Archive - 2006

Links to three new collective requests.

A link to a letter from the U.S. textile industry calling for a sectoral on textiles under the NAMA negotiations. The proposal is for the complete elimination of tariffs in the textile sector. It was sent to the Chair of the NAMA negotiations in advance of last week's NAMA negotiations. Industry groups from Europe and the U.S. made presentations to WTO members to establish a sectoral on textiles. (Some are in favour of zero tariffs and others in favour of lesser tariff cuts). Apparently the EU convened the meeting as a way to intensify differences between developing countries (between those that currently receive preferences on textiles and those who don't).

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.

The chairman of the World Trade Organization's negotiating group on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) warned March 7 that the window of opportunity was rapidly closing for a deal in the sector which would allow the Doha Round to be completed by the end of 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).