GENEVA, July 22 (Reuters) – Global foreign direct investment
(FDI) flows will steady this year and rise further in 2011-12 as
cross-border mergers by multinational companies pick up on
growing business confidence, a United Nations agency said.

FDI, on which many developing countries rely to finance
their economies, will rise to $1.3-1.5 trillion in 2011 and
towards $1.6-2.0 trillion in 2012 from $1.2 trillion this year,
the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said.

GENEVA, July 21 (Reuters) – The European Union said it will
appeal on Wednesday against a World Trade Organization ruling
condemning its subsidies for Airbus (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), prolonging a
dispute with the United States for at least several more months.

An EU source close to the case said Brussels would hand in
its appeal shortly before a special session of the WTO’s dispute
settlement body.

GENEVA, July 16 (Reuters) – Trade is moving back up the U.S.
political agenda and there is scope to reach a deal next year in
the long-running Doha round and other stalled trade
negotiations, industry lobbyists said on Friday.

But to get the backing of business, a Doha agreement must be
more ambitious than what is currently on the table, said
Christopher Wenk, senior director for international policy at
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

GENEVA (Reuters) – Trading powers are putting forward news ideas on breaking down barriers to global commerce, indicating progress is possible in a key area of world trade negotiations, the diplomat chairing the talks said on Thursday.

Both developed and developing countries took part in a week of meetings on non-tariff barriers — obstacles to exports and imports besides import duties, said Luzius Wasescha, Switzerland’s ambassador to the World Trade Organisation.

GENEVA (Reuters) – Offshoring and outsourcing in services from call centres to accountancy and medicine have created good jobs in terms of pay and working hours in developing countries, according to a study published on Monday.

But the International Labour Organization (ILO) study found that improved work practices in the outsourcing industry could reduce excessive rates of staff turnover.