The World Trade Organization General Council on March 22 reached consensus on chairpersons for 2024. The new chairs include Norway's Petter Olberg for the General Council, Saudi Arabia's Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel for the dispute settlement body and Chile's Sofia Boza Martinez for the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, among others. The WTO noted that talks on a candidate for the chair of the Committee on Trade in Services will continue under Olberg's care, "with the aim of filling the vacancy as rapidly as possible."

India and the U.S. told the World Trade Organization that they reached a solution in the U.S. dispute on India's tariff measures on certain agricultural products, the WTO announced. India and the U.S. resolved six other disputes last year (see 2306230038), the WTO noted.

Parties to the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement at the World Trade Organization held a meeting March 19, where they reaffirmed their goal of incorporating the deal into the WTO framework "as a most-favoured-nation-based plurilateral agreement open to all members," the WTO said. In addition, Burkina Faso announced that it supports adding the deal to the WTO framework, becoming the 125th member to do so.

Russia accepted the World Trade Organization's agreement on fisheries subsidies, the WTO announced this week. Seventy-two members have accepted the deal, which is 38 shy of the two-thirds mark needed for full adoption.

Australia, Japan and Singapore believe a second version of a text on e-commerce reforms "could pave the way for the conclusion of the agreement by the summer," the World Trade Organization said in a press release last week.

The U.S. told the World Trade Organization's Committee on Safeguards about the start of its safeguard investigation on fine denier polyester staple fiber, the WTO announced this week. The U.S. opened the investigation on Feb. 28, telling parties that wish to participate to file an entry of appearance with the secretary to the International Trade Commission no later "than 21 days after publication of the notice of institution in the Federal Register."

South Africa launched a safeguard investigation on flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel or other alloy steel, the country told the World Trade Organization's committee on safeguards on Feb. 29. South Africa said interested parties must make their submissions within a 20-day period after the start of the investigation on Feb. 23.

World Trade Organization members at the body's 13th Ministerial Conference decided to extend the moratorium on e-commerce duties until MC14 or March 31, 2026, whichever comes first, the WTO announced at the conclusion of the ministerial. They also agreed to conduct "period reviews on the E-commerce Work Programme" with the goal of "presenting recommendations for action to the Ministerial Conference."

The World Trade Organization extended the 13th Ministerial Conference by one day to "facilitate outcomes," the WTO announced. The conference, which was set to end Feb. 29, was extended to March 1 following consultations by WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, MC13 Chair Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and minister facilitators.

Forty-eight World Trade Organization members adopted a "comprehensive plan" at the 13th Ministerial Conference to try to phase out or eliminate harmful fossil fuel subsidies, the WTO announced Feb. 27. The members, including countries in South America, Europe and the Pacific Islands, hope to make progress on the effort this year and next ahead of the next ministerial conference, the WTO said. The effort, called the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform initiative, aims to boost transparency surrounding fossil fuel subsidies, "tackle crisis support measures," and identify key fossil fuel subsidy types and different ways to "reform, reduce and eliminate them."