Accessions à l'OMC

The Great Recession of 2008–2009 tested the resilience of economies across the world and placed enormous strain on the frameworks underpinning global cooperation. In no arena was the test more severe than in world trade, which, against a background of collapsing output and surging unemployment in the industrialised countries, fell about one-quarter in the first half of 2009, a rate of decline that exceeded the worst years of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Although the rate of recovery remains sluggish and the pace of trade liberalisation has slowed, a relapse into protectionism has been avoided and world trade volumes have surpassed the pre-crisis peak by some 25 per cent. The world trading system seems to have passed this most strenuous of tests. This chapter examines how two great changes in the global economic landscape, deepening trade integration (trade as a means of production as well as consumption), and the rising weight of developing countries, are changing trade and investment flows and creating new challenges for policy-makers.

This chapter addresses a number of concerns associated with state trading. What are the applicable WTO rules in this area and have they kept up with the evolving nature of production methods and the changing landscape of state trading enterprises (STEs)? How have state trading practices been approached in WTO accession negotiations? How many WTO members acceding under the provisions of Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) have accepted specific obligations aimed at disciplining the operations of STEs? What specific patterns have emerged across these commitments and how have they evolved over time? Have the commitments resulting from WTO accession negotiations offered a more effective and forward-looking approach to disciplining STE activities? What is the systemic relevance of STE-related accession commitments and what lessons can be drawn about possible future multilateral disciplines in this area? What has been the contribution of accession commitments relating to transparency in privatisation programmes? STE disciplines have been in the rulebook of the multilateral trading system since 1947, but have not kept track with the evolving nature of state trading operations. State trading plays a significant role in the economies of the majority of Article XII members. The applicability of existing WTO rules in this area has therefore been put to practice in their accession negotiations. The commitments resulting from accession negotiations have produced more comprehensive and forward-looking disciplines, which arguably capture modern-day state trading operations more adequately. Specifically, STE-related accession commitments have evolved over time to extend the scope of obligations to the purchases and sales of both goods and services, contribute further definitional clarity to the term ‘state trading enterprise’ and address the transparency deficit in this area. In addition to steering the operations of acceding governments’ STEs towards conformity with WTO principles, the evolution of these commitments is of systemic relevance to the multilateral trading system, as it points to the possible direction of future disciplines in this area. While not pre-judging the future development of multilateral provisions on state trading, it is argued that Article XII members, which today account for one-fifth of the WTO membership, are well placed to influence the direction of future discussions in the area of STEs.

This study, Best Practices in WTO Accession for Arab Countries underscores the important role of international trade in fostering economic growth in the developing world, emphasizing the noticeable underrepresentation of the Arab League countries within the WTO.

L’Organe d’appel a publié, le 30 janvier 2012, ses rapports dans l’affaire Chine — Mesures relatives à l’exportation de diverses matières premières (WT/DS394/AB/R, WT/DS395/AB/R and WT/DS398/AB/R).

On 14 September 2009, China requested consultations with the United States concerning increased tariffs on certain passenger vehicle and light truck tyres (subject tyres) from China. The decision was announced on 11 September 2009 following an investigation pursuant to section 421 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.). The USITC determined that there was market disruption as a result of rapidly increasing imports of subject tyres from China that were a significant cause of material injury to the domestic industry. Following a Presidential decision additional duties were imposed on subject tyres imports for a three year period in the amount of 35 per cent ad valorem in the first year, 30 per cent ad valorem in the second year and 25 per cent ad valorem in the third year (the tyres measure). This measure took effect on 26 September 2009.

On 23 June 2009, the United States requested consultations with China with respect to China's restraints on the export from China of various forms of raw materials. The United States cites 32 measures through which China allegedly imposes restraints on the exports in question and note that there appear to be additional unpublished restrictive measures.