GLOBAL: Negotiators see Doha deal nearing

13 November 2008 | Source: Keith Nuthall

Just-Food

As world leaders gather in Washington DC for tomorrow's (14 November) key G20 meeting, key negotiators within the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Doha Development Round have suggested a deal could be struck by Christmas.

The EU and possibly the US are expected to pressure India, China and others to strike a Doha deal this year at the summit.

Signals of a diplomatic push came yesterday from new EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton.

Following a meeting with US trade representative Susan Schwab, Ashton claimed: "A Doha deal is within our grasp as the details of a final agreement could be agreed within weeks."

The round's food talks chairman Crawford Falconer has claimed there was significant progress in September and October, including on protecting food industries in developing countries with temporary high tariffs - an issue that wrecked the round's crucial July summit.

However, a Geneva diplomat was more cautious about the prospect of a deal, telling just-food: "The EU has been pushing consistently for agreement this year, but some other delegates are saying there's no way this can happen."

The source said Europe and the US would have to offer major and politically unpopular subsidy cuts for a deal to go through.

just-food.com

BRAZIL.

DOHA ROUND TRADE DEAL.

Muriel Elizabeth Hayes

November 14, 2008

A deal on the Doha round of trade talks, could be reached within weeks and the summit of industrial and emerging economies this weekend, must send a clear signal to achieve this.

Marcelo Baumbach, a spokesman for President Lula da Silva of Brazil, said “ The president believes more trade opening is one of the best anti-cyclical measures we can adopt, it can be a powerful instrument to combat the crisis”.

Leaders of the group of the G20 countries, gather in Washington on Saturday to discuss the global financial crisis.

Source:

Muriel Elizabeth Hayes

Buenos Aires, Argentina