MNI POLICY: WTO Talks Stalled Amid Pandemic: China Envoy

By Ryan Hauser

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - China's WTO ambassador said the group is losing momentum

on negotiations amid a lack of leadership and meetings hobbled due to Covid-19.

     Ambassador Zhang Xiangchen said Tuesday that while the WTO continues to

meet via teleconference, in-person talks have stopped in Geneva. Before the

pandemic, there was momentum toward resolving negotiations on fisheries

subsidies, but going forward it is "not possible to continue substantial

negotiations."

     He pointed to an April 23 WTO report that showed 72 member countries had

recently introduced new export restrictions while only 39 had notified the WTO

of these changes.

     The WTO is focusing its response to the pandemic on ensuring the flow of

medical supply chains, policy transparency, and the robustness in global supply

chains, Zhang said. Recent U.S. legislative proposals to withdraw from the WTO

and repatriate supply chains are inefficient and impossible, he said.

--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 202 371 2121; email: ryan.hauser@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$E$$$,M$Q$$$,M$U$$$,MC$$$$,MI$$$$,MGQ$$$,MGU$$$]