Archive - 2005

Geneva Just how substantial a planned sixth ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization in Hong Kong December 13 to 18 can be has been called into question because of the inability of trade ministers to reach agreement on full modalities in the Doha Development Agenda agriculture and nonagricultural market access talks

Negotiations seemed to have been put 'on hold' at the World Trade Organisation as delegates in Geneva awaited the outcome of a Ministerial meeting in London Monday involving the US, EU, India and Brazil.

A Mini-Ministerial meeting was under way at the WTO this afternoon in an attempt by the Director-General Pascal Lamy to provide some political momentum to the faltering preparatory process for the Hong Kong Ministerial conference in mid-December.

Most members of Congress do not think much at all of the ongoing Doha Development Agenda of trade negotiations and when they hear that the United States is getting little of what it is demanding in agricultural and industrial products market access, they think even less of it

Trading nations still deeply divided on key issues faced the prospect of a watered-down WTO ministerial conference next month in Hong Kong, where they are hoping to put together a framework deal to lower global trade barriers.

Trade ministers appeared ready on Tuesday to discuss lowering expectations for a World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting next month because their differences are too wide.

European Union trade commissioner Peter Mandelson yesterday assured the EU Council of Ministers that he will not table a new proposal on agricultural market access at the 'quad'plus ministerial meeting as demanded by the United States

In a move to avoid the collapse of the mid-December Hong Kong World Trade Organization ministerial meeting... suggestions are being made to have a 'proper' ministerial summit next June

The five trade ministers from the United States, the European Union, India, Brazil and Japan who met here in an effort to reach a breakthrough in the stalled Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations practiced diplomatic 'brinkmanship' and restated 'inflexible' positions, but ended on a 'disappointing' note leaving attainment of the full modalities in agriculture and industrial goods trade for next month

India and Brazil warned that the success of struggling global trade talks hinges on rich nations taking account of the poor, as the EU called for more concessions from developing countries.