Progress made in HK WTO conference: spokesman (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-12-17 20:21
The ongoing Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference has made progress in issues
concerning LDCs (least developed countries) and cotton trade, said WTO spokesman
Keith Rockwell here Saturday.
The official told Xinhua that currently negotiators have made commitment to
provide a duty- and quota-free market access for almost all products from the 50
least developed countries in the world.
The spokesman also mentioned some progress in the NAMA (non-agricultural
market access) issue, but said that "it is moving slowly" due to divergencies on
the detailed coefficient in the formula used to calculate the tariff cuts.
Currently, the negotiations are still going on, and Rockwell said it is still
difficult for him to judge the outcomes of the conference.
WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy on Friday submitted a compromise text to
ministers of all members concerning cutting the export subsidies of agricultural
products.
The text calls for the United States and other developed countries to make
promise that if the European Union make concessions in cutting the subsidies,
they must also make some equivalent concessions.
Rockwell said "it remains unknown" whether the text will break the deadlock
in agricultural trade negotiations.
The official appreciated China's support for the Doha Round and also thanked
Hong Kong for the good environment of the conference.
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