ID :
14520
Fri, 08/01/2008 - 07:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/14520
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India ready to return to WTO talks; blames US for impasse
New Delhi, July 31 (PTI) Squarely blaming the US for collapse of the WTO talks in Geneva early this week, India Thursday said it can return to negotiations but will notcompromise on protection to farmers in an open market.
"I told the WTO Director General that India is ready to be on the table without compromising on issues which concern poor farmers of not only India but 100 other developing countries," Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath said here on hisreturn from the WTO headquarters.
Describing the failure of the marathon talks between 30 trade ministers as a "serious setback to the developing countries," Nath said the US created the deadlock on an issuewhich was not trade but related to livelihood of farmers.
"The US thought it fit to create an impasse on a safeguard mechanism...not on commercial interest but livelihood," he said, adding "I can negotiate commerce but Icannot negotiate livelihood security".
Nath said he had spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh couple of times from Geneva. "Before leaving for the talks, I had a mandate which did not change," he said. He was not awarewhether US President George Bush spoke to Singh on the issue.
The mini-Ministerial Meeting broke down on July 29 after nine days when the US refused to agree to proposals from India and China that they should be allowed to impose extra 25 percent duties, if imports are up 15 per cent on farmproducts.
The US said, the trigger for extra duty should be given only after imports surge by 40 percent over the average of the preceding three years. "By the time we have 40 percent surge in imports our farmers would have committed suicides," Nathsaid adding "this trigger was not acceptable".
Asked why Brazil, an important member of G-20 did not help India on the issue of safeguards, Nath said, "The G-20 had diverse interests but the alliance is very much in tact." Nath blamed the rise in global food prices on the lack of investment in agriculture in the developing countries which in turn have suffered because of heavy subsidies in the richnations.
"The US wants not only to retain its subsidy but wants the right to double the same," the Commerce and Industryminister said.
Asked about the US offer to cut subsidies by 70 percent to 15 billion dollar, Nath said it has other 50 billion dollarsubsidy which it arbitrarily calls it non-trade distorting.
On the issues of special safeguard mechanism, the deal breaker, India had a support of more than 100 developing and the least developed countries. This included G-33 (with a membership of 46), the African group (53) and theAfrican-Caribbean-Pacific Group (A.C.P.).
A joint statement of G-33, African Group, A.C.P. and small and vulnerable economies said that the global food crisis have "lent added urgency to the call of developing countries for effective safeguards in the WTO negotiations fortrade liberalisation...
"These safeguards are the core of development outcome of the Round, as they involve the concerns of food security, livelihood security and rural development in developing countries." Nath said there were several other issues like cotton, tropical products, preference erosion on which discussionswere not held.
The developed countries also wanted the developing countries to agree to a restrictive anti-concentration clauseand to take part in the industrial goods area, he added.
"I told the WTO Director General that India is ready to be on the table without compromising on issues which concern poor farmers of not only India but 100 other developing countries," Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath said here on hisreturn from the WTO headquarters.
Describing the failure of the marathon talks between 30 trade ministers as a "serious setback to the developing countries," Nath said the US created the deadlock on an issuewhich was not trade but related to livelihood of farmers.
"The US thought it fit to create an impasse on a safeguard mechanism...not on commercial interest but livelihood," he said, adding "I can negotiate commerce but Icannot negotiate livelihood security".
Nath said he had spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh couple of times from Geneva. "Before leaving for the talks, I had a mandate which did not change," he said. He was not awarewhether US President George Bush spoke to Singh on the issue.
The mini-Ministerial Meeting broke down on July 29 after nine days when the US refused to agree to proposals from India and China that they should be allowed to impose extra 25 percent duties, if imports are up 15 per cent on farmproducts.
The US said, the trigger for extra duty should be given only after imports surge by 40 percent over the average of the preceding three years. "By the time we have 40 percent surge in imports our farmers would have committed suicides," Nathsaid adding "this trigger was not acceptable".
Asked why Brazil, an important member of G-20 did not help India on the issue of safeguards, Nath said, "The G-20 had diverse interests but the alliance is very much in tact." Nath blamed the rise in global food prices on the lack of investment in agriculture in the developing countries which in turn have suffered because of heavy subsidies in the richnations.
"The US wants not only to retain its subsidy but wants the right to double the same," the Commerce and Industryminister said.
Asked about the US offer to cut subsidies by 70 percent to 15 billion dollar, Nath said it has other 50 billion dollarsubsidy which it arbitrarily calls it non-trade distorting.
On the issues of special safeguard mechanism, the deal breaker, India had a support of more than 100 developing and the least developed countries. This included G-33 (with a membership of 46), the African group (53) and theAfrican-Caribbean-Pacific Group (A.C.P.).
A joint statement of G-33, African Group, A.C.P. and small and vulnerable economies said that the global food crisis have "lent added urgency to the call of developing countries for effective safeguards in the WTO negotiations fortrade liberalisation...
"These safeguards are the core of development outcome of the Round, as they involve the concerns of food security, livelihood security and rural development in developing countries." Nath said there were several other issues like cotton, tropical products, preference erosion on which discussionswere not held.
The developed countries also wanted the developing countries to agree to a restrictive anti-concentration clauseand to take part in the industrial goods area, he added.
