United States Mission Geneva

The United States warmly welcomes the delegation of El Salvador, led by Vice Minister of Economy Doctor Mario Roger Hernández and including Ambassador Francisco Lima Mena, to the third Trade Policy Review of El Salvador. We would first like to recognize the excellent work of the Secretariat and the Government of El Salvador in compiling the reports before us.

The United States is pleased to greet the delegation of Malaysia and Secretary General Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Mamat of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, who is leading the delegation. We also welcome Ambassador Harun and Senior Director Jayasiri of MITI’s Multilateral Division. We appreciate the reports that were prepared for this TPR, both by the government of Malaysia and by the Secretariat. We are also grateful to Ambassador Sun of China for his thoughtful contribution as our discussant this morning.

UNITED STATES – SECTION 211 OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 1998: STATUS REPORT BY THE UNITED STATES – ANTI-DUMPING MEASURES ON CERTAIN HOT-ROLLED STEEL PRODUCTS FROM JAPAN – SECTION 110(5) OF THE US COPYRIGHT ACT: STATUS REPORT BY THE UNITED STATES -EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES – MEASURES AFFECTING THE APPROVAL AND MARKETING OF BIOTECH PRODUCTS – MEASURES RELATING TO ZEROING AND SUNSET REVIEWS

SECTION 211 OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 1998: STATUS REPORT BY THE UNITED STATES – UNITED STATES ANTI DUMPING MEASURES ON CERTAIN HOT ROLLED STEEL PRODUCTS FROM JAPAN – UNITED STATES SECTION 110(5) OF THE US COPYRIGHT ACT – EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES MEASURES AFFECTING THE APPROVAL AND MARKETING OF BIOTECH PRODUCTS – EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES REGIME FOR THE IMPORTATION, SALE AND DISTRIBUTION OF BANANAS – UNITED STATES LAWS, REGULATIONS AND METHODOLOGY FOR CALCULATING DUMPING MARGINS (”ZEROING”) – UNITED STATES MEASURES RELATING TO ZEROING AND SUNSET REVIEWS…

United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk arrived in Geneva, Switzerland November 29 for the 7th Session of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. While in Geneva, Kirk will meet multilaterally with trade ministers from America’s WTO partner economies, and will hold a number of meetings on the margins with key trading partners and blocs. The ministerial is not a formal negotiating session, but an opportunity to take stock of the global trading system and to discuss the importance of keeping markets open and beneficial trade flowing at this time of economic crisis.

The Seventh Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 30 to December 2, 2009. The general theme for discussion shall be “The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment”.

A. UNITED STATES – SECTION 211 OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 1998: STATUS REPORT BY THE UNITED STATES (WT/DS176/11/ADD.84)
• Mr. Chairman, the United States provided a status report in this dispute on November 6, 2009, in accordance with Article 21.6 of the DSU.

The United States welcomes Secretrary General Soumana and Minister Niang and their respective delegations to this, Niger’s and Senegal’s, second joint WTO Trade Policy Review. We appreciate the Secretariat’s thorough examination of both governments’ trade policy regimes. We also appreciate the detailed reports submitted by the governments of Niger and Senegal. We have developed some questions based on those reports, and we look forward to considering closely your governments’ responses.

Thank you, Chair. The United States is pleased to welcome the distinguished delegation from the SACU countries, led by Deputy Permanent Secretary Laletsang from Botswana, Principal Secretary Ramotsoari from Lesotho, Permanent Secretary Lindeque from Namibia, Chief Commissioner Tsengiwe from South Africa, and Principal Secretary Kunene from Swaziland to this review of the trade policies and practices of the Southern African Customs Union.