|
Basis Building for Agricultural Modalities Postponed: Talks to Resume in September
On July 28, the World Trade Organization convened a meeting of the Trade Negotiation Committee to take stocks of the new round of mulilateral trade talks. In that meeting, Agricultural negotiating committee chairman Tim Groser presented a report to member countries that summarized the state of progress of negotiation, and sought countries to move closer to each other reminding that agricultural exporters and importers are at adds on the degree of flexibility to be given to member countries in connection with a formula of tariff reduction.
The report was drafted by the agriculture chairman so it could serve as a stepping stone for negotiations which are to resume in September. But he commented that the agriculture talks as a whole were "stalled" in reality.
He pointed out that tariff reduction and other issues of the market access were "the most difficult (among three areas including export subsidy), the most complicated, and needed more time to discuss" for reaching an agreement. He analysed the positions of exporting and importing countries and said that while the former insisted there should not be an unlimited flexibility allowed, the latter could not have proceeded ahead for further talks without assurance of flexibility.
Based on that analysis, he called on member countries to come closer together to "arrive at an early solution on the skelton of market access issues," urging a political decision with December Hong Kong ministerial council meeting in sight at which time modalities for detailed negotiations are to be agreed upon.
The WTO's general council met on next day, July 29, to confirm that basic text drafting for agriculture modalities had to be postponed.
[Top of Page]
|
