WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy released a report Monday, covering the period since Nov. 1, 2009, that said there appears to be an increasing trend in the use of export restrictions affecting mainly food products and raw materials. According to the report the most frequent measures used in this area include increases of export duties, export prohibitions, and export quotas; also the increase in export restrictions seems to be happening worldwide.
In the report the Director-General advises that given the current economic environment and the risks ahead, governments should remain vigilant to preserve the level of trade openness and act to remove the most trade restrictive measures taken over previous periods.
"Governments have largely resisted resorting to trade barriers," Lamy said. "It is important that all governments continue to actively participate in the trade monitoring exercise, which is of general systemic value to the multilateral trading system."
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