...The Doha Round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has sparked controversy, anger and even suicide from its commencement. This paper seeks to explore what is this Doha Round that has ignited such passionate displays from delegates and the common man alike, what are the issues at stake given the Round’s success or failure and finally, given the events that have marred its history to date and based on the many other factors in play, could the Doha Round come to a successful conclusion? The WTO conducts negotiations through what they call ‘rounds’. The November 2001 declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, known as the Doha Development Round, provides the mandate for negotiations on a range of subjects. Its objective is to lower trade barriers around the world, permitting free trade among countries of varying prosperity. The negotiations of the Doha Round take place in the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) and its subsidiaries. Other work under the work programme, such as issues concerning the implementation of the present agreements, takes place in other WTO councils and committees. The Doha Round was to begin at the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 in Seattle, and was supposed to be called ‘the Seattle Round’, however, some developing countries refused to launch the second round by blocking the “explicit consensus” needed at the final Heads of Delegation. It was later decided via explicit consensus at a meeting in Doha, Qatar, that all countries...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 3 INTRODUCTION 5 OUTWARD FDI 6 INWARD FDI 7 IMPORTANCE OF FDI 8 OVERVIEW OF MAURITIAN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE 9 BOARD OF INVESTMENT 10 INCENTIVES ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MAURITIUS TO PROMOTE FDI 10 INVESTMENT POLICIES 10 1. LEGISLATION 11 Law Practitioners Act 12 Companies Act 12 Public Procurement Act 13 Competition Act 13 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement 13 Employments Rights Act and Employment Relations Act 14 Financial Services Act 14 Securities Act 14 Insolvency Act 14 Other investment incentives 15 TRIPS Agreement 15 2. Fiscal policy 16 3. LIBERALISATIONAND DIVERSIFICATION 17 4. MACROECONOMIC STABILITY 19 Social and political stability 19 Exchange Control 20 Inflation control 20 5. FINANCIAL SERVICES 20 6. INVESTMENT FACILITATION 26 7. LABOUR MARKET REFORM 27 8. INFRASTRUCTURE 27 Transport 28 Telecommunication network 28 Building Premises 29 TOP SECTORS ATTRACTING FDI IN MAURITIUS 30 FINANCIAL HUB 31 REAL ESTATE ACTIVITY 31 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND OUTSOURCING SERVICES 32 MANUFACTURING SECTOR 33 SEAFOODS HUB 34 TOURISM SECTOR 35 THE TWO RECENTLY SECTORS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO GROW AND DEVELOP: 36 KNOWLEDGE HUB 36 MEDICAL 37 FDI EVOLUTION MAURITIUS 38 SPECIAL CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES 41 SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES 42 THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF MAURITIUS 43 ...
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...DOHA ROUNDInternational Economic Analysis | SEMESTER 2, 2012 – CASE STUDY | | | I Executive Summary This report briefly assesses the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and in particular, the Doha Round, which has been the longest running trade liberalization round in the history of the GATT/WTO era. Launching in November, 2001 in the wake on the September 11 Terrorist attacks on the USA, it had the explicit aim to conclude a broad deal to facilitate development through trade and thereby better integrate the more disadvantaged into the global economy. The conclusion of the Doha Round however has been much harder to conclude than any other trade round in the history of the WTO for many reasons that will be highlighted below. Table of Contents I Executive Summary 1 II Introduction 3 III The World Trade Organisation 3 IV Other Rounds of the World Trade Organisation 3 V The Doha Round 4 Negotiations: geographical indications —multilateral register for wines and spirits 4 TRIPS, biological diversity and traditional knowledge (Doha paragraph 19) 4 Geographical indications — ‘extension’ 4 VI Problems With Concluding the Doha Round 4 The Single Undertaking Method: 5 Changed Geopolitical Situations: 5 Trade Liberalisation and Non-agricultural Market access (NAMA): 5 Agriculture: 5 VII Conclusion 6 VIII References 6 II Introduction The effort to launch a new round of multilateral trade negotiations in the late 1990s was turbulent...
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...The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.The WTO is an organization for trade opening. It is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements. It is a place for them to settle trade disputes. It operates a system of trade rules. Essentially, the WTO is a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other. The system’s overriding purpose is to help trade flow as freely as possible — so long as there are no undesirable side effects — because this is important for economic development and well-being. That partly means removing obstacles. It also means ensuring that individuals, companies and governments know what the trade rules are around the world, and giving them the confidence that there will be no sudden changes of policy. In other words, the rules have to be ‘transparent’ and predictable. The WTO is run by its member governments. All major decisions are made by the membership as a whole, either by ministers (who usually meet at least once every two years) or by their ambassadors or delegates (who meet regularly in Geneva).Trade negotiations- The WTO agreements cover goods, services and intellectual property...
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...become a major player in multilateral trade negotiations. • Brazil’ s success in World Trade Organization (WTO) disputes concerning developed country agricultural subsidies, use of WTO compulsory licensing provisions to break patents, and diplomatic negotiations with Iran had generated tensions with the United States and the European Union. • A Leading role in WTO negotiation: Brazil stood out as a leading voice of emerging markets, led the creation of the WTO G-21, a block of developing countries that negotiated collectively at WTO meetings. Whereas the United States and the European Union were at the forefront of tariff negotiations in the past, the shift in trade topics put Brazil and other middle-income countries at the center of the Doha round. • Public health: Brazil’ s government purchased drugs to treat infected patients and coordinated health information campaigns with civil society groups, which provided a model to developing countries. • Brazil has great potentsial • Brazil had become an agricultural powerhouse, ranked as the world leader in the • production of six crops, (2) Was Brazil or the U.S. correct in the Merck dispute? Please explain and defend your position. It is hard to say which party is correct in the...
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...American countries will: • not demand further cuts in the framework of the Doha Round of talks on global trade once it resumes; • settle several legal disputes pending against the EU at the WTO, some dating back as far as 1993. 1. EU tariff cuts When all parties sign the agreement, the EU will make the first cut to its banana tariff, to €148 per tonne. This will apply retroactively from the date when all parties initialled the agreement. The tariff will then fall again at the start of each year for seven years, in annual instalments (€143, €136, €132, €127, €122, €117, €114), starting on 1 January, 2011. The EU will freeze its cuts for up to two years if WTO members do not conclude talks on agriculture in the Doha Round by the end of 2013. For more details, see below. 2. Latin American dispute settlement Once the WTO certifies the EU's new tariff schedule, Latin American banana-supplying countries will drop: • all their disputes on bananas with the EU at the WTO; and • any claims they made against the EU after new member countries joined the Union, or when the EU changed its bananas tariff in 2006. Why is this deal so important? The disputes on bananas have lasted for more than 20 years. They have destabilised the climate for production and trade in the countries concerned. This agreement is a stable solution in the interest of all parties. Furthermore, the agreement will help pave the way for a successful Doha Round. What was the origin of the disputes at the...
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...World Trade Organization: The art of a little give and take Historical Overview of the WTO The World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in 1995 as the predecessor to the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The GATT was developed in 1947 on a provisional base after World War 2; it was not started as an international organization, but rather an inter-governmental treaty. Instead of being made up of participating members, such as the WTO, the GATT consisted of contracting parties. As stated in the preamble of the GATT-1947, the objectives of the contracting parties include ‘raising standards of living, ensuring full employment and a large and steadily growing volume of real income and effective demand ,developing the full use of the resources of the world and expanding the production and exchange of goods’(GATT, 1994a: 486). It continues by stating that reciprocal and mutually advantageous arrangements involving a substantial reduction of tariffs and other barriers to trade as well as the elimination of discriminatory treatment in international trade will contribute to the realization of these objectives. So in short the role of the GATT, was (and still is) to facilitate the reduction of barriers of trade and ensure greater equality with respect to conditions of market access for contracting parties. Through the negotiations made by the original 23 countries of the GATT, with additions of over 50 countries, came the charter for the International Trade Organization...
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...The organization deals with regulation of trade between participating countries; it provides a framework for negotiating and formalizing trade agreements, and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participants' adherence to WTO agreements which are signed by representatives of member governments and ratified by their parliaments. Most of the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade negotiations, especially from the Uruguay Round (1986–1994). The organization is currently endeavoring to persist with a trade negotiation called the Doha Development Agenda (or Doha Round), which was launched in 2001 to enhance equitable participation of poorer countries which represent a majority of the world's population. However, the negotiation has been dogged by "disagreement between exporters of agricultural bulk commodities and countries with large numbers of subsistence farmers on the precise terms of a 'special safeguard measure' to protect farmers from surges in imports. At this time, the future of the Doha Round is uncertain." The WTO has 153 members representing more than 97% of total world trade and 30 observers, most seeking membership. The WTO is governed by a ministerial conference, meeting every two years; a general council, which implements the conference's policy decisions and is responsible for day-to-day administration; and a director-general, who is appointed by the ministerial conference. The WTO's headquarters is at the Centre William Rappard...
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...Doha roundsMain article: Doha round The Doha round of World Trade Organization negotiations aims to lower barriers to trade around the world, with a focus on making trade fairer for developing countries. Talks have been hung over a divide between the rich developed countries, represented by the G20, and the major developing countries. Agricultural subsidies are the most significant issue upon which agreement has been hardest to negotiate. By contrast, there was much agreement on trade facilitation and capacity building. The Doha round began in Doha, Qatar, and negotiations have subsequently continued in: Cancún, Mexico; Geneva, Switzerland; and Paris, France and Hong Kong. [edit] ChinaBeginning around 1978, the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) began an experiment in economic reform. In contrast to the previous Soviet-style centrally planned economy, the new measures progressively relaxed restrictions on farming, agricultural distribution and, several years later, urban enterprises and labor. The more market-oriented approach reduced inefficiencies and stimulated private investment, particularly by farmers, that led to increased productivity and output. One feature was the establishment of four (later five) Special Economic Zones located along the South-east coast. The reforms proved spectacularly successful in terms of increased output, variety, quality, price and demand. In real terms, the economy doubled in size between 1978 and 1986, doubled again...
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...they are economically beneficial or in fact detrimental to the agriculture trade market. The world is in a current face off involving developed countries such USA and EU and rising developing countries such as Brazil and India. International efforts have been made to solve issues through trade negotiations such as The Doha Round, a current round of trade negotiations among the World Trade Organization members, which have been going on since 2001 due to the complexity of the issues surrounding agricultural industry. The aim of this essay to critically analyse the effects of removing tariffs and subsidies on the average consumer and average farmer in developed countries as well as how it will effect developing countries. Removing Tariffs and Subsidies “The current subsidies distort incentives for the global trade of agricultural commodities in which other countries may have a comparative advantage. Allowing countries to specialize in commodities in which they have a comparative advantage in and then freely trade across borders would therefore increase global welfare and reduce food prices”. (Anderson, Kym; Will Martin (13). "Agricultural Trade Reform and the Doha Development Agenda". The World Economy 28 (9): 1301–1327). As Anderson puts it well in the above quote, the use of tariffs and...
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...Trade Policy Reforms in India Geethanjali Nataraj NCAER, New Delhi For the ICRIER-SABER workshop, 29-30 June p, 2009, New Delhi. Trade Policy in India • Trade Reforms form the crux of the economic reforms in India. • Export Promotion has been and continues to be a major thrust of India’s trade policy • Accordingly, policies have been aimed at creating a friendly environment by eliminating redundant procedures, increasing transparency by simplifying the processes involved in the export sector and moving away from quantitative restrictions, thereby improving the competitiveness of Indian industry and g p reducing the anti-export bias. • Steps have also been taken to promote exports through g g multilateral and bilateral initiatives and giving several incentives to exports to cope with all uncertainties at the global level. Features of Trade Policy Reform in India • • • • • Free imports and Exports Rationalization of tariff structure/reducing tariffs Decanalisation Liberalization of the exchange rate regime. Setting up of trading houses, SEZ’s and Export houses SEZ s promotion industrial parks. • Various exemptions under the EXIM policies to boost exports and imports and make the trade policy regime transparent and less cumbersome. p Towards a more open economy 1990 91 1990-91 Peak Import duties ( Manufactures ) Import Controls Trade goods)/GDP ratio ( %) Software exports ( & billion) Worker remittances ( $ billion) FDI ($ billion) g y Foreign currency reserves ($...
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...Sabyasachi SAHA Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India ∗ Corresponding author, e -mail: amit.shovon.ray@gmail.com INDIA’S STANCE AT THE WTO: SHIFTING COORDINATES, UNALTERED PARADIGM ♣ Abstract: India’s stance at the WTO has undergone a sea change since the beginning of the Uruguay Round. This paper attempts to trace the shifting coordinates of India’s position at the WTO. By focussing on three specific areas of negotiations, namely agriculture, services and TRIPS, the paper presents a theoretical analysis of how India’s stance at the WTO has evolved over time and whether it reflects any paradigm shift. In the light of international relations theory we argue that although the coordinates of India’s stance at the WTO have shifted over time, the underlying ‘neorealist’ position adopted by India remains by and large unaltered. I. Introduction The ongoing process of Doha round of the WTO negotiations came to a standstill at Geneva in 2006. Thereafter the progress on the core issues of agriculture and NAMA has been insignificant with talks failing on more than one occasion. Therefore the round remains inconclusive till the present date. However it is during these past couple of years of turmoil in the multilateral trade negotiations...
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...major economic institutions, the WTO has the worst reputation”. Outline the role of the WTO, and explain why it has proved difficult to reach agreement in recent WTO meetings in Doha, Geneva and Hong Kong. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) The WTO was founded in 1995 after the 8 year Uruguay round of talks, and it succeeded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) created in 1947. Most of the WTO's current work comes from the Uruguay Round of negotiations (1986-1994). Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the WTO has 151 members (as at 27th July 2007), accounting for over 97% of world trade. The organisation is governed by a Ministerial Conference, which meets every two years, a General Council which implements the conference's policy decisions and a director-general appointed by the Ministerial Conference. The World Trade Organization deals with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. These agreements are the legal ground-rules for international commerce Global trade deals are negotiated at the Ministerial Conference meetings, which are known as trade rounds and are aimed at reducing barriers for trade. One of the central principles of the WTO is non-discriminations, where products imported from one member country or member bloc...
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...affected the institution, followed by a discussion on the resistance shown by developed nations in welcoming emerging economies into the international arena. The emergence of developing economies has had positive and negative impacts on the effectiveness of the WTO. The positive impact, as Narlikar explains, is the WTOs ability to distribute power on a more equal scale to its members. Conversely, a multipolar system with several leading positions is one of the primary reasons why the Doha Round is currently in deadlock. By including emerging economies - namely, Brazil, India, and China - in core decision-making processes, we see a greater diversification of ideas. We are also provided with insight on countries that are in different stages of development that have their own distinctive negotiating cultures. These negotiating cultures can present a roadblock, hindering the WTO’s efficiency. Even if the WTO were to implement institutional mechanisms to help overcome the current impasse with the Doha Round, we would still observe no change. In other words, rising powers always pursue the same negotiating strategy regardless...
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...Page 1 Copyright (c) 2011 Suffolk University Suffolk Transnational Law Review Summer, 2011 Suffolk Transnational Law Review 34 Suffolk Transnat'l L. Rev. 403 LENGTH: 9744 words NOTE: UNITED STATES-CHINA TRADE WAR: SIGNS OF PROTECTIONISM IN A GLOBALIZED ECONOMY? NAME: Kara Loridas LEXISNEXIS SUMMARY: ... Among the aims of the Doha Development Round are a rejection of protectionism and an attempt to ensure fair application of trade rules to developing countries. ... China argued that the increased tariffs imposed by the United States on Chinese tires exceed the permissible maximum tariff rates that the United States may impose on Chinese imports. ... An example of effective negotiations is the settlement of the U.S. complaint alleging a Chinese violation of the national treatment concept by its preferential treatment of domestic products over "like" imported products. ... Cooperative trade relations between the United States and China are important to the global community because the economies of each country are dependent on the rest of the world and the global economy will be harmed by protectionist measures from the first and third largest trading powers. ... Moreover, multilateral negotiations, as opposed to bilateral trade negotiations, are better suited to resolve the United States-China trade disputes because the disputes affect other WTO members in ways beyond the immediate economic impact. ... The most effective way to combat the rapid escalation and retaliatory nature...
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