The convenors of e-commerce negotiations at the World Trade Organization -- Australia, Japan and Singapore -- are hoping the talks can conclude in early 2024, the WTO said. Unveiling a negotiating road map during a recent meeting, the three countries said the remaining few weeks of 2023 will focus "on bridging the gaps on outstanding issues, such as e-payments, telecommunications and information and communication technology products that use cryptography." Participants in the talks have now "parked" the negotiating text on privacy, the WTO added, raising the number of "parked," or temporarily concluded, topics to 13. Remaining topics include the "scope, exceptions and legal architecture of the future agreement."

The World Trade Organization and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on Dec. 1 agreed to increase cooperation on various issues related to food and agricultural trade and climate change, the WTO announced. Heads of both organizations -- WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and FAO Director-General Qu Dognyu -- signed a "framework memorandum of understanding" at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) to "facilitate the organizations' close cooperation in these areas."

South Africa recently submitted paperwork at the World Trade Organization saying it wishes to end the moratorium on charging tariffs on electronic transmissions, arguing that it provides global tech firms with a "distinct unfair tax advantage over local competitors in developing countries," and also deprives countries where those purchases are made of corporate tax revenue. South Africa said the international taxation being considered for tech giants is a useful step, but "will not result in developing countries individually benefiting to any material extent and does not resolve the fundamental problem generated primarily by the lack of digital tariffs which can enable more sustainable promotion of investment in developing countries."

World Trade Organization members taking part in the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform negotiations Nov. 24 discussed a prospective work plan, an updated ministerial statement and a set of tangible options to "advance fossil fuel subsidy reform" at the 13th Ministerial Conference in February, the WTO said.

World Trade Organization members showed support for suggestions on how to boost the work of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements during the Nov. 20, 21 and 27 committee meetings, the WTO said. While members showed mixed views on "scheduling thematic sessions about RTAs," the countries did acknowledge that the sessions can be held in informal meetings or by placing the topics on the committee's agenda. Members also supported "procedural improvements implemented by the Secretariat," including putting the work program online and providing a draft summary of a factual presentation per request.

The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body on Nov. 27 agreed to Indonesia's request to set up a dispute panel to review the EU's countervailing duties on biodiesel from Indonesia, the WTO announced. The EU said it believes its duties "are fully justified, adding that it is confident its measures will be declared in line with WTO law," the WTO said. The U.S., the U.K., Norway, Russia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, Canada, Argentina and Turkey reserved their third party rights to take part in the panel proceedings.

Members of the World Trade Organization's Work Program of the MC12 Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Declaration agreed to finalize the factual summary of the report detailing findings of the work program ahead of the 13th Ministerial Conference in February, the WTO announced Nov. 17. During the Nov. 15-17 meeting of the SPS Committee, members "agreed to continue efforts to build consensus on the report to be presented" at MC13.

Uzbekistan has ramped up World Trade Organization accession process, the WTO announced. Since the last working party meeting, which took place in March, Uzbekistan "has sustained its technical engagement" on both the bilateral and multilateral fronts, submitted a host of updated documents for the next working party meeting, and "introduced a number of critical policy and institutional measures" to ramp up talks, South Korea's Ambassador Yun Seong-deok, who chairs the working party, said. Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev laid out various institutional changes to move the negotiations forward, including "the establishment of a special department in the Ministry of Justice for ensuring compliance with WTO rules and the creation of WTO divisions in 20 ministries and agencies."

The World Trade Organization's Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft on Nov. 17 agreed to Brazil's terms of accession to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, the WTO announced. Brazil will submit the agreement along with its commitments to the nation's National Congress for approval. Brazil originally submitted its application to accede to the deal in June 2022. Marcio Elias Rosa, Brazil's deputy minister and executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, highlighted Brazil's "unwavering commitment to the principles of the WTO and the enhancement of international supply chain," WTO said.

Dispute settlement understanding talks among World Trade Organization members has been very "intense," though the large issues remain unresolved, Maria Pagan, deputy U.S. trade representative and chief of mission in the Geneva office, said Nov. 20. Speaking at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference, Pagan said discussions started by acknowledging the different parties' interests as opposed to putting text on the table and hashing out the deal.