The Time for Posturing Is Over
Washington DC – At the conclusion of the Hong Kong Ministerial, Bill Reinsch, President of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), issued the following statement:
“Despite the strong leadership of the United States and a few other WTO Members who support ambitious trade liberalization, the NFTC is disappointed that further progress was not achieved on the core issues.
“We commend Ambassador Portman’s inspired leadership and the US negotiating team’s dedication to ambitious market access results from the Doha Round. The NFTC firmly believes that such an outcome will generate global economic growth and real benefits for developed and developing countries.
“Trade Ministers could have accomplished more. If all major trading partners had demonstrated political will, we would be closer to our goal of a successful and ambitious conclusion to the Doha Round in 2006. The EU paralysis on agricultural market access remains a serious stumbling block. We are also concerned that several WTO Members seem to have lost sight of the main purpose of the WTO — to boost economic growth and living standards globally through trade liberalization and improved trade governance.
“The NFTC remains committed to an ambitious conclusion to the Doha Round in 2006. The next 90 days are absolutely critical. We need to build on the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration to set the stage for the tabling of detailed market access offers. The NFTC urges WTO Members to demonstrate the necessary political leadership to get the job done. The time for posturing is over, the time for meaningful action is now.”
The National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.
