- Readout of Ambassador Tai’s Call with Kazakhstan Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov
- WTO issues new edition of World Tariff Profiles
- WTO members edge closer to fisheries subsidies agreement
- WTO holds two-day workshop on SPS risk analysis
Readout of Ambassador Tai’s Call with Kazakhstan Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai spoke with Kazakhstan Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov. Ambassador Tai thanked Minister Sultanov for Kazakhstan’s constructive participation in the U.S.-Central Asia TIFA Council in March and stated her support for using these multilateral forums to strengthen regional trade relationships. Ambassador Tai also reiterated her focus on using trade to address climate change, respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, build resilient supply chains, and identify opportunities and challenges related to the digital economy.
With Ambassador Tai and Minister Sultanov delivering remarks at the World Trade Organization’s Trade Negotiations Committee, both agreed that the WTO can be a force for good in the international trade system.
The two pledged to continue discussing issues of shared importance in order to further strengthen the U.S.-Kazakhstan economic and trade partnership, and Ambassador Tai expressed her hope that their next meeting could be in-person.
WTO issues new edition of World Tariff Profiles
14 July the WTO issued the 2021 edition of World Tariff Profiles, a joint publication of the WTO, International Trade Centre and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The publication provides comprehensive information on the tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed by over 170 countries and customs territories.
Summary tables allow cross-country comparisons of the average “bound” or maximum tariff each economy may apply to its imports and the average tariff it applies in practice. One-page profiles provide more detailed data for each economy, with tariffs broken down by product groups. Each profile also shows the tariffs levied on its exports by its main trading partners. A summary table provides import and export profiles for each economy. Statistics on non-tariff measures by economy and product group complement the data on tariffs.
The special topic for this issue is the use of non-tariff measures (NTMs). Using data in UNCTAD’s Trade Analysis Information System (TRAINS), this chapter looks at three indicators of the use of NTMs: the frequency index, the coverage ratio and the prevalence score. These indicators reveal the percentage of products affected by NTMs, the share of trade subject to NTMs, and how many measures apply to a particular product group.
The chapter reveals that almost 60 per cent of imported products need to comply with at least one NTM. In terms of trade value, almost 80 per cent of imported goods are subject to NTMs.
The publication is available here:
WTO members edge closer to fisheries subsidies agreement
During an all-day meeting on 15th of July 2021 with 104 ministers and heads of delegation, WTO members pledged to conclude the negotiations on fisheries subsidies soon and certainly before the WTO’s Ministerial Conference in early December, and to empower their Geneva-based delegations to do so. Members also confirmed that the negotiating text currently before them can be used as the basis for the talks to strike the final deal. There is universal agreement about the importance of the food and livelihood security of artisanal fishers in developing and least developed countries.
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the chair of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, Ambassador Santiago Wills of Colombia, on 12 July 2021 briefed key civil society leaders ahead of the 15 July 2021 ministerial meeting. They thanked the advocacy groups for the vital outreach needed to keep up the momentum in the negotiations. Ambassador Wills extended his appreciation to the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the information they have been providing members in the negotiations.
WTO holds two-day workshop on SPS risk analysis
The WTO held on 12-13 July a virtual Workshop on Risk Assessment, Risk Management and Risk Communication in relation to food safety, animal and plant health. With over 1,000 registered participants, the workshop brought together a variety of speakers from the public and private sector, academia, international standard-setting bodies and other international organizations for an in-depth discussion on all aspects of sanitary and phytosanitary risk analysis.
Through roundtable discussions, presentations, practical case studies, polls and Q&A sessions, the workshop fostered exchanges on SPS risk analysis, allowing participants to share experiences and best practices. Participants also benefited from a number of side sessions, which offered an opportunity to interact informally with speakers.
The workshop ended with case study presentations on the different risk analysis components. Representatives from Canada, the European Union, Chinese Taipei and the United Kingdom as well as from the private sector provided insights on risk communication approaches and highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement and trust building among stakeholders.
Presentations and recordings from all sessions of the workshop will be made available on the