ID :
13303
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 11:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13303
The shortlink copeid
Trade powers begin make-or-break talks over WTO Doha Round deal
GENEVA, July 22 (Kyodo) - Ministers from major trading powers began their meeting on Monday in Geneva in an attempt to unlock the beleaguered Doha Round of negotiations for a global trade deal amid a combination of mounting hope and skepticism.
The meeting of 30-plus ministers, expected to run for about a week at the World Trade Organization's headquarters, is largely seen as the last chance in the foreseeable future to nail down a deal on a new trade framework, which is said to be capable of adding billions of dollars to the global economy and saving millions from poverty.
If they fail this time to strike an outline deal, the WTO's seven-year-old trade liberalization talks are expected to be put on ice for a couple of years partly because the United States will be unlikely to take any decisive action on trade issues soon after a change in its administration in January next year.
Ministers are aware that the latest meeting is an important crossroads of how well industrialized countries can cooperate with emerging economies such as Brazil, China and India, which have been remaking the world political order.
Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner, and other negotiators, both of rich and poorer countries, have warned that a failure this week in Geneva will not only have a great impact on the future of the world trade system.
They say it also risks capabilities of the international community to address other global challenges such as climate change and food security.
But as the marathon-like talks kicked off, key participants of rich and developing countries from the outset placed pressure on each other.
The meeting will test the stamina of ministers as differences between each country remain wide even at the time of their presence in Geneva.
U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and the European Union's Mandelson told reporters that developing countries, especially those of rising economic powers, should make more efforts to open up their markets.
''To have a meaningful outcome we have to secure meaningful market access...and that is particularly true when it comes to the interests of the developing countries,'' Schwab said at a news conference.
''We are willing to do our share,'' she said, adding that Washington is prepared to slash its ''trading-distorting'' farm subsidies -- one of the key agenda items at the meeting -- but without elaborating on to what extent.
Rich countries have been at loggerheads with poorer countries on how to bring down trade barriers in the key areas of agriculture and industrial goods since the round, officially called the Doha Development Agenda, was launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001.
Many WTO negotiators, including Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari, have told reporters they do not underestimate the complexity of issues yet to be sorted out in the negotiations.
''It goes without saying that it is impossible to give 100 percent satisfaction to every member since the diverse interests of members are entangled in a complicated way,'' Japanese officials quoted as Amari saying at the meeting.
Amari said, the meeting ''can only be successful if we can find a way where all members can share a good balance of happiness and unhappiness.''Toward conclusion of the round by the end of this year, they have to strike a deal at this meeting on complex formulas, or so-called modalities, that will serve as the basis for setting tariff cuts.
To put it simply, rich countries are asking for greater market ccess for industrial goods in emerging economies and urging them to make more contributions that reflect their growing strength.
Meanwhile, developing countries are calling on rich countries to lower tariffs on imports of agricultural products and cut their trade-distorting farm subsidies.
Ahead of the meeting, key developing country groups jointly released a statement saying that rich countries should pay more attention to the original objective of the round.
''The full integration of developing countries into the multilateral trading system will only be achieved if the WTO reflects their development needs and concerns,'' they said after holding a series of discussions over the weekend to enhance their coordination.
The meeting of 30-plus ministers, expected to run for about a week at the World Trade Organization's headquarters, is largely seen as the last chance in the foreseeable future to nail down a deal on a new trade framework, which is said to be capable of adding billions of dollars to the global economy and saving millions from poverty.
If they fail this time to strike an outline deal, the WTO's seven-year-old trade liberalization talks are expected to be put on ice for a couple of years partly because the United States will be unlikely to take any decisive action on trade issues soon after a change in its administration in January next year.
Ministers are aware that the latest meeting is an important crossroads of how well industrialized countries can cooperate with emerging economies such as Brazil, China and India, which have been remaking the world political order.
Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner, and other negotiators, both of rich and poorer countries, have warned that a failure this week in Geneva will not only have a great impact on the future of the world trade system.
They say it also risks capabilities of the international community to address other global challenges such as climate change and food security.
But as the marathon-like talks kicked off, key participants of rich and developing countries from the outset placed pressure on each other.
The meeting will test the stamina of ministers as differences between each country remain wide even at the time of their presence in Geneva.
U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and the European Union's Mandelson told reporters that developing countries, especially those of rising economic powers, should make more efforts to open up their markets.
''To have a meaningful outcome we have to secure meaningful market access...and that is particularly true when it comes to the interests of the developing countries,'' Schwab said at a news conference.
''We are willing to do our share,'' she said, adding that Washington is prepared to slash its ''trading-distorting'' farm subsidies -- one of the key agenda items at the meeting -- but without elaborating on to what extent.
Rich countries have been at loggerheads with poorer countries on how to bring down trade barriers in the key areas of agriculture and industrial goods since the round, officially called the Doha Development Agenda, was launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001.
Many WTO negotiators, including Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari, have told reporters they do not underestimate the complexity of issues yet to be sorted out in the negotiations.
''It goes without saying that it is impossible to give 100 percent satisfaction to every member since the diverse interests of members are entangled in a complicated way,'' Japanese officials quoted as Amari saying at the meeting.
Amari said, the meeting ''can only be successful if we can find a way where all members can share a good balance of happiness and unhappiness.''Toward conclusion of the round by the end of this year, they have to strike a deal at this meeting on complex formulas, or so-called modalities, that will serve as the basis for setting tariff cuts.
To put it simply, rich countries are asking for greater market ccess for industrial goods in emerging economies and urging them to make more contributions that reflect their growing strength.
Meanwhile, developing countries are calling on rich countries to lower tariffs on imports of agricultural products and cut their trade-distorting farm subsidies.
Ahead of the meeting, key developing country groups jointly released a statement saying that rich countries should pay more attention to the original objective of the round.
''The full integration of developing countries into the multilateral trading system will only be achieved if the WTO reflects their development needs and concerns,'' they said after holding a series of discussions over the weekend to enhance their coordination.
