11733842
Description
Flashcards by Katie Best, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Katie Best
over 6 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| The World Trade Organisation - established 1995 - current membership 164 | key decision makers: - ministerial conference: meets bi-annually, ministers from every country, decides really big decisions like the adoption of a new treaty - general council: exists always, meets regularly, ambassadors from every country, has a variety of functions |
| general council as general council: - day to day decisions, slight amendments, new member states etc... - as dispute settlement body: oversee disputes between members - as trade review body: review all member state policy re: trade and economy, purpose is to see if they are adhering to rules | JOINING THE WTO - four stage process - single undertaking process (means that if you join you have to agree to rules as are) |
| DECISION MAKING IN THE WTO - consensus approach with majority voting when necessary - if one says no, not happening - proposals offered by issue specific committees for voting - very slow, frustrating processes, so on some important issues they use majority instead | there are also COALITIONS - these influence dynamics, 2 kinds - CONSENSUS COALITION: made up of members of totally different economies, try to develop consensus on certain issues, if they agree they can exert more power - BARGAINING COALITION: a means to have influence when previously couldn't, to have a stronger voice. Similar interests. So every country has one voice but can also join into factions! so democratic! |
| THE POLITICS OF AGRICULTURE: - stickiest area in WTO negotiations... - the "AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE" deals explicitly with agriculture - it covers market access, domestic support, subsides to agriculture... | SUBSIDIES: contentious area! why? - developing countries have comparative advantage with warmer climates, more grows, they rely on exporting - developing countries can't support their agri so much, less £, less subsidies - if developed countries are allowed to subsidise, then their goods will be way more competitive in international market - so developing countries lose out to heavy subsidising, against it - but the US/EU/CAN have massive interest groups that don't want subsidies to end... |
| The Agreement on Agriculture 1992 states... - a 21% reduction in export subsidies - and an agreement to reduce "overall" support for agricultural sector - sounds good? - needs to be strengthened | needs to be strengthened because... - there is still STRONG SUBSIDIES - the "agreement to reduce overall support" is sticky... - the US and EU *did* reduce overall support but they simply took it away from agri industries that would be fine, and moved it to other agri industries - they manage to work around agreements - the agreement did preserve the interests of developed countries |
| Global South already knew of damages of liberalising their agriculture - not the first time developing countries have been screwed over - NAFTA - Mexico: massive dependency on agriculture - Mexico agreed to liberalise trade and agriculture in certain industries *without* negotiating US farming subsidies - Mexico lost money, mostly felt by corn farmers | - the issue of DUMPING was also at play - dumping: exporting surplus goods at prices below what they cost to produce - farmers can "dump" because subsidies offset their costs - Mexican producers then get outcompeted - also have to lower prices to compete with foreign imports |
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