The World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization launched a new book, "Competition Policy and Intellectual Property in Today's Global Economy," on Sept. 16, the WTO said. The book peers into "the positive linkage between intellectual property (IP) and competition in jurisdictions around the world, surveying developments and policy issues from an international and comparative perspective," the press release said. Chapters of the book, written by a variety of experts, include discussions on enforcement of competition law, standards-setting organizations and the application of competition policy with a particular focus on the WTO.

Global exports of intermediate goods rose by 20% from the first quarter of 2021, the World Trade Organization said in a new quarterly report released Sept. 2. The large uptick in IG exports marks a rebound from when the mark dropped precipitously in the second quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. China was identified as the largest driver of the surge, noting a 41% uptick in Chinese IG exports mainly for information communication technology equipment and photovoltaic cells, the report said. “The most resilient supply chains in the first quarter were for ores, precious stones and rare earths, with exports increasing by 43 per cent in the first quarter, and for food and beverages (up 22 per cent),” the report said. “In contrast, exports of transport parts and accessories posted the weakest recovery at 6 per cent following steep declines in 2020 as the pandemic affected both demand for and production of automotives.”

In an unusual move, China has been granted its request for a compliance panel at the World Trade Organization for the dispute between it and the U.S. over how China administers its wheat, rice and corn tariff rate quotas (see 2107160054 and 1904180020).

The World Trade Organization circulated the agenda for the Aug. 30 meeting of the dispute settlement body, which includes a briefing on the implementation status of the dispute resolutions for the U.S.'s antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel goods from Japan; Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act; the antidumping and countervailing duties on large residential washers from South Korea; and certain methdologies and their application to antidumping investigations concerning China. The DSB will also hear about the U.S.'s Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, and will receive a statement from the U.S. about the European Union's measures affecting trade in large civil aircraft.

Saudi Arabia requested dispute consultations at the World Trade Organization for the first time since joining the multilateral body, over the European Union's antidumping duties on mono-ethylene glycol imports from the kingdom, the WTO said Aug. 19. Saudi Arabia said the duties, imposed June 10, are inconsistent with the WTO's Antidumping Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994. “Mono-ethylene glycol is a liquid used in the production of polyester fibres and film, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins and engine coolants,” the WTO said.

Japan requested a dispute resolution panel at the World Trade Organization regarding China's antidumping duties on stainless steel products from Japan, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Aug. 19. China imposed the duties in July 2019 on stainless steel goods from Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and the European Union on the grounds that the Chinese domestic industry was being injured by foreign exports. In particular, Japan is challenging the duties on stainless steel slabs, hot-rolled stainless steel sheets (cut sheets and plates) and hot-rolled stainless steel coils. The value of stainless steel exports from Japan to China is worth around $630 million, METI said.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is asking for submissions on Russia's compliance with World Trade Organization rules to assist in the preparation of its annual report to Congress on the subject. Written comments are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT Sept. 22.

Two longtime career staffers at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative have been nominated for deputy USTR positions. Maria Pagán, the deputy general counsel at the agency, has been chosen to serve as ambassador to the World Trade Organization. According to an announcement from the White House, Pagán handled the implementation package for USMCA and was the lead lawyer in the USMCA negotiation. USTR Katherine Tai said, "María Pagán has proven to be a shrewd negotiator with an unparalleled knowledge of our trade agreements that will serve the United States well as we re-establish relationships with our trading partners and work to reform the World Trade Organization."

Costa Rican Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta, who chairs negotiations on agricultural trade at the World Trade Organization, released a draft text July 29 to push for consensus on areas to secure a farm trade deal at the 12th Ministerial Conference beginning in late November. The text highlighted domestic support, market access, export restrictions, export competition, cotton, public stockholding for food security, a safeguard mechanism and transparency. “The text takes into account the range of views that have been expressed by Members and seeks to chart a way forward with this in mind. It represents my honest effort to identify potential ‘landing zones,'” Peralta said. “It's not meant to be perfect or summarize all views. But it is a tool for you to engage with one another in a constructive exchange.”

World Trade Organization members reached a consensus July 28 on the 14 new heads of the subsidiary bodies that report to the Council for Trade in Goods. The General Council chair, Ambassador Dacio Castillo of Honduras, added that he will host consultations on how to "improve the overall process for the appointment of officers of all WTO bodies," according to an accompanying press release. The chairpersons are as follows: