Canada became the fifth World Trade Organization member to formally accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, the WTO announced. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala called the move a "further demonstration of Canada's strong commitment to ocean sustainability through the WTO's work on fisheries subsidies, as well as its commitment to the WTO system as a whole." She urged other WTO countries "to follow suit in activating this agreement that is so vital for protecting our oceans today and for generations to come." The agreement needs acceptance from two-thirds of WTO members for it to come into effect. The U.S., Switzerland, Singapore and Seychelles are the other nations that have accepted the deal.

The U.S. and South Korea reached a solution ending a dispute settlement case on the U.S. safeguard measure concerning imports of large residential washers, the World Trade Organization announced. South Korea said at the April 30 meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body that the U.S. brought its measure in line with the relevant WTO agreements. The U.S. claimed that while certain elements of the panel's findings were "disappointing and unbalanced," it allowed the report to be adopted, the WTO said.

The EU opened compliance proceedings against the U.S. stemming from its alleged "failure to comply with" the World Trade Organization ruling on its countervailing duties covering ripe olives from Spain, the EU's Directorate-General for Trade announced last week. The proceedings' first step involves a "request for consultations" at the WTO with the U.S. with the goal of "reaching a negotiated settlement." If this measure fails, the EU can request a compliance panel. If the panel confirms noncompliance, the EU will be allowed to take "further measures," the bloc said.

The World Trade Organization's Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises appointed Ambassador Matthew Wilson of Barbados its coordinator during an April 26 meeting, the WTO said. Also at this meeting, the working group discussed benefits of digitalization for small businesses, the role of intellectual property rights in facilitating access to financing for small businesses and how these companies grapple with sustainability standards, the WTO said.

The World Trade Organization's published agenda for the Dispute Settlement Body's April 28 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 are also expected from Indonesia on measures related to the import of horticultural products, animals and animal products, and from the EU on measures affecting the approval and marketing of biotech products.

Timor-Leste moved into the final stages of its accession to the World Trade Organization, with members last week welcoming the nation's "strong and sustained efforts" to join the global trade body by the 13th Ministerial Conference, the WTO said. Working Party on the Accession of Timor-Leste Chair Rui Macieira of Portugal noted Timor-Leste's progress since the last meeting, including the official submission of the country's draft Information Technology Agreement and ITA Expansion schedules of commitments to the ITA Committee and the ITA Expansion Group. MC13 will be held in February.

World Trade Organization members said during an April 20 discussion under the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce that there is a need for more exchanges on the topic of the e-commerce moratorium, the WTO said. The exchanges should center in particular on the moratorium's "definition, scope, and implications on developing countries." During the discussion, Indonesia presented its draft regulation with provisions on imposing customs duties on electronically transmitted digital goods. Mauritius' Ambassador Usha Dwarka-Canabady, facilitator of the work programme and the e-commerce moratorium, noted that a workshop on the relevant international organizations will run June 1-2, the WTO said, giving an opportunity for members to discuss the four thematic sessions conducted under the work programme so far covering the moratorium, the digital divide, consumer protection, and legal and regulatory frameworks.

Dispute panels at the World Trade Organization released panel reports April 17 in cases brought by the EU, Taiwan and Japan and dealing with India's tariff treatment on certain goods in the information and communications technology sector, the WTO announced. In all three cases, the dispute panels found India's duties violated its WTO tariff commitments under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and Article II of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

Japan and China agreed to enter into arbitration under the World Trade Organization's Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Agreement, an alternative to the Appellate Body, related to a spat over China's antidumping duties on stainless steel products from Japan. Submitting a notice of agreed procedures for arbitration, Japan and China said they will take to arbitration, given that there are less than three AB members.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai officially signed the instrument of acceptance of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies deal struck at the 12th Ministerial Conference. With the signing, the U.S. became the fourth WTO member, and first large fishing nation, to formally accept the deal. Two-thirds of WTO members must accept the deal for it to take effect.