WTO MEMBERS CRITICISE IF EVALUATION REPORT

The WTO Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries (IF) Steering Committee met on 27 October to discuss an IF evalution report. Bangladesh issued a statement on behalf of least-developed countries (LDCs), noting that the entities responsible for producing the report -- a consortium consisting of CAPRA International Inc. and the Canadian Trade Facilitation office -- had not followed the outline set out in the Terms of Reference (TOR). According to Bangladesh, the report excluded three of six objectives in the TOR deemed vital by LDCs, namely: evaluating the impact of the IF in generating sufficient funding to government-owned trade capacity building programmes; addressing challenges related to systematic and predictable implementation and follow-up processes in the Post-DTIS (Diagnostic Trade Integration Study) stage; and exploring the IF's potential as an instrument to address the supply-side constraints of LDCs. Pointing to a lack of guidance in the report on improving the TOR of Window II of the Integrated Framework Trust Fund (IFTF), the statement also criticised the report for the absence of perspectives provided by the LDC missions in Geneva and for adopting perspectives of certain groups (for details on Window II Funds, see BRIDGES Weekly, 21 May 2003). A number of delegates said the report was not very accessible. The consortium is now expected to incorporate the comments received and submit a revised version with an executive summary and a clear set of recommendations at the next IF Steering Committee meeting, scheduled for early January.

A copy of the interim report can be accessed at http://brettonwoodsproject.org/doc/trade/ifinterimeval.pdf

More information on the DTIS is available in the ICTSD-IISD Doha Round Briefings on Technical Assistance accessible at http://www.ictsd.org/pubs/dohabriefings/doha12-techassist.pdf

ICTSD Reporting.

WTO REPORTS STEEP DECLINE IN ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATIONS

On 24 October the WTO Secretariat released a report on the antidumping activities of Members during the period from 1 January to 30 June 2003. During this time, 18 Members initiated 79 anti-dumping investigations against exporters from a total of 30 different nations or customs territories. This was a significant decline from the January- June 2002 period, in which 17 WTO Members initiated 149 anti-dumping investigations. Developed countries reported 28 of the 79 initiations during the first semester of 2003. The US initiated the most investigations during the first semester of 2003, 16, a drop from the 22 investigations of the first semester of 2002. India followed for the first semester with 12 initiations, followed by China's 11. China had the most investigations on its exports this semester with 12, followed by Korea (8) and India (6). The chemicals sector of the Harmonised System of Tariff Classification had the greatest number of classified products, 26, investigated this semester. The second most active area was base metals, which include iron, steel and aluminium products, with 15 investigations initiated, followed by plastics (10 investigations).

The anti-dumping semi-annual reports by members for the period 1 January - 30 June can be found under the document series G/ADP/N/105 at http://docsonline.wto.org.

"WTO Secretariat Reports Significant Decline In New Anti-Dumping Investigations," WTO RELEASE, 24 October 2003.