A meeting of the Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Trade in Goods was held on November 30 – December 1, 2023.
During the event, Russian representatives criticized the EU’s protectionist policy, implemented under the pretext of combating climate change. Measures within the framework of the European “green” course, including the border carbon correction mechanism, deforestation regulations, chemical strategy, technical regulations on batteries and packaging, not only do not comply with WTO rules, but also lead to distortion of traditional commodity flows, disruption of supply chains, and welfare reduction, especially in developing and least developed countries. “Brussels neglects attempts to find a common solution to existing climate challenges, preferring the implementation of its own unilateral agenda, the creation of “narrow” clubs of “friends” of the climate, which ultimately leads to fragmentation and destruction of the multilateral trading system,” Russian representatives noted during the meeting.
The non-compliance of EU measures with WTO requirements was also noted by China, Indonesia, Brazil, India, Turkey, Paraguay, Uruguay, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Argentina, the USA, South Africa.
Under the agenda item on the illegitimate unilateral restrictions of the collective West against Russia, the destructive impact of such measures on the multilateral trading system and world trade, supply chains, and world food security was noted, and Russia’s role in supporting developing countries, which, despite all the restrictive measures imposed against it, continues to supply the Global South with food, was emphasized. and fertilizer, including free of charge.
