WTO members made history February 15, 2021 when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General Washington, US | THE INDEPENDENT | When she takes office on March 1, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to …
Read More »African free trade bloc launches
Opportunities, Challenges, and why full implementation of the historic pact may take years ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT | African countries began officially trading under the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on Jan.01. It is a flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 to stimulate intra-African trade. In …
Read More »WTO: Okonjo-Iweala facing block from US
Unclear if move is attempt to sabotage trade body much criticised by Trump | THE INDEPENDENT | The U.S. is blocking the appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next head of the World Trade Organization despite the former finance minister of Nigeria winning the overwhelming backing of the WTO’s 164 …
Read More »EU preparing countermeasures in subsidies dispute with U.S.
Brussels, Belgium| XINHUA | The European Union (EU) is preparing countermeasures against the United States after the World Trade Organization (WTO) has confirmed the EU’s retaliation rights in reaction to illegal subsidies granted to the U.S. aircraft maker Boeing, the European Commission said on Monday. The announcement was made after …
Read More »EU can slap tariffs on U.S. goods over Boeing aid: WTO
Geneva, Switzerland | XINHUA | The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday ruled that the European Union (EU) can impose tariffs on U.S. products worth around 4 billion U.S. dollars, in retaliation for government subsidies given to the aircraft manufacturer Boeing. The WTO said in an arbitration decision that the …
Read More »World trade to fall by 9.2 percent in 2020: WTO
Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | World merchandise trade is expected to fall by 9.2 percent in 2020, followed by a 7.2-percent rise in 2021, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday in its revised trade forecast. In April, the WTO had predicted a decline in the volume of world …
Read More »Chinese embassy urges India to rectify discriminatory practices violating WTO rule
Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | The Chinese embassy in India on Thursday urged India to rectify discriminatory practices violating rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with regard to the Indian government’s decision of blocking 118 Chinese mobile apps. In response to media questions, Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Chinese …
Read More »Africa vs the West: Who will take the WTO helm?
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Trade Organization on Monday kicked off the process for selecting a new director-general, after its current chief Roberto Azevedo decided to leave a year early. With Azevedo, a Brazilian career diplomat, now set to leave on August 31, the WTO opened a one-month …
Read More »Australia threatens WTO action as dispute with China deepens
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Australia threatened Tuesday to take China to the World Trade Organisation to counter a fresh round of punitive sanctions, as the two countries clashed over an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus. Canberra said it may seek remedial action to overturn almost 81 …
Read More »IMF, WTO warn against export controls on medical supplies, food
Washington, United States | AFP | The growing use of export restrictions by governments can be “dangerously counterproductive” as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic, the IMF and WTO warned Friday. The two institutions called on global leaders to commit to refrain from imposing or tightening controls on product sales, as they did at …
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