It’s a bad idea because:

If the UK does this, its companies will not automatically be able to bid for procurement contracts abroad—in the EU, US, Japan, Canada, Australia, NZ, etc

If @UKLabour @LabourIntlTrade @Keir_Starmer @RachelReevesMP insist, here are their options …

1/9
OPTION ONE: Make a loud noise about this to win votes, but don’t actually do it. Britain would not violate the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

This is not an original thought. Politicians do it everywhere

2/9 wto.org/english/tratop…
OPTION TWO: Claim this is necessary for national security.

Again, this is not an original thought. It comes straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.

But it does create havoc for the rules-based international trading system

3/9 wto.org/english/docs_e…
OPTION THREE: What the hell, let’s just ignore our international commitments

Yet another unoriginal thought. In this case it would not distinguish @UKLabour and @Keir_Starmer from the present UK government

4/9
OPTION FOUR: Do it in the constraints of UK’s GPA commitments. In other words, not for any of the agencies listed except for small contracts worth less than the thresholds.

These are the commitments:

Cover: docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/S…

(34-page list) docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/S…

5/9
OPTION FOUR (continued)

That 34-page list includes almost every central and local government agency.

Here are the thresholds in pounds

A school in West Leeds can insist on UK-made pencils, but only in batches worth less than £189,330

6/9 docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/S…
OPTION FIVE (1): Withdraw from the GPA

Can be done without leaving the WTO. GPA is a stand-alone plurilateral agreement (signed by only some WTO members)

But leaving it means UK companies would lose automatic access to government contracts in present and future signatories

7/9
OPTION FIVE (2)

Leaving the GPA = losing rights to procurement contracts in Armenia, Canada, Australia, EU, HK, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Rep Korea, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, NZ, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, US

8/9 wto.org/english/tratop…
OPTION FIVE (3)

Also future signatories: Albania, Brazil, China, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, North Macedonia, Oman, Russian Federation, Tajikistan

Think again @UKLabour @LabourIntlTrade @Keir_Starmer @RachelReevesMP?

9/9 theguardian.com/politics/2021/…
PS suggested by @StevePeers:

1/2. The GPA includes dispute settlement (Art 20) wto.org/english/docs_e….
2/2. Countries can also modify their commitments under complex procedures (Art19). Others can withdraw “substantially equivalent commitments”.

A blanket policy means withdrawing everything. Other countries would also withdraw all rights from the UK

wto.org/english/docs_e…

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More from @CoppetainPU

Jun 9, 2022
🧵 On Sunday, the much-postponed 12th WTO Ministerial Conference #MC12 starts.

Here is another curtain-raiser, with @BobWolfeSPS

@wto Director-General @NOIweala believes it will be a success.

But what does “success” mean?

1/11 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/tou…
“Many gaps remain but we are making progress,” @NOIweala told members on Tuesday Jun 7

“The success of this whole endeavour is in our hands. Let us deliver. The people outside are waiting for us and, believe it or not, I really think we will do it.”

2/11 wto.org/english/news_e…
Fingers crossed, there might even be a deal on fisheries subsidies, she and the talks’ chair @WillsSantiago said.

But despite “cautious optimism” WTO spokesperson Dan Pruzin warned journalists to expect ministers to meet late into the night at #MC12

3/11 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/tou…
Read 12 tweets
May 29, 2022
Was it worth the time looking at the UK’s big deal with Indiana? The one the government hails as a “milestone” and the minister calls a “US trade deal”?

They wants us to take it seriously. So I did. Let’s say I did it so you don’t have to.

1/8 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/05/29/mil…
TL:DR it's not a trade agreement.

It's a memorandum of understanding, a non-binding statement of intent.

The only trade barrier that might get tackled is govt procurement.

Indiana's state-level entities have no commitments on procurement in the WTO

2/8 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/05/29/mil…
Indiana “will actively work towards” (not a commitment) treating UK suppliers the same as suppliers from other US states except those neighbouring Indiana.

“That’s the weirdest MFN clause I’ve ever seen,”—@Lorand_Bartels

3/8 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2022/05/29/mil…
Read 10 tweets
May 27, 2022
“Agreement with Indiana marks milestone in UK’s trade with the US”—the UK government proclaims

Read on

It's a memorandum of understanding on what the UK and Indiana want to develop in their trade and economic relations. That stretches the meaning of “agreement” quite a lot

1/9
Good question⬇️. Short answer: no

So, all we know is what the UK government press release says.

2/9
This is what it says:

“The MoU creates a framework to remove barriers to trade and investment, paving the way for UK and Indianan businesses to invest, export, expand and create jobs.”

Remember: all major trade barriers are handled in Washington

3/9 gov.uk/government/new…
Read 10 tweets
May 22, 2022
It’s been clear for some time that WTO members are unlikely to agree on anything substantial on agriculture—despite declaring it a priority—when their ministers meet in Geneva Jun 12–15

Information from trade sources on a meeting last Thu May 19 reinforce that assessment🧵

1/11
The focus has changed in recent months—the Ukraine war has increased concerns about food security.

But the best binding decision that can be expected is to exempt the World Food Programme’s humanitarian purchases from export restrictions—still opposed by India & Tanzania.

2/11
Expect some non-binding/“best-endeavour” statement on food security, eg, the UK-led proposal⬇️, which draws on familiar themes of keeping supplies flowing, increasing transparency, minimising market disruption.

Even transparency is a problem…

3/11 docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/S…
Read 11 tweets
May 20, 2022
Another day, another WTO topic where members find themselves under pressure to reach agreement within days.

Today: fisheries subsidies, at the end of a “Fish Week” of talks in various formats on curbing harmful subsidies that encourage overfishing.

1/8 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/wto-fish-talks…
Chair @WillsSantiago briefed the media after a stock-taking meeting of the membership.

Sandwiched between plenaries Mon and Fri, were sessions in various formats. Wills said 30-40 delegations were involved in each of those sessions, total about 50.

2/8 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/wto-fish-talks…
@WillsSantiago said the talks were constructive with good signals that need to be turned into agreement.

He announced a “Fish Decision” week from May 30, giving members a fortnight to resolve their differences.

3/8 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/wto-fish-talks…
Read 8 tweets
May 19, 2022
WTO members on all sides were urged today to sort out their reservations over the proposed compromise, so that a deal on waiving some intellectual property protection for COVID-19 can be struck by the Jun 12-15 Ministerial Conference, trade sources say.

1/14 #TRIPSwaiver
In an informal meeting of the WTO intellectual property (TRIPS) council, Director-General @NOIweala said WTO members have no option but to produce a result for the #MC12 Ministerial Conference, even if that means negotiating round the clock, the sources said.

2/14
Today's meeting was held to take stock of the first two days of real negotiations on the compromise text⬇️, on Mon&Wed, May 16&18. During those sessions, @NOIweala urged delegates to be prepared to compromise: "the perfect is the enemy of the good"

3/14 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/text-g4-trips-…
Read 15 tweets

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