Trade monitoring
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Contact with parliamentarians
In 2013, the annual Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the European Parliament, was held in Bali during the WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference. The WTO Secretariat continued to update parliamentarians on WTO issues. It organized a regional workshop for Asian parliamentarians in Singapore.
Dispute settlement activity in 2011
In 2011, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) received eight notifications from WTO members of formal requests for consultations under the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), less than half the number (17 notifications) received in 2010. This is the lowest number in the history of the WTO, the next lowest being 12 in 2005. Although the volume of new activity is low, the dispute settlement mechanism is currently dealing with numerous cases. The DSB adopted eight panel and five Appellate Body reports, including those in the largest case to come before the dispute settlement system, the case involving the European Union and Airbus..
Políticas de ajuste en el mercado de trabajo y políticas en respuesta a los cambios en la distribución
Para que la economía se beneficie de los avances tecnológicos y del comercio, los trabajadores tendrán que cambiar a menudo de empleo u ocupación, un proceso en el que pueden quedar desplazados. Cuanto más suave sea este proceso en el mercado laboral, menores serán los costos del ajuste para los trabajadores desplazados y mayores los beneficios netos de los cambios tecnológicos y del comercio para la sociedad. Los gobiernos y otras instituciones pueden hacer que el mercado laboral responda mejor a los cambios económicos mediante la adopción de diversas medidas destinadas básicamente, aunque no de modo exclusivo, a ese mercado. La disminución de los costos del ajuste para los trabajadores puede atenuar también la resistencia social a los cambios tecnológicos e impedir el auge del proteccionismo comercial.
Message du Directeur général Roberto Azevêdo
L’année 2014 a été cruciale pour l’OMC. Nous avons accompli beaucoup de choses, mais nous avons aussi été confrontés à une épreuve difficile en tant qu’organisation. Après l’explosion de joie à la neuvième Conférence ministérielle à Bali à la fin de 2013, les Membres de l’OMC ont commencé l’année 2014 bien déterminés à mettre en oeuvre les décisions adoptées à Bali, compte tenu de tous les gains que cela apporterait en termes de croissance et de développement dans le monde, et à faire avancer les négociations sur les éléments restants du Programme de Doha pour le développement. Mais le chemin n’a pas été sans obstacles. Le rythme d’avancement des travaux sur certains éléments du paquet de Bali a suscité des préoccupations et, en conséquence, une échéance importante pour la mise en oeuvre a été manquée en juillet.
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.
Enhanced Integrated Framework
In 2012, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) – the Aid for Trade programme for least-developed countries (LDCs) – was independently rated as “highly relevant” to the trade and development priorities of LDCs. As a result, the EIF Steering Committee extended the EIF mandate until end-2015, with an additional operational period for project implementation up to 2017. Forty-three countries have so far received assistance, up from 40 at the end of 2011, to build stronger trade institutions and to address trading challenges. The EIF is supported by donor pledges of USD 240 million and contributions of approximately USD 178 million (up from USD 155 million in 2011) as of 31 December 2012.
Marco Integrado mejorado para los PMA
El Marco Integrado mejorado (MIM) para la asistencia relacionada con el comercio en favor de los PM A entró en pleno funcionamiento en 2009. A finales de ese año participaban en el proceso del MIM 47 PM A, y el Fondo Fiduciario del MIM había aumentado hasta alcanzar 90 millones de dólares EE.UU. El amplio apoyo de que goza el MIM quedó de manifiesto en el encuentro ministerial sobre el MIM organizado por el Director General coincidiendo con la Séptima Conferencia Ministerial de la OMC, celebrada en diciembre de 2009.
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.
Trends in trade policy making
Since 2009 the WTO has been monitoring trade policy trends and developments and has published regular trade monitoring reports. These reports aim to enhance the transparency of trade policy developments and to provide WTO members and observers with an up-to-date picture of overall trends in international trade policymaking as well as the implementation of trade-restrictive measures and tradeliberalizing measures. The monitoring exercise was initiated immediately after the onset of the financial crisis at the end of 2008 and has evolved considerably since then.
Report by Trinidad and Tobago
During the period under review (2012-2018), Trinidad and Tobago was led by two different administrations and hence, two (2) different strategic approaches shaped and influenced macroeconomic policies and activities in the country. These differing approaches are embedded in the Medium Term Policy Framework 2011-2014 (MTPF) developed by the Peoples Partnership (PP) Government in 2011 and the National Development Strategy 2016-2030 (NDS) (hereafter referred to as Vision 2030) developed in 2016 by the currently ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) Government.
Trade, debt and finance
The Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance continued efforts during its two meetings in 2014 to improve understanding of the links between exchange rates and trade, in particular with a view to strengthening coherence between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the WTO. WTO members strongly encouraged the WTO Director-General to continue to act by way of diagnosis, advocacy and leadership with partner institutions. At the request of members, a high-level WTO seminar was organized on the challenges of access to trade finance in March 2015.
Actividades de solución de diferencias en 2011
En 2011 se notificaron al Órgano de Solución de Diferencias (OSD) ocho solicitudes formales de celebración de consultas presentadas por Miembros de la OMC en el marco del Entendimiento sobre Solución de Diferencias (ESD), es decir, menos de la mitad que en 2010 (17 solicitudes). Este ha sido el año en que menos solicitudes de este tipo se han recibido en la historia de la OMC, seguido de 2005, en que se recibieron 12. No obstante, aunque el volumen de actividad nueva sea bajo, numerosos asuntos son actualmente objeto de examen en el marco del mecanismo de solución de diferencias. El OSD adoptó ocho informes de grupos especiales y cinco del Órgano de Apelación, entre otros, los relativos al asunto de mayor magnitud que se ha sometido al sistema de solución de diferencias, a saber, el referente a la Unión Europea y Airbus (véase infra).
Report by Cambodia
Cambodia has been classified by the United Nations as a least developed country (LDC). Its population is growing rapidly, and reached roughly 15 million in 2016, 77% of which live in rural areas, while 13.5% live below the poverty line. Cambodia maintains an open economy, and depends heavily on exports as a source of growth of gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. International trade and related investment are thus central to the Government’s efforts to raise the incomes and welfare of Cambodians. The international trading regime managed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), regional trading arrangements centered on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the various generalized system of preferences (GSP) programs of WTO members, shape the external environment in which Cambodia pursues its development objectives.
Millennium Challenge Account support and port reforms in Benin: A trade facilitation effects analysis
Since 2006, Benin has benefited from the United States Government initiative, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) programme. In Benin, the main component of this programme is the Access to Markets Project, through which 61 per cent of MCA subsidies are directed towards improving port operations and infrastructures. The aim of this chapter is to assess the potential effects of these trade facilitation reforms over the project period. Based on performance indicators, this chapter shows an increase in goods traffic via the Cotonou Port Authority (CPA) by an average 13.65 per cent annually. The Granger causality test is applied to establish a relationship between aid and the time taken to process import containers, as well as the quantity of imports. The study shows that Aid for Trade (AfT) induces a significant decrease in the time taken for import container processing at CPA, by an average 6.9 per cent annually. An econometric model of importing enables support for these correlations. We estimate the model with and without an MCA grant. Findings highlight an important increase in volume of imports when MCA aid is included in the model. These results show that an MCA grant contributed to improvement in the CPA’s performance and we suggest intensification of trade facilitation reforms at the CPA.
Mensaje del Director General
La promoción de la transparencia en el comercio y las políticas comerciales y la vigilancia de las tendencias de la economía mundial son dos de las principales funciones de la Organización Mundial del Comercio. Al proporcionar información sobre la evolución del comercio y el acceso a los mercados a través de diversas publicaciones y bases de datos en línea, la OMC ofrece a los analistas y los encargados de la formulación de políticas una herramienta exhaustiva para ayudarles a entender y vigilar esa evolución.
Introduction
On 1 January 2008 the multilateral trading system will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary. The World Trade Report 2007 marks the occasion with a retrospective look at what has been learned from those six decades of international trade cooperation. It attempts to identify both what lessons are to be drawn from past experience and the nature of challenges to come. To address these issues, the report adopts an eclectic approach, drawing from the economic literature as well as from economic history, international relations or legal approaches. The objective of the report is to explore the lessons to be learned from the rich history of change and institutional adaptation of the multilateral system.