Archive - Jun 2006

Following the failure of the WTO to finalise modalities for agriculture and non-agriculture market access (NAMA) at the scheduled deadline of the end of April, the WTO's Director-General Mr. Pascal Lamy warned that the price of 'failure' would be high. A new deadline of the end of June has now been set, for a mini-Ministerial meeting to finalise the modalities.

In the lead-up to next week

The

Several developing countries have argued that they should not be obliged to undertake significant tariff reductions in agriculture, and advocated that the rates of cuts in the formula should be lower than those proposed by the Group of 20.

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath has said he will walk out of World Trade Organisation talks early as members failed to reach agreement.

By the end of next week, the world is likely to know whether the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations

World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy on Friday suggested a new game plan for concluding Doha Development Agenda negotiating modalities in agriculture and industrials by the end of the month, with concluding ministerial 'green room' sessions beginning June 29

A senior US farm trade official on Friday restated Washington's negotiating policy for an 'ambitious' outcome to the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, arguing that the G-20 framework falls well short of US expectations especially relating to the formula tariff-cutting thresholds for developing countries.

A comprehensive proposal to establish modalities on commodity issues as part of the WTO's agriculture modalities under the Doha Work Programme has been submitted to the WTO by the Africa Group.

The June 7 proposal by the African Group (an alliance of 41 African countries) to the WTO on managing trade in agricultural commodities is a refreshing way forward for addressing poverty and improving living standards in rural areas in the context of the Doha Agenda.