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U.S., Canada, 14 others slam EU farm product regulation at WTO
Geneva | Reuters — The United States and 15 other countries launched a broadside of criticism at the European Union on Thursday, saying its “hazard-based” approach to regulating pesticides and other “critical tools” used by farmers was damaging livelihoods worldwide. Their statement, submitted to the World Trade Organization, said the EU’s approach created great uncertainty

Trump and Modi’s lavish farm payouts prompt questions at WTO
Geneva | Reuters — Massive farm-support plans in the United States and India are being scrutinized by other World Trade Organization members, questions submitted to the WTO’s quarterly agriculture committee meeting showed on Monday. The WTO has strict rules about the size and nature of payments, and member governments keep a close watch for any

North Korea faces food crisis after poor harvest, UN says
Geneva | Reuters — Four in 10 North Koreans are chronically short of food and further cuts to already minimal rations are expected after the worst harvest in a decade, the United Nations said on Friday. Official rations are down to 300 grams (10.6 ounces) per person per day, the lowest ever for this time

U.S. wins WTO ruling on Chinese grains
Geneva | Reuters — The United States won a World Trade Organization ruling on China’s price support for grains, successfully challenging a calculation methodology that is also used by India. A WTO adjudication panel agreed on Thursday with the U.S. complaint that China had paid farmers too much for wheat, Indica rice and Japonica rice
Study skewers palm oil tactics
The World Health Organization has likened palm oil lobbying to the tobacco and alcohol industries
Reuters – The palm oil industry is deploying tactics similar to those of the alcohol and tobacco industries to influence research into the health effects of its product, a study published by the World Health Organization said Jan. 8. Evidence of the health impact of palm oil is mixed, with some studies linking consumption to

U.S. President Trump forces WTO revamp
Threats and demands from the U.S. president have sparked an ‘existential crisis’ for the organization
The World Trade Organization is scrambling to develop a plan for the biggest reform in its 23-year history. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump brought the world’s top trade court to the brink of collapse by blocking appointments of its judges and threatening to pull the United States out of the organization. Trump’s administration

U.S. seen likely to win in effort to shut down WTO’s appeals court
Geneva | Reuters — The United States is likely to succeed in shutting down the World Trade Organization’s supreme court because other WTO members are powerless to stop it, diplomats, lawyers and officials said at a conference in Geneva on Friday. The United States has blocked appointments of judges to the Appellate Body, throwing the

Canada to U.S.: Explain that farm spending war chest
Chicago/Geneva | Reuters — Canada wants the United States to explain why its lawmakers have made an additional $30 billion available to support U.S. farmers hit by trade woes, and how Washington might distribute the money, according to a document published by the World Trade Organization on Thursday. The questions come amid growing trade tensions

WTO should prepare for life without U.S., ex-chief Lamy says
Geneva | Reuters — World Trade Organization countries need to prepare for a future without the United States as a member of the club, former WTO chief Pascal Lamy said on Monday. The U.S. has thrown the WTO into crisis by blocking the appointment of new judges, undermining its dispute settlement system just as it

Australia takes Canada to WTO over wine rules
Geneva | Reuters — Australia has complained at the World Trade Organization about Canada’s rules on wine sales, expanding a similar U.S. complaint against one province. In October, Washington accused British Columbia of providing an unfair advantage to local vineyards by giving their wine an exclusive retail channel in grocery store shelves and cutting out
With roots going back to 1925, each weekly issue of the Manitoba Co-operator contains production, marketing and policy news selected for relevance to crops and livestock producers in Manitoba.