The tenth review of the trade policies and practices of the United States of America takes place on 29 September and 1 October 2010.
The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of the United States of America.
> TPR documents> Chairperson’s concluding remarks (coming soon) > More on the United States of America > More on trade policy reviews _______
September 30, 2010WTO urges US to show leadership in Doha talks
GENEVA: The World Trade Organization (WTO) called on Wednesday on the United States —accused by many nations of lacking an interest in trade policy — to show leadership in global commerce and the fight against protectionism. In a two-yearly review of US trade policy, part of a regular survey of all 153 members, the global trade referee urged the United States to open up further to trade and investment.
Many WTO members have blamed two years of near deadlock in the Doha round of talks on opening up global trade on a lack of US interest in trade policy, although in recent months some critics say there are now signs of greater US engagement.
But in the review discussion both the European Union and China expressed concern that the commitment of the United States to the global trading system was faltering.
The two trading powers plus Brazil also expressed dismay that the United States was not implementing WTO rulings in disputes that it had lost.
http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C09%5C30%5Cstory_30-9-2010_pg10_7
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September 29, 2010
WTO raps US ban on Chinese chicken imports
* Panel says US ban ‘unscientific, discriminatory’
GENEVA: US measures that effectively banned imports of Chinese cooked chicken broke international trade rules and caused injury to China’s economy, a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute panel said on Wednesday.
The US measures challenged by China were unscientific and discriminatory, the panel found.
The ruling, in one of several trade disputes between China and the United States, came as the US House of Representatives prepared to vote on a bill declaring China’s undervalued currency a subsidy and clearing the way for duties to be imposed on some Chinese imports as a countermeasure.
The chicken dispute originated like many trade rows in health concerns — in this case US nervousness about Chinese poultry following outbreaks of bird flu in Asia.
Because of these worries, the US Congress included a clause in a spending bill preventing the US authorities from taking measures to process imports of Chinese chicken.
But China said this measure was discriminatory and protectionist because its poultry met international health standards and was being exported to Europe and Japan.
The United States is the world’s biggest producer of poultry, with firms such as Sanderson Farms and Tyson Foods exporting chicken.
Congress subsequently ended the ban on funding under pressure from domestic meat producers who feared the loss of exports to China, the third biggest market for US farm goods.
China had reacted to the US ban by imposing duties on US chicken imports, and announced on Sunday that the minimum levels would be increased. The duties will now be as high as 105.4 percent.
WTO dispute panels usually recommend that measures breaching trade rules should be changed to bring them in line.
In this case, because the funding ban has already been dropped, China asked the panel to suggest how the United States could implement the ruling, but the WTO team declined to make a recommendation.
The two sides now have up to 60 days to decide whether to appeal. reuters
