Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Tag: trade news

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – July 14-20, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – July 14-20, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of July 14-20, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week. We apologise for the delay in this week’s edition.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Action Plan in Place for CSME

    CARICOM: It will be full steam ahead for implementing policies related to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), but with some revised timelines. Read more

    U.S commits to increasing trade, investment in Guyana

    St Lucia News Online: US Ambassador Lynch assured that the US will continue to partner with Guyana in not only oil production but other sectors in the country’s development. Read more

    Barbados restructuring Customs Dep’t

    Barbados Today: Making the disclosure yesterday, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn said the new management structure was part of the process of rebuilding and strengthening the Government agency, which had for several years been led by an acting comptroller of customs and had seen prolonged disruption in its operation during the former Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration. Read more

    Argentina and IICA to assist Barbados in Apiculture

    Caribbean News Now: On July 15th, the Embassy of Argentina and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), launched in Bridgetown an innovative triangular cooperation project aimed at assisting local beekeepers and other stakeholders of the honey production sector. Read more

    Cocoa Research Centre: Leads the way among world’s genebanks

    Newsday: The Cocoa Research Centre has been around since 1930, as part of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, the precursor to the modern-day University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus. Read more

    Grenada PM lauds joint UWI – regional rum industry initiative

    Caribbean News Now: Prime Minister of Grenada Dr. Keith Mitchell has lauded the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between The University of the West Indies Open Campus and the regional rum industry grouping – the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA). Read more

    Licences approved as St Vincent’s Cannabis industry opens

    LoopTT: Over 30 licences have been approved by the Medicinal Cannabis Authority (MCA) for the cultivation, development and export of medicinal marijuana products. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    South American bloc eyes fast-track for EU trade deal

    Reuters: Leaders from countries in South America’s Mercosur trade bloc met on Wednesday in Argentina, with plans as to how to push forward a recently struck free-trade deal with the European Union at the center of discussions. Read more

    Just 7% of Canadian exporters familiar with CETA as Trudeau pushes trade diversity: survey

    Global News: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged European partners this week to finalize Canada’s trade deal with the EU, a push that came with his government facing a tough sales job at home: getting domestic firms to use it. Read more

    Japanese official says negotiators working hard on U.S.-Japan trade deal

    Reuters: U.S. and Japanese officials are working hard to reach agreement on a bilateral trade agreement, a senior Japanese official told Reuters on Wednesday, adding he was looking forward to news on the deal in the near future. Read more

    Intra-African free trade deal success hinges on implementation and speed of execution

    Business Day: The recently signed African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA), which came into force on May 30, represents a unique opportunity to grow intra-Africa trade and diversify trade exports with the rest of the world. Read more

    Papua asks for govt help in bolstering trade network with Pacific nations

    Jakarta Post: The Papua administration has requested that the central government assist it in bolstering the trade network with neighboring countries in the Pacific, as the province seeks to promote itself as a regional trading hub. Read more

    Chinese Buyers Seek Tariff Exemptions for U.S. Farm Goods

    Bloomberg: Some Chinese companies are applying for tariff exemptions as they make inquiries about buying U.S. agricultural products, more than a week after President Donald Trump complained that China hasn’t increased its purchases of American farm products. Read more

    China, US said to be wrangling over text before trade talks can resume

    South China Morning Post: China and the United States remain divided over which negotiating text to base their revived trade talks on, with Washington demanding a longer document be used that lists earlier promises made by Beijing, according to observers. Read more

    Boris Johnson’s no-deal Brexit threat risks being ignored by the EU

    Guardian: Boris Johnson’s suggestion he could use the threat of no deal to win an improved Brexit deal for the UK risks falling on deaf ears in Brussels, the EU’s top negotiator has suggested. Read more

    South Korea trade ministry to raise Japan export curbs at WTO general council meeting

    Reuters: South Korea’s trade ministry said on Sunday it plans to raise the “unfairness” of Japan’s export curbs at the World Trade Organization’s general council meeting on July 23 to 24. Read more

    WTO opens way for Chinese sanctions against U.S. tariffs in Obama-era dispute

    Reuters: The United States did not fully comply with a World Trade Organization ruling and could face Chinese sanctions if it does not remove certain tariffs that break WTO rules, the WTO’s appeals judges said in a ruling on Tuesday. Read more

    WTO: Struggling to stay relevant

    Business Line: The World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing an unprecedented existential crisis. The challenges to WTO are coming from various quarters but the biggest threat is from one of its former proponents — the US. Read more

    WTO NEWS

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    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest produced and published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please subscribe to our Blog below:

  • Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – July 7 – 13, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest – July 7 – 13, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of July 7-13, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    In this week’s headlines, fifteen countries in the West African regional bloc ECOWAS have agreed to adopt a single currency called the ECO next year. Regionally, Jamaica aims to deepen its trade and other bilateral relations with the Cayman Islands, while Barbados has its eye on investment opportunities in Guyana.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Jamaica – Cayman Islands to strengthen trade, bilateral relations

    Caribbean News Now: Jamaica is moving to improve trade relations with the Cayman Islands, prime minister Andrew Holness said speaking to the Jamaican diaspora in the Cayman. Read more

    WTO ‘devastating’ for farmers and fisheries

    Tribune 242: Becoming a full World Trade Organisation (WTO) member will be “devastating” for Bahamian farmers because they are “not prepared” for the competitive demands of liberalised trade regimes. Caron Shepherd, president of the Farmers United Cooperative, told Tribune Business. Read more

    Barbados seeking to encourage investments in Guyana

    Jamaica Observer: The Barbados Government is seeking to lure local investors to invest in Guyana, which is the world’s second-largest stock market, NASDAQ last month named as the fastest growing economy in the world. Read more

    Investment potential in Guyana

    Barbados Today: Investment opportunities in Guyana worth millions of dollars appear to have captured the attention of dozens of workers and entrepreneurs eager to tap into its growing market. Read more

    Antigua PM Reports Positive Talks On Ownership In Scotiabank Country Branch

    Jamaica Gleaner: The Antigua & Barbuda government is reporting positive feedback to a proposal that would allow it to own at least 40 per cent of the local Scotiabank operation, under a regional transaction in which the Canadian owner is offloading some of its Caribbean assets to Republic Financial Holdings Limited. Read more

    Antigua – Barbuda and the Dominican Republic forge closer relations: Embassy to break ground soon

    Caribbean News Now: Prime Minister Gaston Browne fulfilled a promise made three years ago to the president of the Dominican Republic to transfer one acre of land for the construction of an embassy and residences for the Dominican Republic in St John’s, presented the land certificate to foreign affairs minister of the Dominican Republic, Chancellor Miguel Vargas who paid an official visit to Antigua and Barbuda over the weekend. Read more

    Statistical Capacity-Building Underway in CARICOM Member States

    CARICOM: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has embarked on a series of exercises across the Region as it steps up its efforts to build capacity in statistics. The Community is working towards providing robust, quality statistics to inform and advance its development thrust. Read more

    Caribbean Countries to Benefit from Access to Insurance for the Fisheries Sector

    OECS: CCRIF SPC and the World Bank are pleased to announce that on July 1, the Facility issued the Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability FaciliTy (COAST) fisheries parametric insurance policy to two of its member governments – Grenada and Saint Lucia. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    ECOWAS West African nations to adopt unified ‘eco’ currency

    IOL: The Economic Community of West African States announced at the end of its summit in Abuja, Nigeria, that it would be adopting the ECO as its shared currency by 2020. Read more

    France passes tax on tech giants despite US threats

    BBC: France has approved a digital services tax despite threats of retaliation by the US, which argues that it unfairly targets American tech giants. The 3% tax will be levied on sales generated in France by multinational firms like Google and Facebook. Read more

    Trump-China Trade Tensions Hit Panama Canal Revenues

    Bloomberg: Cargo from the U.S. to China going through the key waterway has slumped this year as the Asian giant cuts its imports of American food and fuel, according to Panama Canal Authority CEO Jorge Luis Quijano. Read more

    Beijing to impose sanctions on US firms involved in US$2.2 billion Taiwan arms deal

    South China Morning Post: Beijing said on Friday it will issue sanctions against the US companies involved in the latest arms sale to Taiwan, as tensions between China and the United States continue to rise. Read more

    US tells Britain: Fall into line over China and Huawei, or no trade deal

    Telegraph: Donald Trump’s negotiators have signalled that the next prime minister’s hopes of a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States rest on his willingness to fall in line with tough American policies against the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. Read more

    EU-Mercosur trade agreement: The Agreement in Principle and its texts

    EU: In view of the Commission’s transparency policy, the Commission is publishing the texts of the Trade Part of the Agreement following the agreement in principle announced on 28 June 2019. Read more

    Nigeria signs Africa free trade agreement: statement

    Reuters: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has signed up to the $3 trillion Africa free trade agreement, a spokesman confirmed on Sunday. Read more

    African Leaders Launch First Continental Trade Agreement

    VoA: Leaders discussed “operational” parts of the agreement at a recent gathering of the African Union in Niger. The deal had been under discussion since 2002 and a general agreement to form the trade area was reached in March. Read more

    Canada posts rare trade surplus as exports to U.S. hit record high

    Financial Post: Canada’s trade balance unexpectedly swung into surplus for the first time in 10 months on a broad-based jump in exports, adding to evidence the economy has returned to a more solid footing. Read more

    Germany Sees 50% Chance for EU-U.S. Trade Deal, Possibly in 2019

    Bloomberg: German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier sees a 50% chance of the European Union striking a trade agreement on industrial goods with the U.S., possibly this year. Read more

    A Deeper Look at Vietnam’s Trade Deal With Europe

    The Diplomat: The EU’s drive to become the defender of multilateralism promises further opportunities for Southeast Asia. Read more

    What is GATT 24: What is the WTO clause at the centre of Andrew Neil’s grilling of Boris Johnson

    Independent: Boris Johnson was taken to task by the BBC’s Andrew Neil over his knowledge of GA​TT 24 – the clause in WTO rules he believes could allow the UK to continue to trade freely with the EU in a no deal scenario. Read more

    Australia steps up sugar trade fight with India, moves WTO

    Hindu Business Line: Australia has intensified its sugar related dispute with India by formally asking World Trade Organisation (WTO) to set up a panel to probe if the world’s second-largest sugar producer was breaching its obligations, a media report said Friday. Read more

    Japan denies imposing South Korean trade embargo at WTO

    Reuters: Japan denied imposing a trade embargo on South Korea on Tuesday, after a complicated diplomatic dispute that could disrupt global supplies of chips and smartphones erupted over forced labor in World War Two and banned trade with North Korea. Read more

    Global trade: Making a start for WTO reforms

    Financial Express: Members desirous of preventing disruption of the appellate process in WTO disputes would enter into a plurilateral accord providing for appeal arbitration. Read more

    Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan for businesses dismissed by head of WTO

    Independent: The head of the World Trade Organisation has blown a hole in Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans as Conservative members vote on whether he should become party leader and prime minister. Read more

    Brazil escalates WTO dispute over India sugar subsidies that distort global sugar markets

    Business Today: The Brazilian government said on Thursday it had asked the World Trade Organization to establish a panel aimed at resolving its dispute over Indian sugar subsidies, according to a joint statement by the foreign and agriculture ministries. Read more

    India involved in 14 disputes at WTO currently, says Piyush Goyal

    Business Standard: At present, India is involved in 14 WTO disputes, all of which are being handled by domestic law firms. Read more

    USTR Announces Fiscal Year 2020 WTO Tariff-Rate Quota Allocations for Raw Cane Sugar, Refined and Specialty Sugar and Sugar-Containing Products

    USTR: The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative today announced the country-specific and first-come, first-served in-quota allocations under the tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar and sugar-containing products for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 (October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020). Read more

    USTR Announces Initiation of Section 301 Investigation into France’s Digital Services Tax

    USTR: On July 10, 2019, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 of the Digital Services Tax (DST) of the Government of France. Read more

    WTO NEWS

    NEW ON CTLD BLOG

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest produced and published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please subscribe to our Blog below:

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – June 30 – July 6, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – June 30 – July 6, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of June 30-July 6, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

    CARICOM Heads of Government held their 40th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government (HoG) at Gros Islet, Saint Lucia 3-5, July 2019 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Honourable Allen Chastanet. Read the communique here.

    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addressed the Opening Ceremony of the CARICOM HoG Meeting and his speech may be viewed here.

    Ghana has been selected to host the AfCFTA Secretariat.

    The Global Aid for Trade Report 2019 was launched this week. The full report may be read online here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Strengthening ties

    Barbados Today: The Barbados Government was looking to broaden and deepen trade in the region and Prime Minister Mottley was particularly interested in pursuing relationships with Guyana, which was expected to experience growth from the development of its oil and gas industry. Read more

    Sustainable Trade: OECS signs € 3.6 million project to develop trade capacity in the region

    OECS: Stronger trade expertise and the creation of a harmonised trade information and facilitation platform in OECS Member States are key areas earmarked for development under the 3.6 million euro, EU/ACP-funded TradeCom II Agreement signed by OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules in Geneva, Switzerland today. Read more

    Regional countries seeking support for dealing with climate change impact

    Jamaica Observer: Caribbean countries have welcomed an initiative by the SIDS Resilience Foundation and Project Lodge designed to mobilise financing to build resilience, St Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet has said. Read more

    Resilience We Seek To Build Must Be Built Within CSME – CARICOM SG

    CARICOM: The 40th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, opened on Wednesday evening under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of Saint Lucia, at the Royalton St Lucia Resort, with strong calls to strengthen regional integration mechanisms. Read more

    SVG assumes Chairmanship of CARIFORUM for one year

    Searchlight: St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has assumed its role of Chair of the Caribbean Forum of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (CARIFORUM) for a one-year period. Read more

    Jamaican companies seek export opportunities in Trinidad

    LoopJamaica: Seven Jamaican companies are currently exploring export opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago on an export mission being led by JAMPRO and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA). Read more

    JAMPRO Coordinating Activities to Boost Exports

    JIS: Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) has been coordinating various marketing and investment activities aimed at boosting the range of export markets for local products. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    Aid for Trade Review opens with call to preserve trading system as driver for development

    Hellenic Shipping News: The seventh Global Review of Aid for Trade opened at the World Trade Organization on 3 July with a call for preserving the multilateral trading system in order to support trade as a driver of economic growth and development. Read more

    African Leaders Meet to Push Forward Free-Trade Deal

    VoA: Officials are gathering in Niger’s capital this weekend for an African Union summit that begins the “operational phase” of a long-sought continental free trade zone. Read more

    Ghana selected to host AfCFTA secretariat

    CGTN: Ghana was on Saturday selected as the country to host the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Read more

    African Union to launch operational phase of AfCFTA in Niger

    CGTN: The African Union said on Thursday that it will launch the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on July 7 in Niamey, Niger. Read more

    Hopes dim for passage of Trump trade deal

    The Hill: House Democrats say there’s little to no chance that Congress will take up President Trump’s replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) before the end of summer. Read more

    Mexico and U.S. try new trade fix to win over Democrats: official

    Reuters: Mexico is working closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to close a loophole in the new North American trade deal, aimed at satisfying demands of U.S. Democratic lawmakers for tougher labor and environmental provisions, a senior Mexican official said. Read more

    Cheese and whiskey are targeted in US’s latest proposed tariffs on EU

    Vox: The US wants to add new tariffs on $4 billion in goods as part of a trade dispute involving Boeing and Airbus. Read more

    US drags India to WTO for imposing additional tariffs on 28 goods

    Business Line: The US claims that the additional duties, which India imposed through a series of notifications issued between June 2018 and June 2019, are inconsistent with provisions of the WTO’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by unfairly discriminating against US imports vis-à-vis those from other WTO members and by according less favourable treatment to US goods than that provided for in India’s schedule of concessions,” according to an official release. Read more

    U.S. and 15 others slam EU regulation of farm products at WTO

    Reuters: The United States and 15 other countries launched a broadside of criticism at the European Union on Thursday, saying its “hazard-based” approach to regulating pesticides and other “critical tools” used by farmers was damaging livelihoods worldwide. Read more

    China is not the only trading partner targeted by US President Donald Trump’s trade wars

    ABC (Australia): The US-China trade war has been dominating headlines, but Beijing is not the only trading partner in President Donald Trump’s crosshairs. Read more

    Talks ongoing for Pacific Alliance-Singapore free trade agreement

    Business Times: Negotiations on the Pacific Alliance-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA) are underway, involving a grouping of four countries – Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru – which Singapore traded $5.9 billion in goods with last year. Read more

    WTO NEWS

    NEW ON CTLD BLOG

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please subscribe to our Blog below:

  • Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – June 9-15, 2019

    Caribbean Trade & Development Digest – June 9-15, 2019

    Welcome to the Caribbean Trade & Development News Digest for the week of June 9-15, 2019! We are happy to bring you the major trade and development headlines and analysis from across the Caribbean Region and the world from the past week.

    THIS WEEK’S TRADE HIGHLIGHTS

    UNCTAD released its World Investment Report 2019 noting that “global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows slid by 13% in 2018, to US$1.3 trillion from $1.5 trillion the previous year – the third consecutive annual decline”. Read the World Investment Report 2019.

    G20 Trade and Digital Economy Ministers for the first time met together. Read the Ministerial statement here.

    CARICOM Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Cuba, met in Georgetown, Guyana, on June 14th, 2019, on the occasion of the Sixth CARICOM-Cuba Ministerial Meeting. Read the Declaration here.

    REGIONAL NEWS

    Joint Communique: Barbados and Ghana

    Nation News: The following Joint Communiqué was issued on the occasion of the Official Visit to Barbados by Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana.President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, paid an official visit to Barbados from June 14 to 15, 2019, during which he held talks with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley. Read more

    Ghana to help Barbados with nurses soon

    Nation News: Barbados’ acute nursing shortage could soon be a thing of the past.Thanks to the government of the Republic of Ghana, the island should soon have more than enough registered nurses to fill the void that has been a bugbear for the medical health sector for decades. Read more

    CARICOM reaffirms great value of relations with Cuba

    CARICOM Today: Even as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Friday reaffirmed the great value it attaches to ties with Cuba, it reiterated its call for an immediate and unconditional end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba. Read here

    Gov’t Taking Action to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts

    JIS: Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, says the Government is taking steps to reduce and manage the effects of climate change across all sectors through national and international partnerships. Read more

    Norway to fund mega solar farms in Guyana

    Amsterdam News: Norway’s government has approved grant aid worth $80 million to help the largest Caribbean Community nation build a number of mega solar farms to provide energy to several communities located near the jungle close to the borders with Venezuela and Brazil, officials have said. Read more

    Caribbean women entrepreneurs export ready

    MENAFM: Nineteen Caribbean female entrepreneurs have completed the WE-Xport programme, an initiative geared at helping them to start exporting or to increase exports of their products and services. Read more

    Pushing exports

    Barbados Advocate: WITH Barbados’ goods exports languishing in the region of Bds$510 million over the last two years, there is a concerted effort by the current administration to push exports to help grow the economy. Read more

    Ghana to help Guyana’s energy sector

    Demerara Waves: Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo has agreed that his country would help Guyana’s energy sector, Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon said. Read more

    12,000 Pounds of Mangoes Exported from Jamaica to US

    JIS: Twelve thousand pounds of mangoes were exported on Thursday (June 13) to the United States (US).The mangoes – ‘Julie’ and ‘East Indian’ – were the first set to be exported to the US in 20 years. Read more

    Jamaica Dealers Object To New Directive To Sanitise Imported Autos

    Jamaica Gleaner: The Jamaica Used Car Dealers’ Association, JUCDA, says it is strongly opposed to a new directive by the Trade Board for importers of used motor vehicles to pay a Jamaica government agent based in Japan to sanitise each auto at a cost of up to US$150 before they are shipped. Read more

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    India is hitting the United States with more tariffs

    CNN: India just increased tariffs on US exports, dealing another blow to fragile global trade. Read more

    Trade tensions boosted international role of euro, ECB reports

    Euractiv: Trade tensions, challenges to multilateralism and unilateral sanctions might be bad for the economy but they have helped boost the global use of the euro, the European Central Bank reported on Thursday (13 June). Read more

    Europe wants to replenish UN Green Climate Fund

    Euractiv: EU member states want to replenish a UN fund aimed at supporting developing nations cut carbon emissions and adapt to climate change, according to draft conclusions from next week’s EU summit. Read more

    Indian, Chinese officials hold dialogue to break deadlock in RCEP trade negotiations

    Hindu Business Line: In a renewed attempt to break the stalemate in the ongoing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations involving 16 countries, senior officials from India and China met in New Delhi this week to try and reach a common ground on market opening commitments. Read more

    13 RCEP nations oppose India’s strict country of origin norms

    Economic Times: India wants strict rules of origin to prevent Chinese goods from flooding the country through member countries that may have lower or no duty levels. Read more

    Trade Policy Review: Canada

    WTO: The eleventh review of the trade policies and practices of Canada took place on 12 and 14 June 2019. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Canada. Read more

    Egypt’s exports to Africa rise $4.7B in 2018

    Egypt Today: Egypt’s exports to the African continent are expected to reach $4.7 billion in 2018, compared to$3.6 billion in 2017, with an increase of 30 percent, according to the Commercial Representative Office. Read more

    China issues new guidelines for its commercial space sector

    China Knowledge: China has introduced its first guidelines to regulate its commercial space sector in order to guide the health development of commercial space rockets manufacturing and test flights. Read more

    Customs fraud is thriving thanks to Trump’s trade war

    The Hill: As one would expect, and as Trump intended, the value of U.S. imports from China has dropped off considerably. But what may not have been anticipated is the growth in imports from other countries or, for that matter, the increased incentive to commit customs fraud. Read more

    Public Hearings on Proposed Section 301 Tariff List

    USTR: The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will hold public hearings from June 17 to June 21, 2019 and, the following week, from June 24 to June 25, 2019, regarding proposed tariffs on approximately $300 billion worth of Chinese products. Read more

    Rare earths give China leverage in the trade war, at a cost

    Economist: If China cuts off exports, it would hurt America but also undermine its own long-term economic goals. Read more

    No hope of avoiding tariffs in ‘no deal’ Brexit – EU’s Malmstrom

    Reuters: Supporters of Brexit are “completely wrong” if they think recourse to an obscure trade rule will stop tariffs springing up overnight if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Friday. Read more

    Brazil asks for WTO investigation of Indonesia on poultry trade

    CNA: The Brazilian government has formally asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to open a panel to investigate Indonesian policies on Brazil’s poultry exports, the Agriculture Ministry said on Friday. Read more

    Liam Fox warns WTO is ‘in crisis’ as businesses told to brace for no-deal Brexit

    Telegraph: The US-China trade war, industrial strife and political deadlock all threaten to overwhelm the World Trade Organization, putting the future of the institution and the system of free trade in mortal danger, Liam Fox has warned. Read more

    UK signs post-Brexit free trade deal with South Korea

    BBC: The UK and South Korea have signed an outline free trade agreement (FTA) that seeks to maintain existing trade arrangements post-Brexit. Read more

    Taiwanese companies hit by US-China trade war lured back home by Taipei

    South China Morning Post: ‘Invest Taiwan’ offers low-cost loans, help finding workers and even rent-free accommodation for firms struggling to make a profit on the Chinese mainland. Read more

    Representatives from India and Latin America Call for More Trade

    Prensa Latina: Options for enhanced economic cooperation in India and Latin America were discussed by diplomats from that region and officials of the Indian Government, banking entities and the National Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Read more

    China ready for trade talks with East Africa bloc: ambassador to Kenya

    Reuters: China is ready to negotiate a trade deal with the six-nation East Africa Community (EAC) to address Kenya’s complaints about a huge trade imbalance in favor of the Asian economic giant, China’s ambassador to Nairobi told Reuters. Read more

    EU: No strategy yet if China halts critical exports in U.S. trade war

    Reuters: The European Union on Thursday said it had no clear strategy on how to ensure continued supplies of critical raw materials if China, the world’s leading supplier of rare earth minerals, used such exports as leverage in the escalating U.S.-China trade war. Read more

    EU asks for formal consultations with Southern African Customs Union on trade in poultry

    EU: Today, the EU requested formal consultations – a first step in a dispute settlement process – with the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) over safeguard measures affecting imports of frozen chicken cuts from the EU. Read more

    No trade action against India as of now: USTR

    The Hindu: The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said it had no announcement of a trade action at the moment but continued to raise market access concerns with India, reacting to media reports last week that the U.S. was considering launching a 301 probe against India. Read more

    U.S. Asks WTO to Temporarily Pause Its IP Dispute With China

    Bloomberg: The U.S. asked the World Trade Organization to suspend its dispute over China’s intellectual property practices for six months, according to a notice published Friday on the WTO website. Read more

    PM Modi slams protectionist, unilateral trade moves

    Economic Times: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday criticised unilateral and protectionist decisions in trade, seeking instead a rules-based, anti-discriminatory and WTO-led inclusive system that would address the needs and aspirations of stakeholders globally. Read more

    Australian rare earth miners push development deals to counter China grip

    Reuters: Rare earth developers in Australia say they are edging closer to signing deals with new customers that would drive forward their projects amid mounting global supply concerns over the minerals that are crucial to high-tech industries. Read more

    WTO NEWS

    NEW ON CTLD BLOG

    The Caribbean Trade & Development Digest is a weekly trade news digest published by the Caribbean Trade Law & Development Blog. Liked this issue? To read past issues, please visit here. To receive these mailings directly to your inbox, please subscribe to our Blog below: