Report to the TPRB from the Director-General on Trade-Related Developments

Trade-restrictive measures continue at historically high level: Trade flows hit by new restrictions implemented by WTO members continued at a historically high level between mid-October 2018 and mid-May 2019, according to the Director-General’s latest mid-year report on trade-related developments presented to members on 22 July. The report, which was reviewed at a meeting of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Body, n Read More

WTO members record lowest monthly average in new trade restrictions since 2008: Between mid-October 2016 and mid-May 2017 WTO members recorded the lowest monthly average of new trade restrictions since the financial crisis of 2008, according to the Director-General’s mid-year report on trade-related developments presented to members on 24 July. Director-General Roberto Azevêdo welcomed this news, and ur Read More

Increasing stockpile of trade-restrictive measures “a cause for concern”: The increasing stockpile of trade-restrictive measures introduced by WTO members remains a cause for concern, and continued vigilance is required, according to the latest report on trade-related developments presented on 23 July by WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo. On the positive side, an increasing number of trade-liberalizing measur Read More

Lamy hails transparency as the best insurance policy against protectionism: Director-General Pascal Lamy, in presenting his monitoring report (covering the period mid-October 2012 to mid-May 2013) to the Trade Policy Review Body on 19 July 2013, said: “I am convinced that a strong and vibrant multilateral trading system remains the best insurance policy to overcome protectionist threats”. He said that “while there is no Read More

Trade restrictions on the rise: Director-General Pascal Lamy, in presenting his interim report on trade developments to the Trade Policy Review Body on 21 June 2011, urged “increased vigilance by all WTO Members” as “protectionist pressures remain and are being generated by stubbornly high levels of unemployment in many countries, persistent global imbalances, and macroeconomic concerns”. Many delegations expressed c Read More