WTO Secretariat reports drop in anti-dumping investigations and measures

The WTO Secretariat reported that during the period 1 January — 30 June 2010, the number of initiations of new anti-dumping investigations showed a 29% decrease compared with the corresponding period of 2009. The number of new measures applied also decreased during the first semester of 2010 when compared with the first half of 2009. In particular, during January — June 2010, 19 WTO Members reported initiating a total of 69 new investigations, compared with 97 new investigations reported by 18 WTO Members for the corresponding period of 2009.  A total of 14 Members reported applying 59 new anti-dumping measures during the first semester of 2010, with a decrease of 5% than the 62 new measures reported by 16 Members for the corresponding period of 2009.  Fifteen new investigations were opened by developed Members and 10 out of 59 new final measures were applied by developed Members during the first half of 2010.  This compares with 15 new investigations begun and 15 new measures applied by developed Members during the first half of 2009.

The Members reporting the highest number of new initiations during January — June 2010 were India, reporting 17 new initiations, followed by the European Union, reporting 8 new initiations, Argentina (7), Brazil and Israel (5 each).  Other Members reporting initiations were Australia and China (4 each), Indonesia and Korea (3 each), Colombia, Thailand and the United States (2 each), and Canada, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Chinese Taipei, Turkey and Ukraine (1 each).  These figures represented increases for India, the European Union, Brazil and Israel, and declines for Argentina, China, Indonesia, Colombia, the United States, Canada, Turkey and Ukraine.  The number of initiations by Australia and Mexico remained unchanged compared with the numbers reported for January — June 2009.  Chile, Jamaica, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand, which did not report new initiations for January — June 2009, reported new initiations for the first semester of 2010, while Costa Rica, Pakistan, Peru and South Africa, which reported new initiations for the first half of 2009, did not report new initiations for the first half of 2010.

During the first half of 2010, China was the most frequent subject of the new investigations, with 23 new initiations directed at its exports.  This was a 30% decrease from the 33 new investigations opened in respect of exports from China during January — June 2009.  The European Union (including individual member States) was next with 11 new investigations directed at its exports, followed by the United States (5), Korea and Thailand (4 each), Malaysia and Chinese Taipei (3 each), Brazil and Japan (2 each), and Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, Dominican Republic, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Ukraine, and Vietnam (one each).

The products most frequently affected by these new investigations during the first half of 2010 were in the base metals sector (20 initiations), the chemicals sector (11 initiations), the plastics and rubber sector (7 initiations) and the plaster and ceramic products sector (6 initiations).  Of the 20 reported initiations relating to the base metals sector, 6 were reported by India, 3 by Indonesia, two each by Colombia, the European Union, Thailand and the United States, and one each by Argentina, Israel and Korea.

News source: WTO .link: article

Trade value growth slows in the third quarter of 2010

The value of world merchandise trade was 18% higher in the third quarter of 2010 than in the same period of 2009, according to the latest WTO quarterly figures released on 1 December 2010. This marks a slowdown in comparison with the 26% increase registered in the second quarter of 2010. From January to September trade expanded by 23%, continuing the recovery that began in the second quarter of 2009. Despite this positive trend, the value of world trade remains below its peak level from before the present financial crisis.

These short-term “value” figures should not be confused with the annual trade growth figures, which are “volume” data using “constant dollars” with inflation taken into account. The latest projection of 13.5% merchandise trade volume growth for 2010, released on 20 September, remains unchanged for the time being. WTO short-term merchandise trade values are expressed in “current” US dollars, ie, they are not adjusted for changes in prices. Nor are they seasonally adjusted. Seasonal patterns therefore considerably affect the quarter on quarter (Q-o-Q) and month on month (M-o-M) developments in world trade, and this in turn affects comparisons between the trade developments in individual regions and economies.

In the third quarter of 2010, world merchandise exports were about 3% higher than in the second quarter (“quarter on quarter”). Within that period, available monthly statistics for about 70 economies representing some 90% of world trade show that merchandise trade stagnated in July, decreased in August and bounced back in September 2010. This pattern is similar, albeit less pronounced, to what had already been observed in 2009 and reflects in good part seasonal variations of demand.

News source: WTO link: article

EU-Russia summit to discuss 'strategy', WTO bid

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is coming to Brussels next week (7 December) to discuss "strategy" with EU leaders, including the country's aspirations to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO). But a number of teething problems still remain on the agenda, judging from an internal EU document seen by EurActiv. Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's ambassador to the EU, said the summit would concentrate on "strategic things" such as the coordination of exit strategies from the economic crisis, climate change, positions regarding Iran's nuclear programme or the Middle East peace process.

The meeting, to be held on Tuesday (7 December), will see Medvedev meet European counterparts Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council president, and José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. Towards an EU-Russia 'common market'. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday (1 December), Chizhov indicated that the Russian side was interested in discussing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's proposal for a "harmonious community of economies from Lisbon to Vladivostok". The proposal, made during Putin's visit to Germany on 25 November, was dubbed an EU-Russia "common market" by the press. Chizhov said the first step would be for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which has been on the table for 16 years.

Then, Moscow and Brussels would sign a new EU-Russia basic treaty, replacing an antiquated Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1994. The third step, he said, was to start discussions about a free trade area.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had expressed doubt about establishing a free trade area with Russia, saying that the initiative was "not timely", since Moscow was putting in place a customs union with its ex-Soviet neighbours Belarus and Kazakhstan. But Chizhov said that Merkel had not rejected the idea, insisting that the creation of the customs union did not contradict WTO rules and that each of the three countries would pursue individual WTO bids. The Russian envoy gave assurances that a range of outstanding problems, such as the EU's green light for Russia's WTO accession, would be sorted out at expert level, even before the leaders had met.

News source: EurActiv link: article

Serbia to join WTO in 2011

Serbia will join the World Trade Organization (WTO) next year, Vice-President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Mihailo Vesovic said Monday. During a public debate on the draft strategy for the development of intellectual property, he said that Serbia is also expected to become a candidate for European Union membership in 2011, which will accelerate some processes.

CEFTA is the framework in which greater attention should focus on intellectual property, as the economy benefits from that sector, he said. The Serbian government expects the strategy to be adopted in December.

News source: EMG.rs link: article