2021-12-14-世界贸易组织-2021年世界贸易组织年度监测报告（英）_89页_2mb

Summary of WTO Trade Monitoring Report on Trade-Related Developments (Mid-October 2020 to Mid-October 2021)

1. Global Trade Recovery and COVID-19 Impact

• World trade and GDP growth exceeded expectations in 2021, with merchandise trade increasing by 10.8% compared to 8.0% in 2020. However, growth slowed in 2022.
• Recovery was uneven: Asia saw strong gains, while regions like Africa and the Middle East lagged. COVID-19 measures, including export restrictions and trade facilitation programs, remained a key factor, with over 200 such measures in place mid-2021.
• Supply chain disruptions, port congestion, and semiconductor shortages weighed on trade, though vaccines and digital tools helped mitigate some impacts.

2. Trade Policy and Measures

• Regular trade measures: 660 measures were recorded, with import tariff reductions and customs procedure simplifications being the most common facilitators. Trade remedy actions (anti-dumping, countervailing) declined but remained a significant tool.
• COVID-19 related measures: 399 measures were implemented (66% facilitators, 34% restrictive). Export restrictions dominated restrictive measures, but many were repealed, reducing the trade coverage of COVID-19 measures.
• Stockpile of non-COVID-19 import restrictions reached USD 1.5 trillion, affecting 8.7% of global trade.

3. Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)

• SPS Notifications: 2,054 regular and emergency SPS measures notified, with food safety being the primary objective. Digital tools, like e-certificates, increased transparency and facilitated trade.
• TBT Notifications: 2,378 new notifications submitted, mostly with health and safety objectives. The TBT Agreement encourages notifications of measures that may restrict trade.
• STCs (Specific Trade Concerns) were actively discussed in SPS and TBT Committees, demonstrating non-litigious dispute resolution.

4. Agriculture and Fisheries

• The Committee on Agriculture saw increased questions on notifications, particularly domestic support policies and export restrictions. Aquaculture and fisheries subsidies continued to be contentious issues.
• COVID-19 disrupted agricultural trade, with vaccination inequity affecting economic recovery and export dynamics in developing regions.

5. Intellectual Property (IP)

• Progress was made on streamlining IP procedures, with 133 Members bound by the TRIPS Agreement Amending Protocol. Bilateral and regional IP agreements expanded, incorporating digital technologies and e-commerce.
• COVID-19 spurred measures to expedite patent approvals for vaccines and treatments, with ongoing discussions on flexibilities under the TRIPS Agreement.

6. Transparency and Support Measures

• Compliance with notification obligations remained a challenge, with only about 60% of Members submitting timely notifications. Efforts to enhance transparency through tools like ePing and SPS/TBT electronic databases continued.
• General economic support measures (grants, loans, stimulus packages) surged during COVID-19, totaling over 300 additional measures by mid-2021, many temporary and targeted at specific sectors.

7. Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs)

• RTA activity increased, with 51 notifications recorded. Most RTAs addressed goods and services, incorporating provisions on digital trade, environmental sustainability, and labor.
• RTAs became more complex, including dispute settlement mechanisms and cross-cutting provisions like e-commerce and competition policies.

8. Conclusion

The period underscored the resilience of the multilateral trading system amid COVID-19 disruptions. While trade recovered faster than expected, challenges remained, including equitable vaccine distribution, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the need for sustained transparency. Fisheries subsidies, intellectual property, and e-commerce were key discussion points for future WTO negotiations.