The EU is requesting consultations at the World Trade Organization with the U.K. over its practices relating to its support of green energy projects, the European Commission announced. In particular, the EU alleged that the U.K. favors British over imported content in granting subsidies for offshore wind energy projects. The allegation says that the U.K. government implements a local content criterion when assessing bids for these projects. The commission said such rules violate the U.K.'s WTO commitments, namely the national treatment principle, while also hobbling many EU suppliers in the green energy industry.
The chair of the World Trade Organization's agriculture negotiating group, Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta of Costa Rica, told WTO members to prepare for "intensive negotiations" relating to the impact of the invasion of Ukraine on global food markets, the WTO said. Peralta's comments came during a March 21 meeting of the agriculture group meant to focus negotiating efforts ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference set for the week of June 13. Peralta asked the negotiating group members to "reassess" their negotiating objectives in light of these recent challenges. In response, several members of the group discussed the impact of the Ukraine conflict on the negotiation process along with resulting threats to food security, the WTO said. Members affirmed their support for a multilateral decision to waive export restrictions on food purchases by the World Food Programme.
Countries participating in the World Trade Organization's Informal Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade launched three "workstreams" March 18 to discuss measures on reducing plastics waste, the WTO said. The workstreams focus on crosscutting issues, including capacity building and technical assistance; promoting trade to deal with plastic pollution; and circularity and reduction to reduce plastic pollution, including how trade-related cooperation can bolster efforts to reduce plastic products and reduce unnecessary or harmful plastics and plastic products, including single-use plastics and plastic packaging associated with international trade. The IDP said in a work plan that the workstreams are a meaningful step toward implementing the IDP Ministerial Statement, which sets goals for reducing plastics pollution and fostering environmentally sustainable plastics trade.
The World Trade Organization published the agenda for the March 28 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body. It 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. Status reports also are expected from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products and from Indonesia on importation of horticultural products, animals and animal products.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that it has reached a compromise on a World Trade Organization intellectual property waiver for COVID-19 vaccines. According to a USTR spokesperson, no agreement on a precise text has been pinned down, but Reuters reported that the proposed agreement, the result of a compromise between the U.S., EU, India and South Africa, permits the use of "patented subject matter required for the production and supply of COVID-19 vaccines without the consent of the right holder to the extent necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic."
World Trade Organization members agreed at the Feb. 28 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body to set up a dispute panel to look at China's complaint concerning Australia's antidumping duties and countervailing duties on Chinese goods, the WTO said Feb. 28. Australia imposed the AD duty measures to cover imports of wind towers, stainless steel sinks and railway wheels from China and the CVD measures to cover stainless steel sinks. China first requested a panel over the duties in January, but the request was blocked.
The World Trade Organization confirmed a new slate of chairpersons for WTO bodies, at a Feb. 24 meeting of the General Council, the WTO said. Among them are Didier Chambovey of Switzerland to preside over the General Council, Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme of Botswana to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, and Lansana Gberie of Sierra Leone to chair the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. No U.S., Chinese, Canadian, Russian, Indian or Australian officials are listed as chair of any WTO bodies.
The World Trade Organization's 12th Ministerial Conference has been set has been set for the week of June 13 in Geneva, the WTO said Feb. 23. Following Switzerland's easing of COVID-19 restrictions, WTO members at a meeting of the General Council decided to reschedule the ministerial, which had already been rescheduled to begin at the end of November 2021. Originally the conference was to be held in June 2020 in Kazakhstan. MC12 is seen as a key summit for the resolution of many issues in international trade, including the WTO Appellate Body and fishery subsidies.
World Trade Organization members initiated membership consideration for Turkmenistan at a Feb. 23 General Council meeting, the WTO said. Turkmenistan's application, officially received in November, originally was set to be considered at the 12th Ministerial Conference the next month until the conference was postponed due to COVID-19. In the meeting's stead, the General Council agreed to set up a working party to oversee accession negotiations with the Central Asian country.
The World Trade Organization published the agenda for the Feb. 28 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body. The agenda includes status reports by the U.S. 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.