December 20, 2011
WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE CONCLUDES IN GENEVA
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meetings wrapped up on December 17 after discussing the status of the Doha Round, accepting Russia, Samoa, and Montenegro as new members, adopting an improved Government Procurement Agreement, and agreeing to extend the moratorium on import duties on electronic transactions. However, the Ministerial was overshadowed by the impasse hanging over the Doha Round, with the Chairman's concluding statement noting that "Ministers deeply regret that, despite full engagement and intensified efforts to conclude the Doha Development Agenda...the negotiations are at an impasse...Ministers acknowledge that there are significantly different perspectives on the possible results that Members can achieve in certain areas of the single undertaking. In this context, it is unlikely that all elements of the Doha Development Round could be concluded simultaneously in the near future." For copies of statements, reports, and other materials from the Ministerial, click here: http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news11_e/mn11a_17dec11_e.htm.
PECC CALLS FOR NEW APPROACHES ON SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS
The Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) released a report just prior to the Geneva Ministerial, in which it calls for new approaches to services trade negotiations. The report, entitled "Services Trade: Approaches for the 21st Century" is available here: PECC Services Report FINAL.pdf
WITA EVENT RECAP: "Services Trade and Investment: Unlocking Growth, Recovery, and Jobs"
On 29 November 2011, The Washington International Trade Association (WITA) hosted an event on the services sector of trade entitled "Services Trade and Investment: Unlocking Growth, Recovery, and Jobs". The event featured a panel of leading researchers who spoke on the current state and future of the services sector. Panelists included J. Bradford Jensen, professor of international business at Georgetown University, Aaditya Mattoo from the World Bank, and Deanna Okun, Chairwoman of U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). A complete video of the session is available at WITA's video website (http://video.wita.org/videos/category/services-trade-and-investment-unlocking-growth-rec/).