WTO Agriculture negotiations chairperson Ambassador Falconer, on August 11, 2008, submitted his report on the July 2008 "package" talks to the Trade Negotiations Committee. Also, non-agricultural market access (NAMA) chairperson Stephenson, on August 12, 2008, submitted his report on the July 2008 "package" talks to the Trade Negotiations Committee. (WTO agriculture negotiations chairperson's report, dated 08/11/08, available at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/agric_e/chair_texts_11aug08_e.doc; WTO non-agricultural market access chairperson's report, dated 08/12/08, available at
A "strategic alliance" announced earlier this year between air cargo giants UPS and DHL will be the subject of a hearing before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure when Congress returns in September. (Press release, dated 08/08/08, available at http://transportation.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=729.)
1. EC Proposes to Revise Regulation on Ozone Depleting Substances
During an April 2008 seminar in Austria, Customs and market surveillance authorities from 32 countries (EU; Croatia; Turkey; Norway; Switzerland and the U.S.) agreed to strengthen co-operation to protect the public from imported unsafe products. It was also announced that the European Commission and Hungarian customs administration will host a conference on Single Authorization for simplified procedures/Centralized Clearance as a follow up to the Helsinki Seminar on centralized clearance and to the Vienna Seminar on Single European Authorizsation on October 1-3, 2008. (Information at http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/policy_issues/conference_events/index_en.htm)
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are seeking applications for the 2008 Goods Movement Emissions Reduction Program. Under this Proposition 1B program, port truckers who own qualifying trucks are eligible to receive up to $50,000 in state funds to partially fund the replacement of their older trucks. (Announcement SPBP-PA001, dated 08/01/08, available at http://www.polb.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5449)
1. MCC Publishes Text of Amended U.S.-Madagascar Compact
On July 31, 2008, the Senate passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. 4040) conference report, clearing it for the President. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/31/08 news, 08073110, for BP summary of the H.R. 4040 conference report.) (Congressional Record, dated 07/31/08 news, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080731))
On July 29, 2008, WTO Director-General Lamy announced that ministers have failed in their effort to agree on blueprint Doha agreements in agriculture and industrial products. Out of 20 topics, convergence was reached on18 but the gaps could not narrow on the 19th - the special safeguard mechanism in farm products for developing countries. Nevertheless, the results represent twice or three times more than has been achieved in any previous multilateral negotiation, and this collapse does not mean the end of the Doha Round. (WTO release, dated 07/29/08, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/meet08_summary_29july_e.htm)
On July 28, 2008, Director-General Pascal Lamy reported that negotiators have registered very important progress...there is now a very high level of convergence on many subjects". He urged negotiators to accelerate movement towards compromises in the coming hours, adding that he aims to issue revised "modality" texts on agriculture and non-agricultural market access later in the day. (WTO notice available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm.)
On the opening day of about a week of negotiations in Geneva, ministers said a Doha Round deal is badly needed because of economic uncertainties. They promised to strive to settle their differences on blueprint agreements - "modalities" - in agriculture and industrial products, provided the outcome is balanced. (WTO release, dated 07/21/08, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news08_e/meet08_summary_21july_e.htm)