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BRIDGES
Weekly Trade News Digest
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11
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Number
38
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7 November 2007
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 Lead
Stories |
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REVISED
AG TEXT DELAYED AS CHAIR SEES GLIMMER OF PROGRESS
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The
chair of the troubled WTO agriculture talks will postpone issuing
a new draft negotiating text initially expected in mid-November
until towards the end of the month, trade sources report. The
move was prompted by modest signs of movement in the discussions.
Ambassador Crawford Falconer (New Zealand) had earlier warned
Members that he would put a halt to meetings at the end of last
week unless they started compromising with each other in earnest.
He has now announced further consultations for next week.
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WHO
COMMITTEE ON DRUG INNOVATION AND PRICES UNDERWAY IN GENEVA
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The
World Health Organization's Working Group on Public Health,
Innovation and Intellectual Property (IGWG) is charged with
developing a global strategy for the discovery, development,
and delivery of medicines and other health products, as well
as for encouraging pharmaceutical innovation in developing nations.
In theory, this session of the committee, which runs through
10 November, is supposed to come up with an action plan to present
to the WHO's 193 member states at the global health body's annual
summit in May 2008. |
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BRAZIL,
PERU DISCUSS NEW IDEAS ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS LIBERALISATION
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Negotiations
on expedited liberalisation for environmental goods and services
were front and centre at last week's meeting of the WTO Committee
on Trade and Environment-special session (CTE-SS).
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MORE
DISCORD IN WTO INDUSTRIAL GOODS NEGOTIATIONS
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Some negotiators at the WTO are wondering whether any common ground exists for Members to strike a Doha Round agreement on cutting industrial tariffs, following more discussions that served to underline differences rather than point the way to compromise.
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AGRICULTURE
CHAIR CIRCULATES NEW 'WORKING DOCUMENTS' ON EXPORT COMPETITION
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The chair of the Doha Round farm trade negotiations on 7 November released a set of potential changes to WTO rules aimed at preventing countries from pursuing policies that effectively subsidise the export of agricultural products.
The three 'working documents' updated the terms of the draft deal Ambassador Crawford Falconer (New Zealand) circulated to Members in July, in order to reflect subsequent convergence.
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PREPARATIONS
UNDERWAY FOR NEW SERVICES TEXT
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With the chairs of the Doha Round negotiating committees putting together draft deals to present to Members sometime in the next month, WTO Members are telling the mediator of the services talks what they would like to see in the text he is preparing to guide further discussions.
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