BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest

Lead Stories
US FARM SUBSIDY HINT NOT ENOUGH TO JOLT SLUGGISH DOHA NEGOTIATIONS	Hopes for an accord received a boost last week when US agriculture negotiator Joe Glauber suggested that Washington could accept capping its trade-distorting farm payments at between $13 and 16.4 billion dollars, the range for a potential deal outlined in July by the chair of the WTO agriculture talks. Several countries have long insisted that US subsidy concessions were necessary for a Doha agreement to become possible.
CANADA ISSUES COMPULSORY LICENCE FOR HIV/AIDS DRUG EXPORT TO RWANDA, IN FIRST TEST OF WTO PROCEDURE	Rwanda last week came one step closer to becoming the first nation to use a WTO procedure designed to allow developing countries to import cut-price copies of patented medicines, when Canadian patent authorities issued a compulsory licence authorising the generic production of a patented HIV/AIDS drug for export to the central African country.
WTO AID-FOR-TRADE INITIATIVE GETS A BOOST FROM REVIEWS IN LIMA, MANILA	The WTO-led 'aid-for-trade' initiative is supposed to help give developing countries the financial and technical assistance they need to boost their capacity to take part in international trade. However, since the initiative was launched nearly two years ago, few concrete signs have emerged on how this goal would be accomplished, apart from a high-level task force report last year identifying a range of organisational and monitoring priorities. The donor community has not come forward with new funds for implementation. Nor, for that matter, have would-be recipients clearly articulated how they would spend money on trade-related reforms and infrastructure

In Brief	WTO in Brief
WIPO General Assembly Takes Off Amidst Controversy Over Idris' Age	Panel Established To Examine US Claims Of Chinese IP Violations

Events        &        Resources
Events	1-2 October, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. MOBILIZING AID FOR TRADE: FOCUS AFRICA. The purpose of this meeting is to bring to light the ongoing issues in the region, as well as the fruitful endeavours of the Aid for Trade program. Specifically, it aims to encourage governments, donors, and the public sector to address the challenges in the region and to prioritise Aid for Trade needs. Internet: http://www.uneca.org/aidfortrade/
Resources	BIOFUELS AT WHAT COST? GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL IN SWITZERLAND. By Ronald Steenblik and Juan Simón. Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI)/International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), June 2007. This report is the most comprehensive account to date of the Swiss government's government support for biofuels. It is part of a multi-country effort by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) to characterise and quantify subsidies for biofuels production, distribution, and consumption, as well as the subsidies to producers of key factor inputs. Similar reports on Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and Malaysia will be released over the summer and fall of 2007. Available online at http://www.globalsubsidies.org/IMG/pdf/Swiss_Support_to_Biofuels2.pdf.
Vacancy	A diplomatic mission in Geneva seeks an Assistant to work on international trade matters as part of its delegation to the WTO. Successful candidates would have a good knowledge of the WTO, its mission, and functions; a degree in international law, international relations, or a related field; excellent command of English with knowledge of French or Spanish an advantage; good social and representation skills; and the ability to work independently and report regularly to supervisors. Experience with the WTO or other international organisations would be a plus. For further inquiries, please send your CV by e-mail to wtoposition@gmail.com, with "WTO Position in Diplomatic Mission" in the subject field.
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest is made possible through the generous support of the Government of the United Kingdom (DFID) and ICTSD's core donors including the Governments of Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden; Christian Aid (UK) and NOVIB (NL). BRIDGES Weekly also benefits from support for the BRIDGES series of publications from donors including the Rockefeller Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.