World Trade Organization members of the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology elected Lithuania's Raimondas Alisauskas the 2024 chair of the group and granted the World Intellectual Property Organization "observer status," the WTO announced.

The World Trade Organization's published agenda for the Dispute Settlement Body's May 24 meeting includes U.S. status reports on the implementation of DSB recommendations on: antidumping measures on certain hot-rolled steel products from Japan; antidumping and countervailing measures on large residential washers from South Korea; certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China; and Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act. Status reports also are expected from Indonesia on measures related to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products; from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products; and from China on AD measures on stainless steel products from Japan.

Mauritius formally accepted the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies May 13, moving the total number of countries that have accepted the deal to 75. The WTO requires 35 more to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for the agreement to be able to enter into effect.

Cambodia formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies May 6, moving the total number of countries that have accepted the deal to 73. The WTO requires 37 more to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for full acceptance of the agreement.

World Trade Organization members taking part in the Committee on Rules of Origin's April 29 meeting discussed ways to improve the "functioning of the committee" and use digital tools to "facilitate the work of delegates," the WTO said. Members discussed various measures to improve the committee, which included revamping the "rules of origin gateway page on the WTO website" by adding a guide for new delegates on the committee's work and an events page.

Australia, Japan and Singapore, the co-convenors of the e-commerce negotiations at the World Trade Organization, said during their April 22-25 talks that work will shift to the "final decision-making phase" during which members will focus on "domestic consultations and conduct political outreach to try to close the gaps on remaining issues," the WTO said.

The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body met on April 26 and was introduced to the new facilitator of the dispute settlement reform talks: Mauritius's Usha Dwarka-Canabady, the WTO announced. The chair of the DSB, Norway's Petter Olberg, said that Dwarka-Canabady accepted the role on April 18 after the "convenor" of the reform process left.

South Africa on April 24 requested dispute consultations with the EU at the World Trade Organization concerning the bloc's regime on imports of South African citrus fruit, the WTO announced.

Turkey's Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy, chair of the World Trade Organization's agriculture negotiations, said "fresh thinking" is needed to end the stagnation in current agriculture talks, the WTO said. Addressing the participating members of the ag negotiating body during the first meeting since the 13th Ministerial Conference, Acarsoy urged members not to ditch "past efforts" despite the disappointment felt after a deal was not struck at MC13.

A World Trade Organization dispute panel issued its report on Australia's dispute against Chinese antidumping and countervailing duties on Australian wine after the parties reached a mutually agreed solution to the case. Australia argued that China's AD/CVD violated numerous elements of both the Anti-Dumping Agreement and the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement. The parties told the dispute settlement body that they reached a settlement on March 29.