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Global Services Network Alert Report: WTO Members Resume Technical Negotiations and Set Date for HK Ministerial; Possible Leadership Struggle Ahead
Following WTO members’ adoption of the “July package” of framework agreements, the Doha Round negotiations have proceeded at the technical level with renewed momentum, according to a special report recently issued by White & Case. WTO members have agreed to hold the next Ministerial Conference from December 13-18 in Hong Kong, but a great deal needs to be done at the technical level before then. The report notes that services negotiations, which have been lagging due to the lack of meaningful offers, must pick up pace by the target date of May 2005 for revised offers if the opportunity for significant services liberalization in the Doha Round is to be realized. Moreover, the selection process for the next WTO Director-General could be marked by contention, as with previous appointments. The report is available at: http://www.uscsi.org/publications/papers/wtoreport.htm.
Survey: China WTO Implementation Having Positive Impact, but Problems Remain
Inconsistent laws, regulations, and practices at different levels of government continue to be a major impediment to foreign businesses operating in China, according to a recent poll conducted by the Institute for International Business, Economics & Law of the University of Adelaide and the Shanghai WTO Affairs Consultation Center. More specifically, three quarters of poll respondents complained that the imposition of capital and other prudential requirements have limited the ability of foreign banks to expand their market presence in China. However, nearly 90% of poll respondents believe that China’s implementation of its WTO commitments thus far has had a positive impact on foreign business operations in the country, and 70% think China takes its WTO commitments seriously and agree that barriers in most sectors are coming down quickly. For more information, please contact Andrew L. Stoler, Executive Director, IIBE&L, at andrew.stoler@adelaide.edu.au.
"Changing Notions of Sovereignty and Federalism in the International Economic System: A Reassessment of WTO Regulation of Federal States and the Regional and Local Governments Within Their Territories," by Edward T. Hayes.
This article, which appears in the Fall 2004 issue of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, discusses how international trade liberalization increasingly addresses disciplines that potentially fall within the constitutional competence of regional and local governments, including areas such as services and the environment. Traditional notions of nation/state sovereignty are also evolving to further recognize the importance of regional and local actors in international commerce. The ongoing evolution of international trade and notions of nation/state sovereignty increasingly places regional and local governments in a unique position to influence world trade, both positively and negatively.
WTO Issues Panel Report on Gambling Dispute
On November 10, 2004, the WTO issued the report of a panel that examined Antigua and Barbuda's complaint against United States “Measures affecting the cross-border supply of gambling and betting services (DS285).” The report, and its various annexes, are available in Word and PDF format from the WTO website at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm.
Indian Commerce Minister Calls for More Liberal Mode 1, Mode 4 Commitments
In a November 5 statement, Shri Kamal Nath, Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, urged India’s trading partners to undertake more liberal commitments in the cross border supply of services (Mode 1) and movement of natural persons (Mode 4) in the WTO negotiations. He said that India would expect greater commitments in Mode 4 from the developed countries, thereby ensuring easier access for skilled professionals and facilitating delivery of remote services through electronic means. These, he said, were India’s core objectives in the WTO negotiations. The press release is available at: http://commerce.nic.in/Nov04_release.htm#h5.
Caribbean, EU Creative Industries Workshop, October 28-29, 2004
The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) and the European PROINVEST/TRINNEX program for the private sector jointly organized a “Regional Workshop on the Impact of Trade and Technology on Caribbean Creative Industries” on October 28-29. The workshop included representatives of the motion picture, music, video, and related industries from across the Caribbean to examine the relationship between cultural industries and trade. A common theme in the event was that the region’s creative industries are already very important and have the potential of adding significant new economic value to Caribbean economies. External trade negotiations must, therefore, provide avenues for maximizing trade in creative sectors by securing greater and wider market access for Caribbean cultural goods and services. For highlights, click here: http://www.crnm.org/documents/press_releases_2004/pr2604.htm |