The Centre for WTO Studies, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, organized the ‘Regional Trade Remedies Workshop for Asian Investigating Authorities’ from 5 to 7 March, 2018 in partnership with the WTO Secretariat in New Delhi. The workshop was inaugurated by Ms. Rita Teotia, Commerce Secretary, Government of India. The inaugural session was also attended by Prof. Manoj Pant, Director, IIFT; Mr. Sunil Kumar, Additional Secretary and Designated Authority, DGAD and Mr. Jesse Kreier, Senior Counsellor, Rules Division, WTO.

The workshop brought together investigating authorities from various WTO Member States, to share their country practices as regards the imposition of countervailing duties and safeguard measures. The objective of the Workshop was to assist Asian developing Members' investigating authorities to further develop their technical capacity to conduct countervailing and safeguards investigations in a fair and efficient manner, in conformity with WTO rules. Some key issues addressed during the workshop under Countervailing Measures section were, inter alia, (i) Challenges for new users of CV measures, (ii) Financial contribution, including state attribution and duty tax exemptions; (iii) Specificity; (iv) Benchmarks; and (v) Allocation. Under the Safeguards section the issues discussed were: (i) Investigation process, (ii) Unforeseen developments & effect of WTO obligations; (iii) Increased imports, serious injury and causation; (iv) Measures; and (v) Notifications, consultations, compensation and suspension.

The workshop was attended by the officials from the investigating authorities of fifteen WTO Member States; namely, Australia, Brazil, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the EU, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, USA and Viet Nam.

The workshop was conducted by the officials from the WTO Secretariat; namely, Mr. Jesse Kreier, Ms. Clarisse Morgan, Mr. Seref Coskun and Mr. Hiromi Yano.

The workshop also benefited from the contributions made by officials from the DGAD, India’s investigating authority & DG Safeguards. Other attendees of the workshop included trade law experts and academicians, as well as practitioners from prominent Indian law firms.

For details about the programme schedule, please click here.

To download the presentations made at the conference, please click here.

To view the gallery, please click here.