APEC ministers vow to act on int'l rules after disasters

BIG SKY, Montana, May 20 Kyodo -
Trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum pledged Friday in Montana to follow international trade rules even in the aftermath of natural disasters, apparently responding to Japan's request for its trade partners to stop restricting Japanese imports based on unfounded rumors over their safety.
''We agree to refrain from taking WTO-inconsistent measures in the aftermath of recent natural disasters in the region, recognizing the importance of securing the prompt return of the smooth flow of goods, services, and people in the Asia-Pacific region,'' the ministers said in a chair's statement issued after their two-day meeting in a mountain resort in Montana.
The statement comes at a time when Japan is struggling to dispel rumors about radioactive contamination of food products amid the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Foreign State Secretary Chiaki Takahashi told reporters after the meeting, ''We made a request for a number of countries (not to restrict imports from Japan) and they all showed understanding.''
Takahashi quoted a Chinese delegate as telling him that Beijing will make a scientific judgment on the matter.
The trade ministers expressed solidarity with those who have been affected by a string of recent major natural disasters the Pacific Rim region, including the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
''Taking into account the fact that our region is particularly prone to natural disasters, we instruct officials to strengthen APEC's agenda on disaster preparedness and recovery,'' the statement said.
On the Doha Round of multilateral trade liberalization talks under the World Trade Organization, the APEC ministers issued a separate statement, expressing their ''collective deep concern'' over the perceived stalemate in the negotiations.
While stressing the importance of the multilateral trading system, the ministers said, ''We direct our negotiators to review urgently all options...to find a path forward.''
By using the wording ''all options'' in the statement, the ministers were apparently referring to the possibility of ditching the decade-old Doha Round talks and seeking an alternative negotiation platform.
There is a growing consensus in the international community that the upcoming WTO ministerial meeting in December is unlikely to strike a full accord or even see major progress, given sharp differences between developed and emerging economies over market access to industrial products and other issues.
During the two-day meeting in Montana, some participants proposed the WTO explore the possibility of seeking ''early harvests'' or a partial agreement at the WTO conference in December.
Japan's Takahashi said Tokyo is adopting a wait-and-see position but that he hopes to see some outcomes at the December WTO meeting.
The Doha Round of trade liberalization talks has been deadlocked for years, missing several deadlines since its launch in 2001. The issue is likely to be discussed when an informal ministerial meeting is held next week in Paris on the fringes of an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forum.
Among other issues, the APEC ministers discussed ways to strengthen regional economic integration, promote green growth and advance regulatory cooperation.
The trade ministers and ministers in charge of small and medium enterprises also held a joint meeting Friday afternoon on such issues as how to assist small firms to expand business overseas by removing trade barriers.
The Montana gathering was part of the run-up to the APEC summit meeting to be held in Honolulu on Nov. 12-13.
APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.