Washington, April 8 (IANS) The United States has sharply criticised the functioning of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer calling it “ineffective and dysfunctional” after the 14th Ministerial Conference failed to deliver meaningful reform, particularly on digital trade rules. In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, following the conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Greer said the WTO is no longer a “serious forum” and wa…
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Washington, April 8 (IANS) The United States has described its trade relationship with China as “stable” while warning that the global trading system risks becoming “less relevant” if reforms are not undertaken, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.Speaking at the Hudson Institute on Tuesday (local time), Greer said Washington is maintaining a cautious balance with Beijing, avoiding escalation while protecting economic and national security interests.“Right now, the United State…
New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) India has received the ‘best’ US deal among competitors and the country is “sitting in a sweet spot” with the trade pact, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.Addressing the media on the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), held recently in Cameroon, the minister said India should get “preferential market access” in the bilateral trade pact signed with the United States.Preferential market access is the excep…
Washington, March 31 (IANS) US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday that the US is largely shielded from supply chain disruptions stemming from tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, but these disruptions are impacting key Asian economies. “Right now, I think the thing to understand is that the United States is generally insulated from a lot of the supply chain effects when it comes to… direct commodities,” Greer told Bloomberg in an interview, noting reliance on “domestic sourcing” …
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said that consensus-based decision-making is the bedrock of the WTO’s legitimacy, as the discussions related to reforms in the global trading system, electronic commerce, TRIPS non-violation and the package for least developed countries (LDCs) will now continue in Geneva.The minister’s statement comes after the conclusion of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the WTO at Yaounde in Cameroon on Monday, where he led the Indian delega…
New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has emphasised the importance of a balanced and responsive World Trade Organization (WTO) that effectively addresses the needs and aspirations of all members, particularly developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).Goyal had valuable discussions with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, as part of engagements at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaounde, Cameroon.“Acknowledge…
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday discussed the issue of strengthening India’s trade and investment relations with Africa at a meeting with the ministers and ambassadors of African countries on the sidelines of the WTO ministerial conference in Cameroon. “Had a meaningful engagement with ministers and ambassadors of the Africa Group members on the sidelines of the 14th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO MC14). Held substanti…
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS): Ministers and senior officials attending the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Africa’s Cameroon participated in a series of meetings to address key issues on the WTO agenda and to provide political direction for the post-MC14 work ahead, according to a statement issued by the multilateral body.The ministerial sessions addressed the issues of fisheries subsidies, the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, the E-Commerce Work Programme and m…
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that India has adopted a balanced and people-centric approach to fisheries governance while participating in deliberations at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Cameroon.Sharing details on social media platform X, Goyal said he addressed the Ministerial Session on Fisheries Subsidies, highlighting that fisheries in India are a vital source of livelihood and f…
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has stressed the importance of consensus-based decision-making and addressing structural imbalances in global trade as WTO members deliberated on reform issues during the second day of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon.Leading the Indian delegation, Goyal said that consensus remains the bedrock of the WTO’s legitimacy and cautioned against undermining the sovereign right of members to not be bound by …