Public video screening of panel hearing in aircraft subsidy dispute case set for 18–19 April

At the request of the parties in the dispute, “European Communities and Certain Member States — Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft (Recourse to Article 21.5 by the United States) (DS316 (Article 21.5 — US))”, the panel has agreed to show a video recording of the non-confidential portions of its hearing on 18 and possibly 19 April 2013.
> News item

EVENTS

> Calendar 2013

Members start negotiating proposal on poor countries’ food stockholding

The WTO agriculture talks are now ready to discuss the substance of a proposal to loosen price support disciplines for developing countries’ public stocks and domestic food aid, chairperson John Adank said on 27 March 2013.
> News item with audio

Concerns remain about farm trade commitment breaches for rice

Costa Rica’s and Thailand’s domestic support policies for rice continued to raise concerns in the WTO Agriculture Committee on 26 March 2013 when members also considered ways to improve the committee’s work.
> News item

WTO Public Forum in October 2013 to discuss trade and innovation

The 2013 Public Forum, the WTO’s largest annual outreach event for civil society, academia, business, the media, governments, parliamentarians and inter-governmental organizations, will be on 1–3 October in Geneva, with the theme “Expanding Trade through Innovation and the Digital Economy”.
> News item

Indonesia objects to a dispute settlement panel on US agricultural exports

Following Indonesia’s objection, on 26 March 2013 the Dispute Settlement Body, which comprises all WTO members, deferred the establishment of a panel — requested by the United States — to examine a dispute on importation of horticultural products, animals and animal products.
> Summary of the meeting
> Proposed items for consideration at the DSB

Goods Council approves list of subsidiary bodies’ chairs for 2013

The list of chairs of committees and working parties reporting to the Goods Council was approved by the Goods Council on 25 March 2013. Chairperson Moncef Baati, Tunisia’s ambassador, said the list had been agreed in consultations among members. The chairs will take office when they have been formally elected by the subsidiary bodies.
> News item

China should be more active in global economic governance, Lamy tells Beijing forum

With advanced economies and emerging countries divided over how to balance the gains and the costs of international issues such as the Doha Round negotiations, China is well-placed to become an agent of convergence, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy told the China Development Forum in Beijing, 24 March 2013.
> Speech

Members note food label fraud, hear 17 concerns, as ‘SPS’ trainees top 10,000

Fraud involving horsemeat in Europe, continuing concern about Indonesia’s port closure, Japanese pesticide limits for sesame, and perennial concerns related to mad cow disease were among the many issues discussed by the WTO committee dealing with food safety and animal and plant health, 21–22 March 2013.
> News item

Arancha Gonzalez urges landlocked poor countries to play active role in trade facilitation talks

Ms Arancha Gonzalez, Chief of Staff of WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, in a speech at the “Brainstorming Meeting on the Priorities of a New Development Agenda for the Landlocked Developing Countries” in New York on 20 March 2013, urged landlocked least-developed countries to “play a more active role in the negotiations at the WTO”. She said “it is important that your specific concerns are on the table and that the centrality which you give to trade facilitation in this Almaty process effectively translates into negotiations in Geneva”.
> News item

Trade Policy Review: Argentina

The fourth review of the trade policies and practices of Argentina takes place on 20 and 22 March 2013. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Argentina.
> TPR documents
> Chairperson’s concluding remarks
Audio: Chairperson’s concluding remarks
> More on Argentina
> More on trade policy reviews
> More on business, trade and the WTO

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Latest podcast:
27.03.2013: Members start negotiating proposal on poor countries’ food stockholding
Audio: Chairperson Adank’s closing statement
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Latest video:

28.03.2013: Debate: Better jobs through trade
Ken Ash and Marion Jansen