world trade organization Archives

China hits Canada with anti-dumping probe on canola imports in response to EV tariffs

By Mei Mei Chu September 3, 2024

Beijing | Reuters – China said on Tuesday it plans to start an anti-dumping investigation into canola imports from Canada, after Ottawa moved to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, lifting prices of domestic rapeseed oil futures to a one-month peak. Canada has followed the lead of the United States and European Union, and announced […] Read more

News

How to fix the WTO for agricultural disputes

‘I think we have no choice but to try to rebuild it’ says former trade negotiator

By Karen Briere March 18, 2024

Glacier FarmMedia – A rebuilt World Trade Organization would benefit agriculture, according to long-time Canadian trade negotiator Steve Verheul. Verheul was among those at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting in late February. Why it matters: Canadian agriculture thrives on trade, and that relies on effective and enforceable trade rules. It’s his belief that […] Read more

FILE PHOTO: People walk on the beach as a container ship crosses the Gulf of Suez towards the Red Sea before entering the Suez Canal, in El Ain El Sokhna in Suez, east of Cairo, Egypt April 24, 2017. Picture taken April 24, 2017. Photo: Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Red Sea crisis cutting farm exports from Ukraine, minister says

Wheat shipments via Suez plunge amid Red Sea attacks: WTO

By emma-farge, Pavel Polityuk, Reuters January 18, 2024

The situation in the Red Sea has led to a slowdown in Ukrainian agricultural exports in January, agriculture minister Mykola Solsky said on Thursday.

Crops, Markets

Farm trade dispute creates rift between Ukraine and its allies

Ukraine sues three EU member states at WTO

By Julia Payne, Yuliia Dysa September 18, 2023

Brussels/Kyiv | Reuters — A dispute over agricultural trade created a rift on Monday between Ukraine and some of its strongest allies in the European Union after three member states imposed unilateral measures to restrict imports from the war-torn country. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced restrictions on imports on Friday after the European Commission decided […] Read more

File photo of a pedestrian crossing in front of the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Dec. 9, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

U.S. wants WTO dispute system fixed by 2024

Appeals body frozen since Trump era; Washington 'very committed' to reform

By emma-farge January 27, 2023

Geneva | Reuters — The United States is entering a third phase of talks with countries to reform the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) hobbled trade dispute arbitration system and aims for it to be “fully functioning” by the end of 2024, the U.S. ambassador to the WTO told Reuters on Thursday. The WTO’s appeals bench, […] Read more

The World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Oct. 28, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

Crops

Canada, China agree to suspend WTO canola dispute

Lifting of canola ban renders case moot

By Reuters September 1, 2022

Berlin | Reuters — Canada and China have agreed to suspend proceedings against Chinese measures affecting the importation of Canadian canola seed, according to a World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint on Thursday. The WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) panel suspended its work as of Tuesday, the complaint said. Work can be suspended at any time […] Read more

WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is congratulated by India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal after the June 17, 2022 closing session of a WTO ministerial conference in Geneva. (Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters)

Markets

WTO strikes global trade deals deep into overtime

Deals reached on food security, health and fishing; formerly defiant India joins consensus

By emma-farge, Philip Blenkinsop June 17, 2022

Geneva | Reuters — The World Trade Organization’s 164 members approved a series of trade agreements early on Friday that included commitments on fish and pledges on health and food security after more than five gruelling days of negotiations. The deals were ground out over five days of bargaining at a conference of more than […] Read more

Markets, News

WTO to examine U.S.-China dispute on grain import quotas

By Reuters September 24, 2021

The World Trade Organization says it will review a long-standing dispute between China and the United States on Beijing’s use of import controls for rice, wheat and corn. The Geneva-based trade watchdog ruled in 2019 against China’s use of tariff-rate quotas for agricultural imports, which Washington successfully argued had limited market access for U.S. grain […] Read more

The World Trade Organization’s agri-food agreement is decades old and out of date, and observers say a new agreement must limit the scope for non-tariff trade barriers such as phytosanitary standards.

News

Trading nations hope for reinvigorated WTO

Countries from three continents plan to meet later this year to begin the process of fixing the World Trade Organization

By Ed White September 2, 2021

Glacier FarmMedia – Food exporters and importers on three continents are hoping the World Trade Organization (WTO) can get back on its feet, and soon. They also hope an upcoming summit will put the WTO on a path that not only returns it to previous functionality but also helps it climb higher on the evolutionary […] Read more

Incoming WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala takes part in an online meeting before speaking during an interview with Reuters in Potomac, Maryland on Feb. 15, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

Markets

Canada hails new WTO chief

Trade body names first African, and first female, DG

By D.C. Fraser February 23, 2021

Canada is lending its support to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) choice for its new director general. Ngorzi Okonjo-Iweala was chosen Feb. 15 by WTO members as the international trade body’s new head, making her the first woman and the first African to serve in the role. Mary Ng, Canada’s minister of small business, export […] Read more

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