Talks to end WTO row slowly inch forward

07/25/2008

Geneva — Crucial World Trade Organization (WTO) trade talks inched forward in overnight talks but rich and poor countries now face a race against time to resolve their differences to resolve the seven-year round.

Negotiators said talks on the industrial products sector were slowing progress, and many issues remained unresolved.

Argentine negotiator Nestor Stancanelli said before heading into Thursday’s talks that “big differences” remained, particularly in industrial products.

While the draft text for discussion on agriculture reflected key concerns of most countries, that of the industrial products “failed to take in considerations of many countries”, he explained.

The so-called “G6+1” group of the United States (US), European Union (EU), Japan, India, Brazil, Australia and China were in locked in marathon talks last night until shortly before 4 a.m. (0200GMT). But little was resolved.

“There is progress but not enough,” said India’s Trade Minister Kamal Nath after the talks.

“We are making progress on sensitive products, (tariff) capping, many issues, but there is still some heavy lifting to be done,” he told reporters.

The “G6+1” talks were convened by WTO head Pascal Lamy on Wednesday after he warned members that progress had only been modest since talks began Monday.

Emerging and developed countries have slipped into a familiar pattern of demanding new moves from each other, with the success of this week’s high-profile gathering hinging on whether they can find common ground.

The round began in the Qatari capital Doha seven years ago with the aim of helping poor countries take advantage of the freer global flow of goods and services, but has since been delayed by as developed and developing nations refused to give ground over subsidies and tariffs for farm and industrial products.

The EU’s chief negotiator Peter Mandelson said he was slightly more positive in some respects after overnight meeting.

“After a great deal of very hard work some issues are nearer a solution, other issues are clearer and better understood but there is some way to go before the gaps are bridged,” Mandelson said.

“I believe that this is a moving picture and we’ve still got a lot of frames to travel through but I believe we shall get to the end,” he added.

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