues pertaining to, and different perspectives on, Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) amongst key stakeholders in international trade policy.

Why Abandoning the WTO E Commerce Moratorium is a Terrible Idea

Posted on Nov 22 2021 by Sarah Warner

Jane Drake-Brockman is Industry Professor, Institute for International Trade, Convenor of the JM Network, Trade & Investment in Services Associates (TIISA), Member of the G20 Trade and Investment Research Network (TIRN) and Founder and Director of the Australian Services Roundtable.
Services stakeholders around the world are banding together as never before in a last-ditch effort in the lead up to the 12^th WTO Ministerial Session in Geneva on 30 November. Many issues are at stake, but one stands on a pedestal of its own; the WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.

Government subsidies and environmental costs

Posted on Nov 4 2021 by Sarah Warner

Ken Ash is an Independent Consultant, IIT Visiting Fellow, and former OECD Director of Trade and Agriculture.
The economic and trade distortions caused by ill-conceived government support for sectors ranging from agriculture, fisheries and fossil fuels to aluminium (2019, 2021), steel and semiconductors are enormous. While this is explicitly recognized by G7, G20 and APEC member governments, amongst others, the pace of subsidy reform remains glacial.

Webinar: An Enhanced Measure of Regional Cooperation and Integration

Posted on Oct 26 2021 by Sarah Warner

Webinar: 7 October, 2021. Regional cooperation and integration is rapidly evolving as new forms of digital connectivity and environmental cooperation emerge. How will these impact RCI dynamics and the pace of progress for Asia and the Pacific?

Prospects for future UK-Australia Services Trade

Posted on Oct 21 2021 by Sarah Warner

George Riddell Director of Trade Strategy at EY, London.
On 17 June 2021, Australia and the United Kingdom announced an Agreement in Principle on a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Since then, negotiators on both sides have been hammering out the details of the legal text of the agreement. This article assesses the prospects for services trade between the countries.

COVID-19 and Global Sea Transport

Posted on Oct 20 2021 by Sarah Warner

Douglas C. Lippoldt and Carlos A. Primo Braga
Maritime shipping has been at the very core of the globalisation process. It is a carefully balanced system that maximises capacity utilisation while adapting to annual shifts in demand and long-term trends in economic development. COVID-19 has delivered a dramatic shock to the system. This brief assesses the damage done thus far, and then identifies a number of policy interventions that can improve the resilience of global shipping, boosting the stability of global supply chains.

The Landing Zone in Trade Agreements for Cross-Border Data Flows

Posted on Oct 12 2021 by Sarah Warner

Dr Pascal Kerneis, expert in the European services industry in international trade and investment negotiations.
The digitalisation of the world economy is continuing at a fast pace. Its successful progress is dependent on the ability to move data as freely as possible across international borders. Digital trade chapters are therefore becoming a critical part of bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral trade agreements.

Public-Private Dialogue on Services "Driving Services for an Inclusive and Resilient Economy"

Posted on Oct 7 2021 by Sarah Warner

The Asia Pacific Services Coalition (APSC) and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), co-sponsored by Trade & Investment in Services Associates (TIISA) invite you to a
Public-Private Dialogue on Services, with the theme, “Driving Services for an Inclusive and Resilient Economic Recovery”. The two-day webinar will gather international experts, APEC officials and business leaders to share experience and best practices, and from there, draw lessons on how the services sector can build-back-better and build-back-broader the world economy.

WTO Public Forum 2021: Trade Beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience

Posted on Oct 5 2021 by Sarah Warner

Public Forum 2021 — “Trade Beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience”.The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest annual outreach event, which provides a platform for participants to discuss the latest developments in world trade and to propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The event regularly attracts over 1,500 representatives from civil society, academia, business, the media, governments, parliamentarians and inter-governmental organizations.

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