Developments Since the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference Doha Mandates

This briefing by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the progress of the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules following the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha. It examines the divisions between developed and developing nations regarding anti-dumping measures, subsidies—specifically fisheries subsidies—and the governance of regional trade agreements (RTAs).

• The Negotiating Group on Rules is working toward a January 1, 2005, deadline to conclude negotiations as part of the Doha single undertaking, with a stock-taking meeting scheduled for the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico, from September 10-14, 2003.
• Negotiations on anti-dumping are split between the 'Friends of Anti-dumping Negotiations,' who seek rule changes to restrict the use of trade remedies, and the United States, which aims to maintain the effectiveness of trade remedy laws and focuses on 'procedural fairness' and transparency.
• Developing countries, specifically India and Brazil, are advocating for the mandatory application of the 'lesser-duty' rule in anti-dumping cases and higher de minimis margins for imports from developing countries.
• There is significant disagreement regarding export credits and the use of OECD standards. Brazil and other developing countries argue that relying on OECD Consensus introduces asymmetries, while the EU views the OECD Arrangement as an effective 'safe harbour' for export financing.
• The 'Friends of Fish' argue that fisheries subsidies contribute to the depletion of fish stocks and should be eliminated for the benefit of the environment and trade. Conversely, Japan and Korea maintain that poor fisheries management is the root cause of depletion and that the WTO should only address trade distortions.
• Venezuela, Canada, and the EU have proposed addressing 'non-actionable subsidies'—which expired on January 1, 2000—to allow for government support of research, disadvantaged regions, and environmental protection.
• Negotiations on Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) are focused on balancing regionalism with multilateralism, with specific debates over the transparency of RTAs and the definition of 'substantially all the trade' to ensure WTO compatibility.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2003). Developments Since the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference Doha Mandates. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_wto_rules.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Developments Since the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference Doha Mandates. 2003. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_wto_rules.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Developments Since the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference Doha Mandates |date=February 2003 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_wto_rules.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2003developments, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Developments Since the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference Doha Mandates}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2003}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/wto_doha_wto_rules.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }