Sources: U.S. development proposal could harm WTO talks on fisheries, e-commerce

Heightened U.S. complaints about the development status of some World Trade Organization members could complicate ongoing negotiations over fisheries subsidies and plurilateral talks on e-commerce, according to Geneva sources. At a Feb. 28 General Council meeting, the U.S. tabled a proposal to define “developed” members as any that fall into four criteria. Those criteria would encompass dozens of members classified as “developing” and cut off their access to special and differential treatment in future negotiations. The U.S. proposal drew a...