?Asymmetry? in Doha Reports

Geneva With submission of "situational" reports to the World Trade Organization Trade Negotiations Committee on the various negotiations in the Doha Development Agenda now submitted, the stage is set for a showdown among members in advance of a December 13 to 18 trade ministerial meeting, WTD has learned (WTD, 11/24/05).

TNC Chairman Pascal Lamy who a day earlier attended an African Union trade ministers meeting in Arusha is expected to submit a composite draft for the Hong Kong ministerial meeting either today or tomorrow.

But before work on the final composite draft can begin, perceived asymmetry in the revised drafts submitted by the agriculture and nonagricultural market access reports are expected to cause more rifts among members, trade diplomats said. While the agriculture report put together by chairman Crawford Falconer reflected members