GLOBAL SUBSIDIES INITIATIVE

Brazil has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to authorize up to US$ 4 billion in sanctions against the United States in retaliation for U.S. cotton subsidies which it claims have hurt the Brazilian cotton industry.

The request came in August of this year, when Brazil asked the WTO to restart consultations over how much and what sort of sanctions it could apply in retaliation against U.S. subsidies found to be illegal by the WTO.

Governments in Europe launched websites in September that reveal the recipients of certain European agricultural subsidies, as part of new regulations for disclosing the recipients of EU funds. However, a group that champions better transparency in EU farm subsidies has drawn attention to several deficiencies in the requirements.

The United States House of Representative narrowly passed legislation last month that would increase incentives for renewable energy production, while removing tax breaks for the so-called ‘Big Five’ oil companies, as well as firms controlled by foreign governments such as Citgo (Venezuela).