ANNUAL REPORT: The @wto #Services Council (=full membership overseeing work under the General Agreement on Trade in Services, GATS)

It's 10 pages so just a highlight

#TradeInServices

1/4 docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/S…
Electronic commerce and services:

This now covers 3 areas

1. The moratorium on tax on cross-border electronic commerce (a topic as old as the WTO itself)

2. “Invigorated” discussion on boosting digital capability, from this paper: docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/S…

2/4
3. The on-going friction over negotiations in a sub-group of only part of the membership (“#plurilateral” talks, officially “joint-statement initiatives”, JSIs, seen as a way to progress when the membership is deadlocked) versus objections.

“A couple” = India and SAfrica

3/4
In this case it’s plurilateral on digital trade and multilateral on the moratorium on tax.

In an earlier annual report it’s about domestic regulation in services. On that point, see this comment from @DmitryOpines

4/4

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More from @CoppetainPU

23 Oct
Remember that ground-breaking 🇬🇧 UK-Japan 🇯🇵 trade deal?

The one that was so much better than the 🇪🇺 EU-Japan 🇯🇵 deal because the names of 70 British products would now be protected?

🇬🇧 Stornoway Black Pudding, Wensleydale, English sparkling wine, Scotch beef and more?

1/14 Image
Remember—from a year ago today—this ⬇️ with @GregHands and @EvanHD?

The claim: this is better than the EU-Japan deal—because it easier to protect additional British geographical indications.

2/14
Here’s ⬇️ what @GregHands told @EvanHD on @BBCPM:

“Up to 70” UK names to be protected.

“Things like Stornoway Black Pudding, the potential for Wensleydale Cheese, English Sparkling Wine, Scotch Beef etc, etc”

4/14 Image
Read 16 tweets
21 Oct
The reaction among trade experts to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s speech in Geneva on Oct 14 has been mixed.

Some welcomed the optimistic tone. Others were disappointed at the lack of specifics.

1/5 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/10/21/opt…
The debate between the optimists and pessimists focuses most on this part of Tai’s answer to a question.

The optimists were encouraged by: “If you will listen to us, we will listen to you, and let’s start the reform process from there.”

2/5 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/10/21/opt…
But perhaps this part is more damning: “over the course of those 15 years, not enough members listened.”

3/5 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/10/21/opt…
Read 5 tweets
4 Oct
WTO members met again as the intellectual property council today, both formally and informally.

BOTTOM LINE:

One year after it was proposed, NO CHANGE IN POSITIONS on the proposal to waive some intellectual property protection for COVID-19,

#TRIPSWaiver stalemate

1/7 Image
Stalemate should come as no surprise.

FOR—suspending protection will allow countries to copy vaccines and other products

AGAINST—other solutions are effective, protection is needed as incentives for innovation, no evidence that a #TRIPSWaiver will help transfer technology

2/7
More interesting (1)—the US

According to sources: US said

• it appreciated both sides’ efforts
• members should focus only on vaccines to ensure consensus
• seek solutions likely to gain consensus

Does that signal the US’ own position?

3/7 #TRIPSWaiver
Read 7 tweets
1 Oct
1/4. OK, congratulations to the small but élite number who answered the two quiz-poll questions.

You have been very consistent. Well done

Unlike some.

Results:

Q1 (left) how many WTO members listed?
Q2 (right) how many in the services regulation talks listed?

But ... ImageImage
2/4. The official answer to Q1 is:

The number of WTO members listed = 28 (the EU + 27 member states). Most answered correctly

3/4. But the official answer to Q2 is:

The number of participants in the services regulation talks listed = 27

That's right. 27. Even though the EU is itself on the list, it's told the WTO that the count must be 27.

Why the WTO has agreed is a mystery

Read 4 tweets
1 Oct
TWO QUIZZES coming up

This is a list of @wto members. There are 164 of them.

1/4 wto.org/english/thewto…
Includes: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden

How many @wto members?
These ⬇️ are the participants in the @wto talks on domestic regulation in services

2/4 Image
Read 5 tweets
29 Sep
This is indeed important news.

Some additional points

1. These are talks among a subset of the @wto membership—a “plurilateral” involving 65 of the 164 members—a negotiation among the willing. It’s seen as a way of getting around the consensus rule.

Who are the 65?

1/9
The 65 participants are ⬇️

Latest to join: Singapore

The US is not listed but is reported to be ready to join.

2/9 wto.org/english/news_e…
2. There has been some opposition from India, South Africa and some others who complain that deals among only some members violate the “multilateral” principle of the WTO.

But may be difficult for them to block this one. It all depends on the details

3/9 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/02/22/ind…
Read 10 tweets

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