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Developed nations must compromise, experts say

By Jiang Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-11-20 05:11

The joint statement by Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) members
will help revive the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO)
negotiations, experts say, but developed countries must do more.

The statement published at the 14th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the APEC
forum in Hanoi on Saturday said APEC members "re-affirm collective and
individual commitments to concluding an ambitious and balanced WTO Doha
agreement."

Members agreed there is an urgent need to break the current deadlock and
put negotiations back on a path towards a timely conclusion.

APEC, which accounts for over half of world trade, will play a role in
the resumption of negotiations, said Gao Hong, a research fellow with
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

He said although APEC's agreement is non-binding, with the United States
and China included in the organization it is still expected to have some
influence on the international economy with regards accelerating trade
liberalization.

The statement said that APEC economies are determined to "resume
(negotiations) without further delay" to achieve a balanced and ambitious
outcome that works for all WTO members.

Each country or region is committed to move beyond their current
positions in key areas of the Doha Round, such as deeper reduction in
trade-distorting farm support by major players, creating new market
access in agriculture, making real cuts in industrial tariffs and
establishing new openings in services trade.

Despite the document's positive influence on the resumption of the Doha
Round, further compromises from different parties, in particular
developed countries, are key to reviving talks, said Mei Xinyu, a trade
researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic
Co-operation.

"Only when the United States and the European Union commit to genuine
compromise can the deadlock be broken," he said.

The Doha Round of talks was suspended in July largely because WTO members
failed to reach consensus on agriculture.

Before the talks restart, Mei said, each party will try methods like
regional integration and free trade agreements to gain more say in the
talks.

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