TRADE: Inching Towards a Conclusion of the Doha Round – Maybe

Officials who attended two days of trade talks in Kenya have given a mixed verdict on the outcome of the discussions. While some described the meeting as productive, others said little progress had been made in resolving problems that have dogged the latest round of international trade negotiations since it got underway in 2001 in Doha, Qatar.

TRADE: Brazil Triumphs Over U.S. in WTO Subsidies Dispute

International development groups are calling on the United States to swiftly comply with a World Trade Organisation (WTO) final ruling issued Thursday declaring the bulk of U.S. government subsidies to its cotton industry illegal.

TRADE-EU: Banana War Looms Once Again

The European Union moved closer to a trade war with Latin America Monday when it formally notified the World Trade Organisation that it will triple import tariffs on bananas next year.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Starring Role for the Doha Round

The World Economic Forum's 2005 meeting will be remembered more for having served as the scenario for the reinvigoration of the Doha Round of trade talks than for the statesmen and celebrities who visited this Swiss mountain resort this week.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: A Siren Song for Doha Negotiators

The multilateral trading system has now entered the final stage on the road to the 6th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), set to take place in December in Hong Kong, yet its path seems strewn with distractions, drawing attention away from the main objective: a Doha Round agreement.

TRADE: Software Patent Delay Welcomed

Campaigners have hailed the EU decision to postpone the adoption of controversial new rules for patenting computer-based inventions as a victory for "European democracy".

TRADE: Poor Countries Race to Make their Voice Heard at WTO

A decision over the next head of the World Trade Organisation may see developed countries pitted against the developing world.

FINANCE: Poorer Nations Pay Dearly for Investment Deals

Trade and investment disputes involving dozens of millions of dollars are growing worldwide and threaten to undermine the meaning of many economic treaties, a United Nations organisation warned Monday.

TRADE: US to Face Severe WTO Sanctions

The WTO authorised trade sanctions Friday that could cost the United States 150 million dollars a year for failing to conform with the rules of the 147-member multilateral trade body.

TRADE: U.S.-Mideast Deal Gains Momentum

Already engaged in an ambitious global plan to complete regional and bilateral free trade deals, the United States is heating up the trade front in the Middle East with announcements it intends to start talks with three countries in the region.

ENVIRONMENT: Andean Nations Clash with U.S. on Patenting Life Forms

Access to genetic resources in South America's Andean region, which holds a quarter of the planet's biodiversity, is a point of discord in the free trade agreement that the United States has been negotiating with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru since May.

ECONOMY: World Bank Urges Free Trade on All Fronts

The World Bank, aligned with other global financial institutions dominated by rich nations that promote free trade, is advising poor nations that have already signed agreements to open up for more trade on "all fronts."

TRADE: US Deal Menaces Central American Farmers – Report

A pending trade deal between the United States and Central American countries could force the collapse of rice production in those six developing nations and put thousands of farmers out of business, a leading development agency warned Tuesday.

ECONOMY-TOGO: The High Cost of Cheap Chic

Prized by women in West and Central Africa, "Real Dutch Wax" cloth – with its distinctive colours and patterns – has for three decades been a staple in the wardrobes of those wealthy enough to afford it. The name refers to the process of using wax to dye material.

CARIBBEAN: Bush, Haiti Could Upstage Economic Talks

Recent events have caught up to the agenda for Monday's meeting of leaders to discuss the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), the region's response to a changing global environment characterised by mega trading blocs.

HEALTH-EU: Cheaper Medicines for AIDS Welcomed

A leading development group has welcomed EU proposals to allow export of cheap medicines to poor countries fighting HIV/AIDS and other killer diseases.

TRADE: Developing Countries Prepare For ‘Banana Battle’

Developing countries have hit back at proposed changes to the European Union's banana regime.

TRADE: G20 Gearing Up for Continued WTO Talks

The Group of 20 (G20), a voice for the developing South in multilateral trade negotiations, plans to expand its focus beyond the agricultural sector and seek closer ties to similar groups, according to the bloc's coordinator and spokesman, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

DEVELOPMENT: ‘New Trade Preferences Unfair to Developing World’

A leading development group has slammed EU plans to amend trade discounts to developing countries.

/CORRECTED REPEAT*/TRADE: U.S. Appeals WTO Ruling on Cotton Subsidies

The United States said Monday it is appealing a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling that declared the bulk of U.S. government subsidies to its cotton industry illegal.

TRADE: U.S. Appeals WTO Ruling on Cotton Subsidies

The United States said Monday it is appealing a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling that declared the bulk of U.S. government subsidies to its cotton industry illegal.