Trade monitoring
Outreach
In 2008, contact with nongovernmental organizations, parliamentarians, other organizations and the general public was further developed through a variety of initiatives. These included the expansion of the annual WTO Public Forum, which attracted a record number of 1,334 people to the WTO in October. Over 150 information briefings were conducted at the WTO in 2008 involving about 4,700 participants.
Introduction
That the global economy has gone through a period both of enormous dynamism and of enormous disruption over the past quarter-century is hardly surprising – the two are inextricably linked. The world economy only grows when productivity rises; and productivity only rises when the world economy generates more and better output more efficiently. Current concerns about globalization in many countries are traceable at least in part to the economic adjustment challenge posed by a global economy becoming ever more productive. The World Trade Report 2017 looks at two of the most powerful drivers of global economic advance today, technology and trade, and examines how they are affecting labour markets. It analyses how the challenges of adjusting to this new labour market are changing and how economies are adapting. In particular, it examines the similarities and differences in the way that technology, on the one hand, and trade, on the other, influence labour market outcomes.
Welcoming new members
In 2012, the General Council approved the accession agreements of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) and Tajikistan. Both countries officially became WTO members in early 2013 after notifying the WTO that their parliaments had ratified the accords. The agreements contain commitments covering all WTO rules.
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer
The World Trade Report 2017 was prepared under the general responsibility of Xiaozhun Yi, WTO Deputy Director-General, and Robert Koopman, Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division. This year the report was coordinated by Marc Bacchetta and José-Antonio Monteiro. The authors of the report are Marc Bacchetta, Cosimo Beverelli, John Hancock, Mark Koulen, Viktor Kummritz, José-Antonio Monteiro, Roberta Piermartini, Stela Rubinova and Robert Teh (Economic Research and Statistics Division).
Our year
WTO members focused on implementing decisions taken at the Nairobi and Bali ministerial conferences and on looking towards potential outcomes for the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) to be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017.
Tendances générales et moteurs du commerce mondial en 2015
La croissance du commerce mondial des marchandises en volume, mesurée par la moyenne des exportations et des importations, est restée faible en 2015, à 2,7%. La faible croissance du commerce mondial s’est accompagnée d’une légère augmentation du PIB mondial, qui a progressé de 2,4% en termes réels aux taux de change du marché pendant la même période.
Comercio de servicios
El Consejo del Comercio de Servicios se ocupó especialmente de promover la puesta en práctica de la exención para los países menos adelantados (PMA) en la esfera de los servicios, cuyo objetivo es ayudar a los PMA a desempeñar una función más activa en el comercio mundial de servicios. A finales del año, el Consejo había recibido 21 notificaciones relativas al trato preferencial para los servicios de los PMA presentadas por Miembros de la OMC. La Décima Conferencia Ministerial de Nairobi prorrogó la exención cuatro años más, hasta 2030. El Consejo también examinó la cuestión del comercio electrónico y la evolución de las políticas comerciales en el ámbito de los servicios.
Importance croissante des pays en développement dans l’économie mondiale
Ces dernières années ont été marquées par le rôle de plus en plus important des économies en développement dans l’économie mondiale. Cette section examine comment, en dix ans, de nombreux pays sont parvenus à une croissance économique remarquable, tout en faisant reculer à grands pas la pauvreté. Certains de ces pays sont devenus d’importants producteurs et exportateurs de produits manufacturés, de produits agricoles et de services commerciaux, éclipsant parfois les pays industriels. Il s’agit, en particulier, des grandes économies en développement qui se sont imposées dans des enceintes internationales comme le G-20.
WTO secretariat and budget
The WTO Secretariat, with offices in Geneva, has 629 regular staff and is headed by Director-General Pascal Lamy. Since decisions are taken by members, the Secretariat has no decision-making powers. Its main duties are to supply technical and professional support for the various councils and committees, to provide technical assistance for developing countries, to monitor and analyze developments in world trade, to provide information to the public and the media and to organize the ministerial conferences. The Secretariat also provides some forms of legal assistance in the dispute settlement process and advises governments wishing to become members of the WTO.
Concluding remarks by the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body
This joint Trade Policy Review was a very useful opportunity for Members to deepen their understanding of the economic, trade, and investment policies of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I would like to thank the two delegations led by the State Secretary for Economic Affairs Mrs. Marie- Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch, for Switzerland, and Ambassador Peter Matt, for Liechtenstein, our discussant Ambassador David Walker, and the more than 50 delegations that took the floor for their valuable contributions.
Report by the WTO Secretariat
At the time of its last Trade Policy Review, in April 2009, the European Union (EU) was in deep economic recession. In spite of intensified protectionist pressures, the EU maintained the overall openness and transparency of its trade and investment regime. Given the EU’s leadership position as the world’s largest trader, its decision to refrain from tightening restrictions on imports in response to the crisis had a stabilizing effect on the multilateral trading system. Nonetheless, some long-standing barriers to market access and other measures that distort international competition remain in place. The EU has a significant interest in undertaking further trade and investment liberalization, in line with its recognition that an open trade regime is vital to enhance external competitiveness and economic growth.
Perspectivas de cooperación comercial multilateral
En la presente sección se examina la pertinencia de las actuales normas comerciales, así como la necesidad de nuevos enfoques de la cooperación a nivel comercial, a la luz de las fuerzas que están reconfigurando actualmente el comercio internacional. Se señala que será necesario que el sistema multilateral de comercio, como lo ha hecho reiteradamente en el pasado, se adapte a los acontecimientos que están teniendo lugar en el comercio y en el entorno comercial, y se examinan propuestas encaminadas a actualizar el programa y la gobernanza de la OMC. La sección comienza con una breve reseña de los principales acontecimientos comerciales en el contexto socioeconómico más amplio, en particular, la aparición de las cadenas mundiales de suministro, el desplazamiento general del poder comercial de Occidente hacia Asia y otras economías emergentes, así como la evolución de la naturaleza, la composición y la dirección del comercio. A continuación se destacan algunos de los principales desafíos con que se enfrenta la OMC y la forma en que podrían encararse.
Trade developments in 2012 and early 2013
World trade growth fell to 2.0 per cent in 2012 from 5.2 per cent in 2011, and remained sluggish in the opening months of 2013 as the economic slowdown in Europe suppressed global import demand. The abrupt deceleration of trade in 2012 was mainly attributable to slow growth in developed economies and recurring bouts of uncertainty over the future of the euro. Flagging output and high unemployment in developed countries reduced imports and fed through to a lower pace of export growth in both developed and developing economies. More positive economic developments in the United States in the early months of 2013 were offset by lingering weakness in the European Union, as peripheral euro area economies continued to struggle and even core euro area economies increasingly felt the impact of the downturn in the region.
Trade Liberalization and the Hukou System of the People’s Republic of China: How Migration Frictions Can Amplify the Unequal Gains from Trade
The emergence of the People’s Republic of China as a great economic power has stimulated an epochal shift in patterns of world trade, in contradiction to the conventional wisdom regarding the impact of trade on labor markets in developed countries (Autor, Dorn, and Hanson 2016). The global effects of the People’s Republic of China’s trade and economic growth has been widely documented (Autor, Dorn, and Hanson 2013; Bugamelli, Fabiani, and Sette 2015; Balsvik, Jensen, and Salvanes 2015; Giovanni, Levchenko, and Zhang 2014; Hsieh and Ossa 2011), reshaping our understanding of the consequences of trade for wages, unemployment, and other labor market outcomes.
Informe del Ecuador
Una vez que los efectos de la crisis internacional de los años 2008-2009 empezaron a disiparse, el Ecuador experimentó diferentes dinámicas de crecimiento en su economía, registrando una variación promedio anual del Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) para el período 2010–2014 del 5.2%, superior al promedio de Latinoamérica en ese mismo periodo (3.5%, según datos de CEPAL), alcanzando en términos nominales un tamaño de la economía de 101.726 millones de dólares EE.UU. en el año 2014.
Avant-propos du Directeur général
En achevant les négociations sur l’Accord sur la facilitation des échanges (AFE) à Bali en décembre 2013, les Membres de l’OMC ont établi le premier accord multilatéral conclu depuis la création de l’OMC, près de 20 ans auparavant. Cela a montré que l’élaboration de règles mondiales permettait effectivement de surmonter les obstacles au commerce international. Autant que les efforts faits pour libéraliser les politiques commerciales, la simplification, l’accélération et la coordination des procédures commerciales contribuent à l’expansion du commerce international et aident les pays en développement et les pays les moins avancés (PMA) à s’intégrer dans l’économie mondiale d’aujourd’hui.
Aspectos de los derechos de propiedad intelectual relacionados con el comercio (ADPIC)
Entre los temas analizados por el Consejo de los ADPIC en 2011 en el marco de su examen periódico de las cuestiones relacionadas con la propiedad intelectual que afectan a los países Miembros de la OMC cabe citar el acceso a los medicamentos para los países más pobres, el fomento de la transparencia y las necesidades de asistencia de los países menos adelantados. El Consejo también examinó preocupaciones concretas planteadas por determinados países, como el proyecto de ley relativa al envasado genérico de productos del tabaco propuesto por Australia.
Budget, finance and administration
In 2012, work on the annex at the WTO’s Geneva headquarters was completed, putting all staff under the same roof for the first time. The Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration regularly reviewed the budgetary and financial situation of the organization, the arrears of contributions from members and observers, the management of human resources and the WTO pension plan.
Prefacio
El Mecanismo de Examen de las Políticas Comerciales (MEPC), establecido a título experimental por las partes contratantes del GATT en abril de 1989, se ha convertido en un elemento permanente de la Organización Mundial del Comercio en virtud del Acuerdo de Marrakech por el que se estableció esta Organización en enero de 1995.
Introduction
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT contracting parties in April 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.
Composition, definitions & methodology
WTO members are frequently referred to as “countries”, although some members are not countries in the usual sense of the word but are officially “customs territories”. The definition of geographical and other groupings in this report does not imply an expression of opinion by the Secretariat concerning the status of any country or territory, the delimitation of its frontiers, nor the rights and obligations of any WTO member in respect of WTO agreements. The colours, boundaries, denominations, and classifications in the maps of this publication do not imply, on the part of the WTO, any judgement on the legal or other status of any territory, or any endorsement or acceptance of any boundary.
El estado de la economía y el comercio mundiales en 2010
El PIB mundial a tipos de cambio de mercado aumentó un 3,6 por ciento en 2010, un año después de una contracción sin precedentes del 2,4 por ciento que acompañó la crisis financiera en 2009. La producción de las economías desarrolladas aumentó un 2,6 por ciento en 2010, tras caer un 3,7 por ciento en 2009, mientras que en el resto del mundo (incluidas las economías en desarrollo y la CEI) aumentó un 7,0 por ciento, en comparación con el 2,1 por ciento en 2009 (véase el cuadro 1).
Aide pour le commerce
L’Aide pour le commerce continue à mobiliser des ressources internationales. D’après les données les plus récentes dont on dispose, les engagements ont baissé de 14 % en 2011, à 41,5 milliards de dollars EU, mais ils se situent encore 57 % au-dessus de la période de référence 2002-2005. Il s’agit toujours d’engagements « additionnels », c’est-à-dire d’un nouveau financement et pas de fonds transférés d’autres programmes d’aide. Le thème du quatrième Examen global de l’Aide pour le commerce, qui s’est tenu en juillet, était « Se connecter aux chaînes de valeur ». En décembre, la Conférence ministérielle de l’OMC a renouvelé le mandat donné au Directeur général de mener des actions de soutien à l’Aide pour le commerce.
Introduction
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT contracting parties in April 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.
Concluding Remarks by the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body, H.E. Mrs. Elin Johansen (Norway) at the Trade Policy Review of The State of Kuwait 7 and 9 February 2012
This first Trade Policy Review of the State of Kuwait has given us a much better understanding of recent developments in its trade and trade-related policies and practices together with the challenges it faces. We are grateful for the active participation of the Kuwaiti delegation headed by H.E. Ambassador Dharar Razzooqi, Permanent Representative in Geneva. I would also like to thank the discussant, Ambassador Shahid Bashir of Pakistan, and Members of the TPRB for contributing to our fruitful exchange of views.
Relaciones con las organizaciones no gubernamentales
En 2015, las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) tuvieron numerosas oportunidades de expresar sus opiniones sobre cuestiones comerciales y recibieron periódicamente información actualizada sobre las actividades de la OMC. Participaron en varios eventos de la Organización, como el Foro Público, el Quinto Examen Global de la Ayuda para el Comercio y actividades relacionadas con el 20º aniversario de la OMC, así como en la Décima Conferencia Ministerial, celebrada en Nairobi. La OMC organizó talleres regionales para ONG y facilitó información periódica sobre las negociaciones comerciales y otras cuestiones.
Comercio y desarrollo
En 2011, el Comité de Comercio y Desarrollo (CCD) acordó varias formas de aplicación de las prescripciones sobre transparencia a los acuerdos comerciales preferenciales, en virtud de las cuales se recibieron tres notificaciones de nuevos acuerdos de ese tipo. Otras cuestiones que examinó el CCD y su Subcomité de Países Menos Adelantados (PMA) son las iniciativas de creación de capacidad, el acceso a los mercados para los PMA, la iniciativa de Ayuda para el Comercio y las actividades de asistencia técnica de la OMC.
Preface
The Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) was first established on a trial basis by the GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES in April 1989. The Mechanism became a permanent feature of the World Trade Organization under the Marrakesh Agreement which established the WTO in January 1995.
Understanding the WTO
There are a number of ways of looking at the World Trade Organization. It is an organization for trade opening. It is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of trade rules. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.
Report by Switzerland and Liechtenstein
This report, together with that of Liechtenstein and the Secretariat report on the two countries, establishes the basis for the review of their trade policy by WTO Members on 15 and 17 December 2008, given the fact that they form an economic and monetary union and Liechtenstein is an integral part of Swiss customs territory.
Marco Integrado mejorado
El Marco Integrado mejorado (MIM) siguió creciendo en 2013. La participación de alto nivel y el interés en el MIM aumentaron, al igual que el número de proyectos activos en los países beneficiarios. Actualmente, 46 países reciben asistencia (en comparación con 40 países al final de 2011) para fortalecer sus instituciones comerciales y hacer frente a las dificultades relacionadas con el comercio. El MIM recibe fondos de donantes que, al 31 de diciembre de 2013, habían prometido contribuciones por valor de 251 millones de dólares EE.UU. y aportado unos 190 millones de dólares EE.UU. (frente a 178 millones de dólares EE.UU. en 2012).
Export Boom, Employment Bust? The Paradox of Indonesia’s Displaced Workers, 2000–2014
Charles Dickens’ phrase “it was the best of times; it was the worst of times” is for many Indonesian workers an apt summary of their experience during the early 2000s. While the national economy and especially its resource-exporting sectors enjoyed trade-driven growth of unprecedented magnitude and duration, millions of blue-collar workers and labor market entrants found themselves paradoxically sidelined from well-paid jobs in manufacturing, and instead forced to seek livelihoods in low-paid, low-skill service sector jobs. This happened at a time when many Asian countries, led by the People’s Republic of China, were enjoying (continued) expansion of manufacturing trade by participating in global production networks, which in turn created better employment opportunities for their less-skilled agricultural workforces. For many Indonesians, on the other hand, the boom was a period of stagnating real wages and diminished earnings prospects, even as national income and spending surged ahead and overall expectations for the future became increasingly bright. For workers, the consequence of job displacement due to structural change would have been particularly severe during this time.
Trade monitoring reports
Four reports prepared by the WTO Secretariat on behalf of the Director-General showed that despite the financial and economic crisis, WTO members generally continued to resist protectionist pressures in 2011. However, these pressures are mounting along with the risks to the global economy. The outlook for world trade has worsened, with global exports likely to have grown less than initially forecast.
Activités en matière de règlement des différends en 2011
En 2011, l'Organe de règlement des différends (ORD) a reçu huit notifications de Membres de l'OMC demandant formellement l'ouverture de consultations au titre du Mémorandum d'accord sur le règlement des différends (le Mémorandum d'accord), ce qui représente moins de la moitié du nombre de notifications reçues en 2010 (17). C'est le nombre le plus faible de l'histoire de l'OMC, après celui de 2005 (12 notifications). Malgré le faible volume d'activités nouvelles, le mécanisme de règlement des différends traite actuellement de nombreuses affaires. L'ORD a adopté huit rapports de groupes spéciaux et cinq rapports de l'Organe d'appel, y compris ceux qui concernent l'affaire la plus importante jamais traitée dans le cadre du système de règlement des différends, à savoir le différend concernant l'Union européenne et Airbus (voir ci-après).