WTO : Marrakesh Agreement eclipsed by US-EU priorities on climate, chips (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
As members of the World Trade Organizatio n conclude the 30th anniversary of the foundational Marrakesh Agreement this month, everything seems to be eclipsed from its original goals, with the tw o dominant members - the United States and the European Union - driving the t rade body according to their new priorities.

WTO : China's dispute over IRA subject to national security, says US (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The United States has informed China that it is ready to join consultations in the dispute launched by Beijing at the Wo rld Trade Organization against several aspects of the US Inflation Reduction Ac t (IRA), indicating that issues concerning national security are beyond the review/resolution of the dispute settlement system.

WTO : Brazil's agriculture proposal defers PSH permanent solution to MC14 (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
Brazil on 8 April tabled a draft decision aimed at galvanizing the stalled agriculture negotiations at the World Trade Organization, proposing that members adopt a decision at the WTO's General Council in July before the summer break on "moving the agriculture negotiat ions forward".

WTO : Global merchandise trade faces grim crisis due to headwinds (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
World merchandise trade in volume terms i s expected to grow by 2.6 percent this year, after a larger-than-expected dec line of minus 1.2 percent last year due to weak import demand in major industrializ ed countries, with the Middle East and the former Soviet republics being the exception, said WTO economists on 10 April.

WHO : Developing countries propose streamlined PABS text at INB9 (PRIV)
(Sangeeta Shashikant, London)
By the end of the ninth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) on a new pandemic instrument, developing countries had proposed textual amendments to the Bureau's negotiating text on the Pandemic Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system t hat clearly and substantially delineates the design of a multilateral PABS syst em including its benefit sharing aspects.

UN : UNCTAD re-brands itself as "UN Trade and Development" (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Penang)
Commemorating its 60th anniversary this yea r, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced on 9 April its re-branding as "UN Trade and Development".