Trade monitoring
Examens des politiques commerciales
En 2010, l'Organe d'examen des politiques commerciales (OEPC) a procédé à l'examen de 17 Membres de l'OMC : Malaisie, El Salvador, Croatie, Arménie, Albanie, République populaire de Chine, Malawi, Territoire douanier distinct de Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen et Matsu (Taipei chinois), Gambie, Honduras, États-Unis, Bénin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sri Lanka, Belize, Papouasie-Nouvelle- Guinée, République démocratique du Congo et Hong Kong, Chine. Les remarques finales du Président relatives à ces examens sont reproduites ci-après.
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.
20 years of the WTO
The WTO began life on 1 January 1995, succeeding the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which had regulated world trade since 1948. Over the past 20 years, the WTO has made a major contribution to the strength and stability of the global economy, helping to boost trade growth, resolve numerous trade disputes and support the integration of developing countries into the trading system.
General Council
In 2010 the General Council continued to oversee the progress of the Doha Round negotiations on the basis of reports from the Director-General in his capacity as Chair of the Trade Negotiations Committee. The General Council also reviewed the various accession negotiations, and heard a report by the Director-General on the development assistance aspects of cotton and a review of progress by Deputy Director-General Harsha Singh on the work programme on electronic commerce. In addition, regular reports were received from the Committee on Trade and Development on small economies. Some of the other matters considered by the General Council in 2010 are listed below.
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.
Trade, debt and finance
Senior WTO officials continued to work with multilateral development banks to facilitate the provision of trade finance, particularly for developing countries. A decision by the Basel Committee to modify leverage rules in order to support trade was hailed by Director-General Roberto Azevêdo as “good news for developing countries”. The WTO Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance continued its examination of the relationship between exchange rates and trade.
Contact with the business community
The WTO’s annual Public Forum attracted a significant increase in business representatives in 2015, showing the strong interest of business groups and companies in contributing to the debate about WTO activities. The business community was also well-represented at the Tenth Ministerial Conference in Nairobi. Twenty-three of the non-governmental organizations accredited for the event were business organizations.
Merchandise trade and trade in commercial services
World merchandise exports fell by 3 per cent in 2016 in value terms. This decrease was mostly caused by the continuing decline in exports of fuels and mining products (-14 per cent in 2016). The marked decline in commodity prices in 2015 mostly halted in 2016, with the exception of energy prices. The export prices of all other major commodity groups, apart from food and beverages, decreased slightly but the decline was less than in 2015.
Report by Samoa
The Treaty establishing the East African Community (EAC) came into force on 7 July 2000, thus a new beginning of the revived EAC. The EAC has six partner States, namely, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The EAC Customs Union came into force on 1 January 2005 and the Common Market on 1 July 2010. English is the official language of communication within the community policy structures.
Asuntos presupuestarios, financieros y administrativos
En 2012 finalizaron las obras de construcción del anexo de la sede de la OMC en Ginebra, con lo que por primera vez todos los funcionarios están reunidos bajo un mismo techo. El Comité de Asuntos Presupuestarios, Financieros y Administrativos examinó periódicamente la situación presupuestaria y financiera de la Organización, los atrasos en el pago de contribuciones de los Miembros y observadores, la gestión de los recursos humanos y el Plan de Pensiones de la OMC.
Report by the WTO Secretariat
Guinea’s economy is based on the mining sector (26 per cent of GDP, including processing bauxite into alumina) and agriculture (20 per cent), the former providing 95 per cent of export earnings, and the latter the remainder. Exports’ share of GDP rose from 34 per cent in 2005 to 41 per cent in 2009, highlighting the strong global demand for bauxite, diamonds and gold, and the weakness of the other sectors in Guinea’s economy. In 2011, substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) in the production of alumina and iron ore was planned, together with two port extensions. This investment is for an amount comparable to the country’s annual GDP. It is therefore vital to introduce appropriate macroeconomic policies, including trade policies, so as to prevent the strong inflationary trends which such investment might cause.
Trade and development
In 2012, the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) pressed ahead with implementing the work programme on electronic commerce. Other issues discussed by the CTD and its Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) included accelerating and easing LDC accessions, capacity-building initiatives, market access for LDCs and technical assistance.
Accession à l’OMC
Les Seychelles et le Kazakhstan sont devenus respectivement le 161e et le 162e Membre de l’OMC en 2015. En décembre, la dixième Conférence ministérielle a approuvé l’ensemble des textes relatifs à l’accession à l’OMC du Libéria et de l’Afghanistan, qui deviendront Membres après avoir ratifié leurs protocoles d’accession. Avec ces nouvelles accessions, l’OMC se rapproche de son objectif d’universalité, les Membres actuels représentant 98 % du commerce mondial.
Concluding Remarks by the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body, H.E. Mr. Manuel A.J. Teehankee of the Philippines at the Trade Policy Review of Trinidad and Tobago, 22 and 24 May 2019
The fourth Trade Policy Review of Trinidad and Tobago has indeed offered us a better understanding of trade and economic developments in the country over the past seven years. I would like to thank the Trinidad and Tobago delegation, led by H.E. Senator Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, for her constructive engagement throughout this Review. I would also like to thank the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Michael Gaffey of Ireland, for his insightful remarks, and all the delegations that took the floor for their valuable contributions. The more than 200 questions submitted by 15 Members, and the interventions by 23 delegations underline the importance attached by WTO Members to Trinidad and Tobago’s trade and investment policies and practices.
Introduction
Les nouveaux Profils commerciaux contiennent des renseignements détaillés sur le commerce des marchandises, y compris les principaux produits échangés par chaque économie, une section élargie sur le commerce des services commerciaux et des statistiques sur la propriété intellectuelle. Ces renseignements, mis à la disposition des Membres de l’OMC, des pays ayant le statut d’observateur et de certaines autres économies, proviennent de multiples domaines tels que les statistiques douanières, les comptes nationaux, les statistiques de la balance des paiements, les statistiques du commerce des filiales étrangères (FATS), les statistiques de l’investissement étranger direct (IED) et les statistiques de la propriété industrielle. Les données proviennent du Secrétariat de l’OMC et de sources extérieures, et elles sont présentées de manière uniformisée et fonctionnelle pour pouvoir être consultées rapidement.
Foro Público de 2016
El Foro Público de 2016 – el principal evento de proyección pública de la OMC – se centró en cómo conseguir que el comercio sea más inclusivo para que se repartan más ampliamente los beneficios del comercio. Los participantes analizaron cómo podía ayudar la OMC a las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes) a obtener un mejor acceso al mercado mundial, e intercambiaron ideas sobre el papel de las nuevas tecnologías, la innovación digital y el comercio electrónico. En el Foro se debatió también cómo pueden las mujeres participar más plenamente en el comercio internacional y beneficiarse más del comercio mundial. Durante la reunión, de tres días de duración, se presentaron el Informe sobre el comercio mundial de la OMC y otras tres publicaciones.
Remerciements
Le Rapport sur le commerce mondial a été rédigé sous la supervision de Kipkorir Aly Aza Rana, Directeur général adjoint. Patrick Low, Directeur de la Division de la recherche économique et des statistiques a dirigé l’équipe chargée de la rédaction. Ses principaux auteurs sont Bijit Bora, Zdenek Drabek, K. Michael Finger, Marion Jansen, Alexander Keck, Patrick Low, Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås, Roberta Piermartini et Robert Teh. Barbara d’Andrea, de la Division de la recherche économique et des statistiques, est coauteur de la section IB. Jeffrey Gertler, de la Division des affaires juridiques, a contribué à la rédaction de la section IB. Mukela uanga, de la Division de la recherche économique et des statistiques, a fourni une précieuse assistance à certains des auteurs principaux. Les données sur le commerce et les informations sur les droits de douane ont été fournies par les statisticiens de la Division de la recherche économique et des statistiques, dont les travaux ont été coordonnés par Guy Karsenty, Julia de Verteuil, Andreas Maurer et Jürgen Richtering.