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THE CANADIAN CONNECTION IN RUSSIA'S WTO BID
Phil Rourke contributes to Embassy Magazine. By Phil Rourke Executive Director, CTPL
In December in Geneva, Russia cleared the last official hurdle to becoming the 154th member of the World Trade Organization. With the stroke of a pen, the global economy became more integrated and the WTO truly "world" in scope.
MONITOR: CANADA-EU TRADE NEGOTIATIONS
Almost ten years after initial discussions, Canada and the European Union launched negotiations towards a comprehensive trade agreement in May, 2009. The elimination of barriers to trade in services and investment and duty-free access to industrial products of each other’s markets is expected to boost trade flows between Canada and the European Union. Canadian and EU officials have proposed a broad and ambitious negotiating agenda, which includes: trade in goods and services; investment; government procurement; regulatory cooperation; intellectual property; temporary entry of business persons; competition policy and other related matters; labour; and environment. The Canada-EU talks are particulary unique due to the presence of the Canadian provinces at the table, which is unprecedented for Canada in any previous international trade negotiations.