World Trade Organization Notices for Oct 27-29
The World Trade Organization (WTO) posted the following notices from Oct 27-29 (may have to click twice on source documents for proper viewing):
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Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
- General Council accepts Laos’ membership. WTO members signed the Protocol Accession and agreed to Laos joining the organization. Laos is set to become a member in early 2013. Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said: “In a country like the Lao PDR, the accession process is not limited to changing some laws and regulations. We had to change our way of doing business." (here)
- Tajikistan accession negotiations. Tajikistan applied for WTO membership on 29 May 2001 and on October 26, 2012 the Working Party on Tajikistan’s accession agreed, ad referendum, on the terms of the country’s membership to the WTO by adopting the package containing reforms to Tajikistan’s trade regime, market access schedules on goods and services, the Ministerial Decision and the Protocol of Accession. Tajikistan’s accession package will be forwarded to the General Council December 11-12, 2012 for adoption by all members. They will have until June 7, 2013 to ratify its accession package. (here)
- Antidumping action review. The Committee on Antidumping Practices reviewed reports by 32 members on antidumping actions taken during the first half of 2012 and considered more recent notifications of preliminary and final antidumping actions submitted by 25 members. The U.S. expressed concerns about China’s investigation into thylene glycol monobutyl ether and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and India’s investigation into stainless steel cold rolled flat products. (here)
- Export subsidy programs final extension granted. The Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures approved the final extension of the transition period, until end 2013, for export subsidy programs of 19 developing countries. These programs consist mainly of free trade zones and tax incentives. The U.S. and Turkey again urged India to start phasing out its export subsidies to its textile and clothing industry, which the WTO Secretariat had found to be export competitive as from 2007. (here)
- Dispute Settlement Board panels set up. The Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) established a panel to examine a complaint by the U.S. against China’s anti-dumping and countervailing duties on U.S. automobiles (DS440). In the Boeing dispute (DS353), it established a panel, at the request of the EU to examine whether the U.S. had complied with DSB recommendations. (here)