Ghana formally accepted the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on July 2, bringing the number of countries that have accepted the deal to 103. The WTO needs eight more countries to accept to get to two-thirds of the membership, the threshold for the agreement to take effect.

The U.K. announced June 26 that it will join the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), which is an arbitral alternative to the World Trade Organization's defunct Appellate Body, according to the Department for Business and Trade. The U.K. said the move demonstrates the nation's "commitment to an effective rules-based international trading system."

The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body on June 23 agreed to establish dispute panels in China's case against Canada's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products and Canada's dispute against Chinese import duties on Canadian agricultural and fisheries products, the WTO announced.

The World Trade Organization's Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures agreed during its meeting June 17-19 to establish a new working group on improving the transparency of sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Timor-Leste on June 18 kicked off negotiations with World Trade Organization members to allow the country to join the Government Procurement Agreement 2012, the WTO announced. Timor-Leste joined the WTO less than a year ago and is the first least developed country to open accession talks to the procurement deal. Timor-Leste committed to submitting an "initial market access offer" in its procurement agreement accession talks in August. In addition to discussing Timor-Leste, members of the Committee on Government Procurement celebrated the launch of the e-GPA Notification System, which will facilitate signatories' compliance with their transparency obligations under the agreement, the WTO said.

The European Commission on June 19 decided to exclude Chinese companies from EU government purchases of medical devices exceeding $5.7 million following the first investigation under the EU's International Procurement Instrument. The decision allows no more than 50% of Chinese inputs for successful bids, the commission said. The EU said it will add exceptions "where no alternative suppliers exist."

Panama formally accepted the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on June 12, bringing the number of countries that have accepted the deal to 102. The WTO needs nine more countries to accept to get to two-thirds of the membership, the threshold for the agreement to take effect.

Joseph Barloon, who was a general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during Donald Trump's first term, told Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., that he believes in rules-based trade.

Nicaragua formally accepted the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on June 2, bringing the number of countries that have accepted the deal to 101. The WTO needs 10 more countries to accept to get to two-thirds of the membership, the threshold for the agreement to take effect.

Malawi formally accepted the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies on May 28, bringing the number of countries that have accepted the deal to 100. The WTO needs 11 more countries to accept to get to two-thirds of the membership, the threshold for the agreement to take effect.