Archive

March 8th, 2006

No Narrowing of Differences on NAMA

7 March, 2006
Senior trade officials of an 11 country group yesterday failed to narrow their differences on how to achieve 'ambitious' market access opportunities in the Doha Development Agenda industrials negotiations a result that could place this weekend's London trade ministerial summit in jeopardy, WTD was told.

A 'Small Window' for NAMA Modalities

7 March, 2006
Doha Development Agenda nonagricultural market access negotiations chairman Don Stephenson yesterday said members have only a 'small window' for reaching agreement by the end of April on what he called core elements of an agreement a formula, treatment of unbound tariffs and 'paragraph eight' flexibilities for developing countries.

A Critical London Meeting

7 March, 2006
US Trade Representative Rob Portman and visiting Australian Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile agreed yesterday that Saturday's Group-of-Six ministerial meeting in London will be crucial to the timely outcome of the Doha Development Agenda (WTD, 3/7/06).

March 7th

WIPO: Slow discussions on categorising Development Agenda issues

6 March, 2006
The WIPO meeting on a Development Agenda was moving slowly towards how to categorise the many proposals presented by members, so that further discussion can be held on how to treat these proposals.

WIPO: Development meeting ends with 111 proposals in 6 clusters

6 March, 2006
The WIPO meeting on a Development Agenda ended on 24 February evening with an agreement that the next session would discuss six major themes with a total of 111 proposals that have been identified for a Development Agenda for WIPO.

Plurilateral services requests made at WTO in 14 or more sectors

6 March, 2006
Several collective requests were made on 28 February to selected countries to take part in plurilateral sectoral meetings under the WTO's services negotiations. More requests are expected to be made in the next few days.

Plurilateral requests aim at maximum opening of South's services

6 March, 2006
The plurilateral services negotiations that were launched at the WTO on 28 February by the major developed countries (joined by a handful of developing members) are clearly aimed at creating a new negotiating method to more effectively pressurize some emerging developing economies to open up many of their key services sectors to competition from the large multinational service enterprises.

The Simulation Results

6 March, 2006
Trade envoys from some major countries yesterday demanded the circulation of simulation exercise results based on the different tariff-reduction proposals in Doha Development Agenda market access negotiations for farm products and industrials, WTD has learned.

March 6th

Developing Country Voices: Rescuing the Development Agenda in the Doha Round Seminar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

5 March, 2006
Sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development

A Work Program for NAMA

5 March, 2006
Doha Development Agenda market access for industrials Chairman Don Stephenson on Friday issued a detailed work program to accelerate talks on the most difficult issues a formula for cutting tariffs, the treatment of unbound tariffs and flexibilities for developing countries (see related report this issue).