The World Trade Organization published the agenda for the April 27 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body. It includes U.S. status reports on the implementation of recommendations adopted by the DSB on: antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act. A status report is also expected from Indonesia on measures relating to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products; and from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products. Further, numerous countries, excluding the U.S., will propose nominations for a list of governmental and nongovernmental panelists to serve on the DSB.

The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, U.N. World Food Program and the World Trade Organization called for coordinated action to address growing food security threats in an April 13 joint statement. As a response to the looming crisis, the heads of the organizations proposed providing emergency food supplies and financial support, facilitating "unhindered trade," and investing in sustainable food production.

Global gross domestic product growth is set to slow to pre-COVID-19 levels of around 3.1% to 3.7% for 2022 due to Russia's war in Ukraine, the World Trade Organization said. Pulling the stat from an April 11 note from the WTO Secretariat, the WTO cited a global economic simulation model projecting that the crisis in Ukraine could lower global GDP growth by 0.7%-1.3%. Global trade growth could be 2.4%-3%, slashed from the 4.7% mark the WTO forecast in October, the WTO said.

World Trade Organization members reached an agreement March 31 that will help address the continuing "underfill" of tariff rate quotas on agricultural imports by some importing members, the WTO said. TRQs allow certain agricultural goods to be imported at lower duties up to a specified amount, with increased duties applied to amounts over the limit. The mechanism was agreed to as a means of allowing exporters some access to other countries’ markets when the normal tariffs on imports are high.

The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body released the agenda for its April 8 meeting being held to discuss a joint request from South Korea and the U.S. for a decision by the Dispute Settlement Body regarding U.S. safeguard measures on imports of large residential washers. It is the only item on the agenda. According to the agenda for the March 28 meeting of the DSB, a dispute settlement panel was to provide its report on the U.S.'s safeguard measures on imports of large residential washers (see 2203210009).

World Trade Organization Deputy Director-General Anabel Gonzalez touted the need for "trade diversification, not decoupling" in the face of COVID-19 pandemic- and geopolitical-related supply chain disruptions, the WTO said. Speaking at the Global Solutions Summit on March 28, Gonzalez attempted to jolt some confidence back into the multilateral trading system by discussing imports as a tool to absorb shocks to global supply chains. A further tool is the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement that certain WTO members have made great strides in implementing, "but more efforts are needed to fully enjoy its benefits," she said.

The EU is requesting consultations at the World Trade Organization with the U.K. over its practices relating to its support of green energy projects, the European Commission announced. In particular, the EU alleged that the U.K. favors British over imported content in granting subsidies for offshore wind energy projects. The allegation says that the U.K. government implements a local content criterion when assessing bids for these projects. The commission said such rules violate the U.K.'s WTO commitments, namely the national treatment principle, while also hobbling many EU suppliers in the green energy industry.

The chair of the World Trade Organization's agriculture negotiating group, Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta of Costa Rica, told WTO members to prepare for "intensive negotiations" relating to the impact of the invasion of Ukraine on global food markets, the WTO said. Peralta's comments came during a March 21 meeting of the agriculture group meant to focus negotiating efforts ahead of the 12th Ministerial Conference set for the week of June 13. Peralta asked the negotiating group members to "reassess" their negotiating objectives in light of these recent challenges. In response, several members of the group discussed the impact of the Ukraine conflict on the negotiation process along with resulting threats to food security, the WTO said. Members affirmed their support for a multilateral decision to waive export restrictions on food purchases by the World Food Programme.

Countries participating in the World Trade Organization's Informal Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade launched three "workstreams" March 18 to discuss measures on reducing plastics waste, the WTO said. The workstreams focus on crosscutting issues, including capacity building and technical assistance; promoting trade to deal with plastic pollution; and circularity and reduction to reduce plastic pollution, including how trade-related cooperation can bolster efforts to reduce plastic products and reduce unnecessary or harmful plastics and plastic products, including single-use plastics and plastic packaging associated with international trade. The IDP said in a work plan that the workstreams are a meaningful step toward implementing the IDP Ministerial Statement, which sets goals for reducing plastics pollution and fostering environmentally sustainable plastics trade.

The World Trade Organization published the agenda for the March 28 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body. It includes U.S. status reports on the implementation of recommendations adopted by the DSB on: antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act. Status reports also are expected from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products and from Indonesia on importation of horticultural products, animals and animal products.