ID :
13749
Fri, 07/25/2008 - 12:02
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https://oananews.org//node/13749
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Frustration arises amid difficulties to push WTO trade talks
GENEVA, July 25 Kyodo - Some members of the World Trade Organization started expressing frustration on Thursday over the way in which the current floundering trade talks are proceeding in Geneva, a WTO senior official said.
''I should report to you that a number of delegations, including ministers, took the floor and expressed some concerns and frustrations at the way this process is taking place, because of the small-group format,'' WTO chief spokesperson Keith Rockwell told reporters.
Since Wednesday afternoon, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy has been inviting only seven trading powers, including India, Japan and the United States, to sit around the table to discuss the main sticking points to work toward an outline deal in the Doha Round process.
The small-group meeting has been set up as trade and farm ministers from about 30 WTO members from developed and developing countries failed to achieve tangible progress following their two days of discussions from Monday.
About eight delegates, who attended a session of the Trade Negotiations Committee on Thursday morning, voiced frustration over the closed nature of the negotiation process, Rockwell said, although he declined to reveal which countries made the remarks.
The committee is open to representatives of all 153 WTO members. It has been held daily in tandem with the high-stakes minister meeting so that other WTO members can keep up with the latest situation.
The seven trading powers, also including Australia, China, India and the European Union, were slated to meet again Thursday afternoon after a strenuous meeting which ran for about 12 hours from Wednesday night until around 3 a.m. Thursday.
''All I can say is that there was progress, but not enough,'' Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told reporters after the meeting.
Nath, a key player for developing countries, said the current situation is ''not enough to have an agreement'' and the chance of striking a deal depends on whether they can make progress later in the day.
Peter Mandelson, EU trade chief, said, ''Some issues are near a solution. Other issues are better understood but there is some way to go before the gaps are bridged.''The seven assembled Wednesday afternoon behind closed doors and spent the whole night negotiating figures for tariff cuts and other complex formula aimed at achieving further trade liberalization in key agricultural and manufactured goods.
But they found no breakthrough following a series of multilateral and bilateral discussions within the small-group format.
Each of the seven trading powers was faced with tough choices to make, delegates said.
Japanese farm minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi said the negotiations are ''at a very critical moment'' when he spoke to reporters.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Japan has been under pressure to make a concession to lower the ratio of farm products to be exempted from substantial tariff cuts to 4 percent.
If realized, the percentage will be a major blow to Tokyo.
The latest text by the WTO for the farm negotiations states that 4 to 6 percent of all farm products will be exempted from substantial tariff cuts.
Japan had long argued that the so-called ''sensitive products'' including rice, sugar and wheat should account for more than 10 percent of the total farm products.
Wakabayashi said Sunday in Geneva, ''I don't think I can go back (to Japan) with 6 percent.''
''I should report to you that a number of delegations, including ministers, took the floor and expressed some concerns and frustrations at the way this process is taking place, because of the small-group format,'' WTO chief spokesperson Keith Rockwell told reporters.
Since Wednesday afternoon, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy has been inviting only seven trading powers, including India, Japan and the United States, to sit around the table to discuss the main sticking points to work toward an outline deal in the Doha Round process.
The small-group meeting has been set up as trade and farm ministers from about 30 WTO members from developed and developing countries failed to achieve tangible progress following their two days of discussions from Monday.
About eight delegates, who attended a session of the Trade Negotiations Committee on Thursday morning, voiced frustration over the closed nature of the negotiation process, Rockwell said, although he declined to reveal which countries made the remarks.
The committee is open to representatives of all 153 WTO members. It has been held daily in tandem with the high-stakes minister meeting so that other WTO members can keep up with the latest situation.
The seven trading powers, also including Australia, China, India and the European Union, were slated to meet again Thursday afternoon after a strenuous meeting which ran for about 12 hours from Wednesday night until around 3 a.m. Thursday.
''All I can say is that there was progress, but not enough,'' Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath told reporters after the meeting.
Nath, a key player for developing countries, said the current situation is ''not enough to have an agreement'' and the chance of striking a deal depends on whether they can make progress later in the day.
Peter Mandelson, EU trade chief, said, ''Some issues are near a solution. Other issues are better understood but there is some way to go before the gaps are bridged.''The seven assembled Wednesday afternoon behind closed doors and spent the whole night negotiating figures for tariff cuts and other complex formula aimed at achieving further trade liberalization in key agricultural and manufactured goods.
But they found no breakthrough following a series of multilateral and bilateral discussions within the small-group format.
Each of the seven trading powers was faced with tough choices to make, delegates said.
Japanese farm minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi said the negotiations are ''at a very critical moment'' when he spoke to reporters.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Japan has been under pressure to make a concession to lower the ratio of farm products to be exempted from substantial tariff cuts to 4 percent.
If realized, the percentage will be a major blow to Tokyo.
The latest text by the WTO for the farm negotiations states that 4 to 6 percent of all farm products will be exempted from substantial tariff cuts.
Japan had long argued that the so-called ''sensitive products'' including rice, sugar and wheat should account for more than 10 percent of the total farm products.
Wakabayashi said Sunday in Geneva, ''I don't think I can go back (to Japan) with 6 percent.''
