Announcement of Canadian Position on WTO ...

November 16, 1999

16 November 1999

Announcement of Canadian Position on WTO Negotiations

On 15 November, International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew presented the Canadian position for upcoming negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The report, "Canada and the future of the World Trade Organization," describes in detail the approach Canada will take when the world's trade ministers meet in Seattle in late November. It directly answers 45 recommendations made by an all-party Parliamentary committee, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Earlier this year, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade held 30 public sessions and heard from more than 400 Canadians from a variety of business, labour, environmental, academic and human rights groups. The Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade also directly consulted industry sectors and citizen groups throughout the spring and summer and will continue to do so during negotiations.

Of particular interest to members is the commitment to facilitate international trade by developing new rules for border procedures. During the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) meeting in Toronto at the beginning of November, trade facilitation played a central role in the discussions. Eight customs measures designed to reduce transaction costs and create a more consistent and predictable business environment were announced. These included:

1. Temporary Importation /Temporary Admission of Certain Goods Related to Business Travellers
2. Express Shipments
3. Simplified Procedures for Low Value Shipments
4. Compatible Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Systems and Common Data Elements
5. Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System
6. Customs Information Dissemination/Hemispheric Guide on Customs Procedures
7. Codes of Conduct for Customs Officials
8. Risk Analysis/ Targeting Methodology

Canada and the World Trade Organization

In late November, Canada will join the 130-plus member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle to launch a new series of global trade negotiations.

The government's objectives in the upcoming trade negotiations are outlined below.

Agriculture

* achieve significant improvements in market access for our agriculture and agri-food products;

* eliminate export subsidies for agriculture;

* achieve substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support;

* maintain our orderly marketing systems;

* allow Canada to maintain its leadership in the commercialization of biotechnology products, and to participate in a WTO working group on the subject.

Market Access

* improve market access with our major trading partners, with particular attention to fish and seafood, non-ferrous metals, wood products and value-added, high-technology products;

* continue to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade that prevent Canadian exporters from expanding and creating more jobs, particularly in agriculture and services.

Trade Facilitation

* facilitate international trade by developing new rules for border-related procedures.

Trade Remedy Rules

* strengthen multilateral disciplines on measures that can disrupt or distort trade (e.g., anti-dumping, subsidies).

Government Procurement

* support transparency in government procurement as a way to build stability and confidence in a global marketplace;

* continue to work toward the elimination of discriminatory provisions in order to improve access for Canadian firms in foreign markets.

Services

* continue to liberalize trade in services, respecting national policy objectives and the level of development of individual members.

Intellectual Property

* extend the moratorium on the application of the non-violation provision of the intellectual property agreement;

* ensure full and timely implementation of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS);

* participate in ongoing work at the WTO and the World Intellect


Topic(s): 
International Initiatives
Information Source: 
World Customs Organization (WCO) / World Trade Organization (WTO)
Document Type: 
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