World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy said on Sunday that
rich and developing nations had agreed that talks on a global trade
pact should be renewed although differences remained over farm
subsidies and market access.
Lamy, speaking at a news conference at a meeting in Rio de
Janeiro of representatives of the G20 group of developing nations,
the United States, Japan and the European Union, said that no date
had been set for a formal resumption of the Doha round of talks on
the floundering trade deal.
It was the first time officials had met since the Doha round
collapsed in July.
The various sides reached consensus in Rio on the need to resume
the talks, he said. But more work must be done on the issues of
farm subsidies and market access and the players need to know by
mid-March if a deal is possible, Lamy said.
Since the Doha round began in 2001, Brazil, India and other
countries that rely heavily on agriculture exports have focused on
trying to cut subsidies and trade barriers by the United States and
the European Union.
European nations and the United States have been unwilling to
reduce aid to cotton, sugar and other products unless they get more
access to services and manufacturing in developing nations.
Earlier on Sunday, the top US trade negotiator said the United
States was committed to a successful outcome of the talks.
"We will do what it takes. If there is potential for a
successful round we will find it," US Trade Representative Susan
Schwab told reporters in Rio after meeting Lamy and Japanese
Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa.
Schwab also cautioned against expecting any major breakthrough
during the Rio meeting.
"There is always time to resuscitate the talks if the political
will is there. President Bush is committed to a successful outcome
of the Doha round," Schwab said.
She was referring to the expiration in July 2007 of Bush's
so-called fast track negotiating mandate by which Congress must
either approve or reject any eventual trade accord, without making
any amendments.
(Chinadaily.com via agencies September 11, 2006)
