A World Trade Organization arbitrator determined the methodology Canada can use to set the level of retaliatory measures it can impose on goods imported from the U.S. if the U.S. applies countervailing duties on Canadian goods based on a measure found to be inconsistent with WTO rules. In the July 13 decision, the arbitrator said Canada would set the appropriate level of nullification or impairment in the future "based on the four-variety Armington model," which was recommended by the U.S. and can quantify the trade decline experienced by Canada through a particular use of the U.S.'s adverse facts available measures in CVD proceedings.
The World Trade Organization published the agenda for the July 21 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body, which includes U.S. status reports on the implementation of recommendations adopted by the DSB on antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act. A status report also is expected from Indonesia on measures relating to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products, and from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products.
Members of the World Trade Organization agreed at a July 7 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body to grant the U.S. and South Korea more time to talk over a possible settlement to the dispute over the U.S. safeguard measure on large residential washers, the WTO reported in an email. South Korea launched the dispute, and a dispute settlement panel in the proceeding issued its report in February, finding the U.S. violated numerous WTO commitments in enacting the safeguard. South Korea and the U.S. jointly requested the DSB adopt the panel's findings by Oct. 5 unless the DSB decides not to do so or either country tells the DSB of its decision to appeal the ruling -- though this would be futile, given the Appellate Body's lack of members. The DSB agreed to accept the joint request, the second of its kind. The next DSB meeting will be held July 21.
The World Trade Organization launched a Trade Connectivity Heatmap to provide a broad overview of the trade relationships between various economies across product categories, the WTO announced June 24. The map uses bilateral trade flow data from over 180 economies aggregated into around 70 product types to allow users to zero in on data for bilateral product-by-product relationships. The map allows for the organization of data based on four indicators: imports from a selected economy as a share of other economies' total imports in a chosen product category, exports meant for the selected economy as a share of other economies' total exports, the selected economy's imports originating from other economies as a share of the selected country's imports in the selected product category, and a selected country's exports meant for other economies as a share of the selected country's exports in the chosen product category.
The World Trade Organization published the agenda for the June 30 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body, which includes U.S. status reports on the implementation of recommendations adopted by the DSB on antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act. A status report is also expected from Indonesia on measures relating to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products, and from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products.
Trade ministers meeting at the World Trade Organization in Geneva agreed to a partial solution to harmful subsidies for fishing fleets, an intellectual property waiver for Covid vaccines, and to allow sale of commodities to the World Food Program even if the product is otherwise subject to export restrictions. The countries that attended the ministerial conference also agreed to extend the moratorium on tariffs on electronic transmissions.
The World Trade Organization extended the 12th Ministerial Conference until June 16, to "facilitate outcomes on the main issues under discussion," the WTO announced June 15. The closing session will now begin at 3 p.m. Geneva time June 16. Delegations are trying to reach agreement on fisheries subsidies, a COVID-19 intellectual property waiver and a continuation of the moratorium on e-commerce duties.
The Philippines and Thailand signed a bilateral "Understanding on Agreed Procedures Towards a Comprehensive Settlement of the Dispute in Thailand -- Customs and Fiscal Measures on Cigarettes from the Philippines (DS371)," the World Trade Organization announced. The document marks the success of a facilitator-aided process that kicked off in 2021 and reflects both countries' will to bring their customs valuation practices into compliance with WTO and domestic law commitments.
The World Trade Organization must renew the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions (see 2205190049) at the ministerial conference in Geneva next week, said John Neuffer, CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association. In a June 9 SIA blog post, Neuffer said the moratorium is at “serious risk” from some WTO members who are in favor of the increased tax revenue the duties could bring.
World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said members of an agriculture negotiating meeting for delegation chiefs should adopt three draft texts ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference, the WTO announced. The texts contain agricultural trade reforms, a draft ministerial declaration on trade and food security, and a draft ministerial declaration exempting food bought by the U.N.'s World Food Program from export bans. With the MC12 looming -- set to be held June 12-15 -- Okonjo-Iweala said the delegations should target their suggestions on key elements of the texts to allow for the committee's quickest adoption.