The WTO on Saturday published revised texts intended to form the basis of negotiations if a ministerial meeting is held in Geneva next week.
WTO’s Director-General Pascal Lamy had earlier asked member states to prepare ministers for a meeting in the middle of this month to try to conclude the long-stalled Doha global free-trade pact.
In a fax to all 153 member states of the trade bloc, Lamy said that if a ministerial meeting was called, it would begin some time between Saturday and next Monday.
With the publication of the new drafts, Lamy said he would be sampling the reaction of members.
“With these revised texts we are closer to our goal of clinging modalities in agriculture and industry, a stepping stone towards the conclusion of the Doha Round,” he said.
Lamy said differences remained amongst members and that while the “areas of discord are few in number, they involve politically sensitive issues.”
“However, the modalities step would send a signal that all WTO members stand united to face the challenges of the current economic crisis,” he said, urging member states to make “collective moves towards global solutions.”
The Doha round of talks, which started at the end of 2001 in the Qatar capital, aims to boost international commerce by removing trade barriers and subsidies but a deal has so far proved elusive as countries are reluctant to open up their markets or reduce financial support to farmers.
Key sticking points reflected in the revised text include a so-called sectoral initiative, which proposes specific industry sectors to be submitted to sharper tariff cuts than the overall general level of reductions.
Another problem is the special safeguard mechanism which affords developing countries a safety net by allowing them to implement a punitive tariff on certain products in the event that imports surge and threaten domestic producers.
Disagreements primarily between India and the US over this safeguard mechanism tripped up the last round of negotiations between ministers in July.
The latest texts were the fourth version proposed by the WTO trade negotiator on agriculture, Crawford Falconer, and his counterpart on industrial products, Luzius Wasescha, who took over from Don Stephenson.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS