Interviews
India-Argentina discusses current status of Doha round
12 Jun '08
4 min read
In relation to non-agricultural goods, both sides noted that neither India nor Argentina would be willing to an agreement that disregards the Doha mandate, the July framework agreement of 2004 and the Hong Kong Ministerial Agreement of 2005 stipulating less than full reciprocity in reduction commitments for developing countries in relation to developed countries.
Both sides also reiterated that a final agreement should respect special and more favorable treatment for industrial sectors of developing countries and which was clearly spelled out in the nature of additional and adequate flexibilities for their sensitive and vulnerable industrial sector.
Both sides also stressed on compliance with paragraph 24 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration which called for a balanced outcome in market access for agriculture and NAMA.
Both sides noted that the current draft text for NAMA did not reflect this balance which called upon developing country members, especially members of the NAMA-11, to take much higher cuts than those undertaken by developed countries. This was totally unacceptable.
Both sides noted the discussions on enhanced flexibilities up to 14% of tariff rates and of 19% of trade value on developing country members sensitive products in NAMA and called for further discussions to enhance both the number of tariff lines as well as trade value to be covered under the flexibilities.
Both sides rejected the linkage, especially in the text of the chairman between the flexibilities and the reduced Swiss formula coefficients which went against the Ministerial Mandate.
In conclusion, Secretaries Pillai and Chiaradía called for restoration of the balance in the negotiations, fully respecting the principle of less than full reciprocity, Paragraph 24 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration and special and more favourable treatment for developing countries.
Only such a balance would make it possible for both India and Argentina to approve the modalities and enter the final stage of the Doha Development Round.
They urged the developing countries to show the necessary political will towards restoring this balance and to reciprocate the important contribution that developing country members are making to the Round and the WTO-based multilateral trading system.
Both sides also reiterated that a final agreement should respect special and more favorable treatment for industrial sectors of developing countries and which was clearly spelled out in the nature of additional and adequate flexibilities for their sensitive and vulnerable industrial sector.
Both sides also stressed on compliance with paragraph 24 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration which called for a balanced outcome in market access for agriculture and NAMA.
Both sides noted that the current draft text for NAMA did not reflect this balance which called upon developing country members, especially members of the NAMA-11, to take much higher cuts than those undertaken by developed countries. This was totally unacceptable.
Both sides noted the discussions on enhanced flexibilities up to 14% of tariff rates and of 19% of trade value on developing country members sensitive products in NAMA and called for further discussions to enhance both the number of tariff lines as well as trade value to be covered under the flexibilities.
Both sides rejected the linkage, especially in the text of the chairman between the flexibilities and the reduced Swiss formula coefficients which went against the Ministerial Mandate.
In conclusion, Secretaries Pillai and Chiaradía called for restoration of the balance in the negotiations, fully respecting the principle of less than full reciprocity, Paragraph 24 of the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration and special and more favourable treatment for developing countries.
Only such a balance would make it possible for both India and Argentina to approve the modalities and enter the final stage of the Doha Development Round.
They urged the developing countries to show the necessary political will towards restoring this balance and to reciprocate the important contribution that developing country members are making to the Round and the WTO-based multilateral trading system.
Press Information Bureau Government of India
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