What is happening to the WTO?
13 Sep 19 BlogFreedom of trade and equal market access were central to the plans for reconstructing the post World War II international order. International peace had to be secured through, amon...
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An update on the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement by African countries as of July 2019
01 Aug 19 BlogThis blog provides an update of the ratification and implementation status of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) by African countries as of July ...
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tralac’s Daily News Selection
31 Jul 19 NewsUganda Revenue Authority Commissioner for Customs, Dicksons Kateshumbwa, was recently elected as the World Customs Organisation Council chairperson. Extracts from an interview:
...
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What does the National Security Exception in GATT mean?
11 Jul 19 BlogThe World Trade Organization (WTO) regime is rules-based. One of the implications is that the Member States can only invoke exceptions that are expressly provided for; national mea...
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Joint Statement of the Coordinators’ Meeting on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the FOCAC Beijing Summit
28 Jun 19 NewsTo jointly advance the implementation of the follow-up actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit,
Coordinators from the People’s Republic of ...
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An Update on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and African countries
21 Feb 19 PublicationsThe World Trade Organisation (WTO) defines trade facilitation as the simplification, modernization, and harmonisation of export and import processes. Trade facilitation at the WTO ...
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The continued relevance of S&DT in favour of Developing Members to promote development and ensure inclusiveness
20 Feb 19 NewsCommunication from China, India, South Africa and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, for discussion at the Formal Meeting of the WTO General Council on 28 February 2019
Th...
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WTO Members discuss progress and assistance on Trade Facilitation Agreement’s 2nd year
15 Feb 19 NewsWorld Trade Organisation (WTO) members took stock of progress in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) at the 12-13 February meeting of the Committee on Trade Facilit...
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African Group Statement: Informal WTO Ministerial gathering at WEF 2019
05 Feb 19 NewsThis statement is circulated by H.E. Minister Rob Davies to the informal WTO Ministerial gathering in Davos on behalf of Benin, as the Coordinator of the African Group.
The t...
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76 countries launch WTO talks on e-commerce
25 Jan 19 NewsAt the World Economic Forum in Davos today, 76 countries – the European Union and 47 other members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) – decided to start negotiations to put ...
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An undifferentiated WTO: Self-declared development status risks institutional irrelevance
17 Jan 19 NewsCommunication from the United States
In the preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, the Parties recognized that “their relations in the fi...
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Second Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Greater Horn of Africa: Djibouti Outcome
18 Dec 18 NewsTrade for Peace through WTO Accessions
Introduction
The Second Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for the Greater Horn of Africa took place in Djibouti from 3 to 6 December 2018...
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The Buenos Aires G20 Meeting: Has Rules-based global Trade survived?
11 Dec 18 BlogThe communiqué issued at the end of the Group of 20 meeting in Buenos Aires recently (30 November and 1 December 2018) reads like the to-do list for the world’s leading countrie...
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Committees are cornerstone of pan-African trade dream, NTFC Forum hears
28 Nov 18 NewsNational trade facilitation committees can make the dream of seamless African trade a reality, experts tell Addis Ababa forum on easing the flow of goods on the continent.
The dre...
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Smooth African trade to tackle rising challenges: UNCTAD head
27 Nov 18 NewsCompetitive transport, logistics and foreign investment are essential to ease intra-African commerce and reap rewards of new deal, meeting hears.
Smoothing the way for African tra...
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Billions more people must benefit from trade gains, experts say
20 Nov 18 NewsA global system that leaves the top 1% as rich as the bottom 56% is overdue for reform, with women’s economic exclusion among the highest priorities.
While some countries and so...
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WTO members adopt roadmap for reducing technical barriers to trade
19 Nov 18 NewsWTO members achieved a breakthrough at a 14-15 November meeting of the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) by agreeing on a list of recommendations that aim at reducing ...
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Assuring Continuation of Effective WTO Dispute Settlement
18 Nov 18 BlogUntil the past few years, for many there was widespread complacency over the existence and state of the liberal world trading system. If progress was needed that could not be achie...
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Regional Integration as a building block for the Multilateral Trading System
18 Nov 18 BlogThe signing of the Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) by African countries earlier this year was a momentous decision which could potentially alter the economic growth traje...
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WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: An African perspective
18 Nov 18 BlogTrade facilitation discussions at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) began in December 1996, at the Singapore Ministerial Conference, when the member states instructed the WTO Coun...
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