The following is excerpted from a December 9, 2011 press release from the World Customs Organization.

The WCO and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance signed a Grant Agreement to support the Organization’s modernization and capacity building activities.

On November 24-25, 2011 in Guangzhou, China, the World Customs Organization (WCO) co-hosted with the General Administration of China Customs, a World Customs and Trade Forum focused on harnessing knowledge as a means to improve public-private sector collaboration in modernization of the international trade supply chain.

Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his report on the Doha Round to the General Council on 30 November 2011, said that he sensed in his consultations with members “convergence emerging around the idea that members advance negotiations in areas where progress can be achieved, in line with our existing provisions that allow members to reach agreements based on consensus earlier than the full conclusion of the single undertaking”.

The sixth review of the trade policies and practices of Thailand takes place on 28 and 30 November 2011. The basis for the review is a report by the WTO Secretariat and a report by the Government of Thailand.

The WTO launched on 18 November 2011 a new discussion forum devoted to next year’s World Trade Report. The theme of the report is “Looking beyond international cooperation on tariffs”.

The following is excerpted from a 21 November 2011 news release by the World Trade Organization.

The WTO, on 18 November 2011, issued the report of the panel that had examined complaints by Canada and Mexico, respectively, regarding “United States — Certain Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) Requirements (DS384 and DS386).

The following is excerpted from a 14 November 2011 news release by the World Customs Organization.

The World Customs Organization (WCO) welcomes the outcomes of the 2011 APEC Leaders’ Meeting and Ministerial Meeting that took place last week in Honolulu, United States.

The following is excerpted from an 11 November 2011 news release by the World Trade Organization.

At its meeting on 11 November 2011, at the US and Mexico’s request, the DSB agreed to extend the deadline for the adoption or appeal of the panel report in the Tuna case between both parties.

This release is available in its entirety at: