News & Insights

Urges Trade Ministers to Renew the Momentum for an Ambitious 2005 Conclusion

Washington, DC – On the eve of the WTO’s Fifth Ministerial Conference, the NFTC urged trade ministers to renew the momentum for an ambitious conclusion to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) as the chief outcome of the ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, during September 10-14, 2003.

Calling for boldness in all key areas of the negotiation, NFTC President Bill Reinsch stated that “renewing the momentum for ambitious trade liberalization across all sectors should be the number one objective for WTO members in Cancun.”  He added that this objective “has historically been at the heart of all GATT/WTO negotiating rounds, and with many trade barriers still in place, the core business of the WTO is still not completed.” 

Reinsch emphasized that the Doha Agenda offers a rare opportunity to revitalize and strengthen the global trading system and raise living standards by achieving ambitious results.  According to Reinsch, “conclusion of the Doha Round with ambitious win-win outcomes by the 2005 deadline is within reach if WTO members exert political leadership and engage constructively.  Global trade liberalization is a win-win prospect, not a zero-sum game, for developed and developing countries alike.”

Reinsch noted that the “overall level of ambition in Cancun and the final scorecard for the Doha Agenda will depend on agriculture and agriculture markets must be opened and reformed as deeply as possible, particularly for developing countries.  On industrial goods, trade ministers ought to embrace a long-term vision of a tariff-free and non-tariff barrier-free world.  It is also important for ministers to urge their negotiators to produce a substantial outcome on services before the end of the year.”  He added that another key goal for the Cancun meeting is to “unlock the Singapore issues so they can be considered individually on their own merits, especially in light of the fact that much work has been accomplished already on trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement.”

Finally, Reinsch highlighted that in Cancun, “progress should be made to address developing country concerns on special and differential treatment and implementation.  It should not, however, translate into broad new exceptions to WTO obligations or reverse the critical progress achieved in past rounds. Advanced and middle income developing countries must assume greater responsibility and leadership so that real progress on SDT can be focused where it is most needed, namely for least developed countries.”  Reinsch added that “continued support for targeted technical and capacity building assistance is essential to helping developing countries negotiate and implement their WTO commitments.”  

For more information about the NFTC’s positions on the Doha Development Agenda, please go to www.nftc.org.

The National Foreign Trade Council 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 350 member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.