Associated Press | By Rajesh Mahapatra | August 5, 2003
A senior U.S. official said Tuesday he hopes a ministerial meeting in Mexico next month will pave the way for a new round of global trade negotiations as member nations of the World Trade Organization are closer to agreement on key issues.
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South Asia Ashley Wills said that Washington has initiated bilateral talks with important members of the WTO to ensure a general agreement at next month's meeting of trade ministers in Cancun, Mexico.
"There is a better chance of success through reasoned consensus," Wills said after meeting with Indian trade officials in New Delhi.
His comments came a week after trade ministers from 25 countries met in Montreal, Canada, to smooth the way for a draft agreement for the Cancun meeting.
Participants in Montreal called it a partial success after the European Union told the meeting that it would be prepared to cut farm subsidy levels by 60 percent. The United States has welcomed that, but said it would press for a bigger cut.
A consensus on such issues at the Cancun meeting is crucial to the United States, which wants to initiate a new round of negotiations on market access.
Wills said the Uruguay round of negotiations, which culminated in setting up of the WTO, created a stable multilateral trading system, but it was "not successful in providing market access."
He said a new round is necessary in view of "a renewed enthusiasm for the need to open markets around the world."
Washington, however, has not been able to convince WTO members about a new round, particularly developing countries that say that earlier commitments made by developed countries have yet to be honored.
Members like India and Brazil say developed nations - especially the European Union and Japan - continue to deny access for exports, mainly agricultural and textile products, from developing countries. The United States says it is working with the European Union to address the concerns of the developing countries.
India says it will not support launching of a new round until developed countries implement the promises they made during the Uruguay round.
Wills said Washington considered New Delhi's support crucial as India has emerged as an important player in the multilateral trading system. It's for this reason that the United States has appointed its first trade representative for the South Asia region - a post taken up by Wills a month ago.
"India also accepts that there should be duty cut, but at what pace?" he said. "Some countries feel our proposals are too audacious. We are prepared to listen."Associated Press:
