WTO Negotiations

From the WSJ: Our suggestion is to launch a Crisis Round of trade talks at the G-20 London summit meeting next month. This round would aim to hold the line on protectionism and prevent the deterioration of current levels of global trade openness. For this round to have timely effect,

Robert Wolfe explains how the Special Safeguard Mechanism brought down the latest attempt to move the Doha round forward : The July 2008 attempt by a group of ministers to agree on modalities for the WTO's Doha Round broke down in part because they could not agree on a

I've heard some talk about pushing forward with the Doha Round, so as to have it close to done by the time Obama takes office.  However, based on the following two articles from today, it seems to me that not much has changed  Compare this: French Foreign Trade

Robert Baldwin proposes a solution to the SSM stalemate.  As I understand it, he suggests that an increase in imports by itself should not be enough to trigger the safeguard.  Rather, you should look at the level of import consumption as well, and only impose the safeguard when import consumption

In the latest round of the finger-pointing game since the breakdown of the trade talks in Geneva, the WHO emerged as the winner. According to a recent report in BNA's International Trade Daily, the WHO's Commission on Social Determinants of Health blamed trade liberalization for reducing

Ed Gresser says: The Geneva talks, therefore, ended in failure -- but one that disguised broadening areas of consensus and growing demands for a speedy conclusion to the talks. At a time of generalized worry -- high energy prices, food spikes, inflation and slowing growth -- this is a rare

Some people are now blaming Pascal Lamy for the recent failure to conclude the Doha Round: Observers say a big share of the blame for the failure should also be borne by Lamy, for he convened the mini-ministerial when even he was doubtful about its success. I'm not

Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:17pm EDT GENEVA (Reuters) – “Marathon talks on a new wave of trade liberalization collapsed on Tuesday after nine days of intense but ultimately fruitless negotiations.” More soon.

At long last, a lay of hope shone on the stalemated Doha round negotiation yesterday (July 26th: Beware the time difference.) On the verge of the collapse of the talk, Mon Capitán Pascal Lamy managed to persuade negotiators to continue negotiating by presenting a critical "package of elements,"

From Reuters (via IATP): Some diplomats said the lack of protests also put a damper on the talks, in which ministers are seeking to agree on cuts to politically sensitive farm subsidies and import duties. "It makes me feel less important," joked one official.