WTO Goods Council Hears 'Record' Number of Trade Concerns
World Trade Organization members addressed a "record number of trade concerns" during a Nov. 24-25 meeting of the Council for Trade in Goods, the WTO said. Topics included how the council could implement some of the outcomes of the 12th Ministerial Conference: the work program on electronic commerce, the WTO's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and WTO reform. The committee also wanted to continue talks on the Least-Developed Countries Group's proposal for some countries to graduate from LDC status. The next council meeting is April 3-4.
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The council heard 45 trade concerns, including on tariff rate quotas, import/export restrictions, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, subsidies, local content requirements, alleged discriminatory domestic taxation, domestic certification and administrative procedures, and antidumping and countervailing duties, the WTO said. The council also said it will hold briefings on Dec. 9 and Dec. 12 to share information on how WTO digital tools used by some committees can aid delegations in their work.
The LDC proposal would allow graduated LDCs with a gross national product per capita income level below $1,000 to get the same treatment as certain developing countries listed in Annex VII(b) of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures since they are exempt from the provision on export subsidies. The updated GNPs were circulated in November 2021. "The LDC Group noted that, in light of the updated information, it was evident that many LDCs may graduate from the LDC category with a GNPI per capita below the threshold of USD 1,000 in constant USD 1990 terms," the WTO said.