UPDATE ON WTO AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS, RTAs AND … · reduction of trade costs and trade promotion JOINT STATEMENT ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE Intention to initiate exploratory work

72nd Session Committee on Commodity Problems26 – 28 September | FAO - Rome, Italy

UPDATE ON WTO AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS,

RTAs AND FAO'S SUPPORT TO MEMBERS

72nd Session Committee on Commodity Problems26 – 28 September | FAO - Rome, Italy 2

Table of Contents

Non exhaustive

• U P D AT E O N W T O A G R I C U LT U R A L N E G O T I AT I O N S

• R E G I O N A L T R A D E A G R E E M E N T S

• FA O ' S S U P P O R T T O M E M B E R S

• S U G G E S T E D A C T I O N B Y T H E C O M M I T T E E


Outcomes of the MC11 – 1/2

MARKET ACCESS

Tariff peaks, tariff escalation, tariff

simplification, in-quota duties

SAFEGUARDS

Special Agricultural Safeguard (SSG)

and the Special Safeguard

Mechanism (SSM)

COTTON

Cotton trade distorting support

DOMESTIC SUPPORT

Limitation to the use of OTDS,

reduction or elimination of the AMS

entitlements for developed countries

PUBLIC STOCKHOLDING

Elements for a permanent solution on

PSH for food security purposes

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS

Transparency issues and exemption

clauses

Many negotiating proposals were submitted in the run up to the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference

(Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10-13 December 2017)

Non exhaustive

Tariff peaks, tariff escalation, tariff

simplification, in-quota duties

Special Agricultural Safeguard (SSG)

and the Special Safeguard

Mechanism (SSM)

Cotton trade distorting support

Transparency issues and exemption

clauses


Non exhaustive

DECLARATION ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF

AN INFORMAL WTO WORK PROGRAMME

FOR MSMEs

Intention to create an Informal Working

Group to discuss issues such as the

reduction of trade costs and trade

promotion

JOINT STATEMENT ON ELECTRONIC

COMMERCE

Intention to initiate exploratory work

toward future WTO negotiations on

trade related aspects of electronic

commerce

INVESTMENT FACILITATION FOR

DEVELOPMENT

Call for structured discussions to

develop a multilateral framework on

investment facilitation

Groups of countries issued Joint Statements proposing additional areas for future work as part of the WTO negotiations

Members agreed on four Ministerial decisions on various trade issues, including fisheries subsidies, but they did not reach any

agreement on the agricultural issues discussed

MOREOVER

Outcomes of the MC11 – 2/2


Non exhaustive

Consultations with Members

Informal meetings of the Special Session of the WTO Committee on

Agriculture

Submission to Members of relevant documents and information prepared

by other multilateral organizations, such as FAO

Ensuring substantial progress

in agricultural trade

negotiations at the WTO

NEW CHAIR’S OBJECTIVE NEW CHAIR’S WORKING PLAN

Apr 2017 Apr 2018

Stephen Ndung'u

Karau (Kenya)

Vangelis Vitalis (New

Zealand)

Nov 2011 Sep 2015

John Adank (New

Zealand)

David Walker

(New Zealand)

Sep 2003 Apr 2009 …

Crawford

Falconer (New Zealand)

RECENT CoA-SS CHAIRS: TIMELINE

John Ronald

Dipchandra (Deep)

Ford (Guyana)

New Chairperson of the WTO CoA-SS


Non exhaustive





Table of Contents


Source: FAO, WTO

RTAs are trade agreements of a mutually preferential nature.

They include bilateral, regional and inter-regional free trade

agreements (FTAs), economic unions, customs unions, and

common markets

LEGAL BASIS

Article 24 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

(GATT) and the Enabling Clause

DEFINITION

GLOBAL TRENDS

Since the 90’s, the number of RTAs notified to the WTO has

grown from approximately 50 to 287 currently in force

Since the last Session of the CCP, 22 RTAs including agri-

related provisions were notified to the WTO

Between 2007 and 2012, agri-trade within RTAs grew by

8.2 percent per year, while agri-trade outside RTAs grew by

3.3 percent

TREATMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN RTAs

Tariff reduction: In general

WTO-plus (sensitive sectors

exceptions)

SPS / TBT: often deeper

commitments that the WTO

ones

Agricultural safeguards: often

deviate from WTO rules to

cover limited number of

products

Export prohibitions and

restrictions: usually reaffirm

rights and obligations of the

WTO rules

Focus in the

Next slide

Non exhaustive

Regional Trade Agreements – 1/3


Source: FAO, WTO

RTA notified to the WTO since last CCP, containing agri provisions Date of Notification

China – Georgia 05-Apr-18

El Salvador – Ecuador 22-Mar-18

Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) – Egypt 19-Feb-18

Hong Kong, China - Macao, China 18-Dec-17

European Union – Canada 19-Sep-17

Canada – Ukraine 13-Sep-17

Chile – Thailand 12-Sep-17

EFTA – Georgia 29-Aug-17

Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) - Southern African Customs Union (SACU) 19-Jul-17

India – Thailand 18-Jun-17

Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) - Viet Nam 04-May-17

Central American Common Market (CACM) - Accession of Panama 24-Apr-17

European Union – Ghana 03-Apr-17

European Union - Southern African Development Community (SADC) 03-Apr-17

Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova (GUAM) 03-Apr-17

European Union - Colombia and Peru - Accession of Ecuador 02-Mar-17

Turkey – Malaysia 20-Feb-17

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) - Accession of Egypt 03-Jan-17

Turkey – Moldova 13-Dec-16

Pacific Alliance (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) 03-Nov-16

Costa Rica – Colombia 31-Oct-16

South Korea – Colombia 05-Oct-16



Source: FAO

The CPTPP was signed on 8 March 2018 by Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,

Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Viet Nam

The Agreement to establish the CFTA was signed on 21 March 2018 by 44

African countries

RTAs SIGNED

African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)

Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-

Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Agreement

CFT

A

Gradually liberalizing tariffs and

reducing non-tariff barriers,

including in agri-trade

OBJECTIVES

The CFTA needs the ratification of a

minimum of 22 countries to enter

into force

RATIFICATION

IMPLEMENTATION

The Agreement includes protocols

covering trade in goods, trade in

services, and a dispute settlement

mechanism, as well as a set of

annexes

STRUCTURE

Countries also agreed on a

“Transition and Implementation

Work Program” with the aim of

finalizing their respective schedules

of commitments for both goods and

services, as part of a built-in

agenda, by 2019

SIN

CE

LAS

T C

CP



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PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS FOSTERING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FACILITATING DIALOGUE

FAO/WTO publication on Trade and

Food Standards

In the run up to the MC11, FAO provided

a series of Trade Policy Briefs aimed at

broadening and deepening the

understanding of key issues related to

WTO negotiations on agriculture

Publication of five technical notes and

policy briefs on various aspects,

including a technical note on trade and

nutrition and food security

Trade-related capacity development in

the Europe and Central Asia region

through the Regional Initiative on Agri-

food Trade and Market Integration

Work with stakeholders in Eastern and

Southern Africa to improve policy

coherence between trade and

agriculture and boost trade-related

capacities through a series of targeted

trainings and regional dialogues

Delivery of facilitated e-learning

courses in Africa, and Europe and

Central Asia

Meetings in Argentina on agricultural

trade negotiations in preparation for

the MC11

High-level event on "Trade and the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development”, organized in Rome

under the auspices of the CCP

Panel at the margins of MC11 on “Agri-

Food Trade, Climate Change and

Achieving the SDGs”

Workshop in Uzbekistan on the impact

on agri-food trade stemming from the

conclusion of the TFA

Non exhaustive

FAO’s support to Members on trade agreements


Non exhaustive





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THE COMMITTEE IS INVITED TO

Take note of the developments with regard to the WTO agricultural

negotiations and RTAs

Emphasize the role that agricultural trade can play as an enabler to achieve

the SDGs, and particularly SDG 2 on ending hunger, ensuring food security

and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture

Underline the importance of multilateralism and the need to promote a

universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral

trading system that is conducive to world food security, improved nutrition

and sustainable agricultural development

Suggested action by the Committee


THANK YOU!

Documents

UPDATE ON WTO AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS, RTAs AND … · reduction of trade costs and trade promotion JOINT STATEMENT ON ELECTRONIC COMMERCE Intention to initiate exploratory work