Archive - 2006 - Article

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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.

Global civil society should not be lulled into complacency by gloomy media reports about the deadlock in the Doha Round negotiations.

Several WTO members submitted draft texts last week to the Chair of the Negotiating Group on NAMA for his preparation of the draft modalities paper, which is to be issued this week. Among them were the NAMA-11 and the small and vulnerable economies.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

On June 7, 2006, against the backdrop of the nation's capitol, prominent Korean leaders representing farmers, trade unions, and peasants addressed a packed balcony of press and congressional staffers, voicing their opposition to the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).