WTO : TRIPS Council recommends extending diagnostics, therapeutics deadline (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The TRIPS Council has recommended that the General Council extend the 17 December deadline on paragraph eight of the World Trade Organization's 12th ministerial conference (MC12) Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement concerning the extension of the Decision to cover the "production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics," rejecting an earlier draft report prepared by the chair of the TRIPS Council, diluting the mandate in paragraph eight.

Trade : WTO members call for restoration of Appellate Body at US TPR (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The chair of the World Trade Organization's Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB), Ambassador Angel Villalobos of Mexico, has concluded that the majority of the WTO members expressed sharp concern that "the impasse with respect to the Appellate Body was jeopardizing the judicial function of the WTO" and asked the US to "lead the reform efforts so that a fully functional dispute settlement system would be operational by 2024."

WTO : US seeks DS reform on own terms despite calls for AB's restoration (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The United States has sought dispute settlement (DS) reform at the World Trade Organization seemingly on its own terms while apparently ignoring calls from the majority of members for the immediate restoration of the Appellate Body (AB), as well as also justifying its alleged security-driven protectionist measures, SUNS has learned.

Trade : China slams US for its "double standards" at US TPR (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
China inveighed against the statement made by the US trade envoy to the WTO, Ambassador Maria Pagan, on 16 December, saying that Washington added 36 Chinese entities to the US export control "black list", thereby disregarding the WTO rules while ignoring its multilateral obligations, SUNS has learned.