Doha talks result may prove unfair for local textiles - NCC
21 Jun '07
3 min read
The letter said the NCC also is uncertain of the U.S. strategy to protect U.S. cotton from an unfair and inequitable Doha Agreement, noting that the United States has never offered any alternative to the C-4 cotton proposal despite a NCC request in February 2006 that stated: “Further details on cotton should be left to the overall agricultural negotiations and the ultimate submissions of schedules.”
“We are very concerned if that strategy hinges on simply convincing the C-4 countries to agree to be reasonable during the modalities stage of the negotiations,” the letter stated. “What happened in Geneva in 2004 and Hong Kong in 2005 is about to happen again – the C-4 countries are clearly positioned to block the Doha Round unless their demands are met."
"If, in fact, the draft modalities to be issued by (WTO Agricultural Committee) Chairman Falconer contain the C-4 cotton proposal, the U.S. cotton industry will have no choice but to re-evaluate its position on this negotiation and on a possible extension of trade promotion authority.”