Roseau, Dominica – September 25, 2009……. A workshop on the use of export subsidies in international trade and their compliance with World Trade Organisation (WTO) requirements will take place in Dominica from September 28 – October 1, 2009.
The workshop is being organised by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Consumer and Diaspora Affairs in collaboration with officials from the World Trade Organisation and the CARICOM Secretariat.
The purpose of the workshop is to discuss the relevant WTO rules on international trade, notably as they pertain to the General Council Decision of July 31, 2007 on export subsidies. The General Council is the highest decision making body within the WTO.
The workshop will involve a combination of plenary sessions and individual meetings with representatives of the participating CARICOM countries.
Matters to be discussed during the four (4) day workshop include but are not limited to:
- Definition of a subsidy;
- Rationale for the prohibition on export subsidies;
- Options for bringing export subsidy programmes into conformity with the WTO agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM).
The workshop, which takes place at the Fort Young Hotel in Roseau, begins with an opening ceremony on Monday, September 28th 2009 beginning at 8.30am.
Representatives from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Consumer and Diaspora Affairs, the WTO and CARICOM will address the opening ceremony.
Stakeholders expected to participate in this activity include: officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Consumer and Diaspora Affairs, including the Dominica Export and Import Agency; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Ministry of Finance and Social Security including the Customs and Excise Division; Ministry of Tourism and Legal Affairs including Discover Dominica Authority; Bureau of Standards and the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC).
