WTO updates 11/21
China, US welcomed as new participants in trade and environmental sustainability talks
WTO members taking part in the new initiative on trade and environmental sustainability welcomed China and the United States as new co-sponsors for the discussions at their meeting on 4 November. Participants also expressed broad support for a draft ministerial statement that would set out future work for the initiative in areas such as trade and climate change as well as fix a road map for advancing discussions in 2022.
New WTO report on G20 shows restraint in new pandemic-related trade restrictions
G20 economies have continued to roll back COVID-19-related trade-restrictive measures and demonstrated restraint in the imposition of new ones, but the value of trade covered by pandemic-related restrictions still in place now exceeds that of trade-facilitating measures, according to the latest WTO Trade Monitoring Report on G20 trade measures released today (28 October). Ahead of a G20 leaders’ summit in Rome this weekend, Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called on G20 economies to continue to unwind pandemic-related trade restrictions and to push for a strong WTO response to the pandemic at the 12th Ministerial Conference.
Panel established to examine Chinese duties on imported Australian wine
The WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) agreed at its meeting on 26 October to establish a dispute panel to examine China’s imposition of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imported wine from Australia.
Ukraine launches safeguard investigation on tricone drilling bits
Ukraine notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 13 October 2021 a safeguard investigation on Tricone Drilling Bits.
Turkey launches safeguard investigation on grinding balls and similar articles for mills
Turkey notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 9 October 2021 a safeguard investigation on grinding balls and similar articles for mills.
WTO launches improved quantitative restrictions database
The WTO launched on 8 November an improved Quantitative Restrictions (QR) Database, an online platform to search and retrieve information on trade restrictions and prohibitions notified by WTO members. The QR Database provides information on export prohibitions and restrictions introduced by members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with detailed information on the affected products, the intended duration of the measures and their WTO justification.