India, SA, Argentina rejects proposals to limit protection to farm sector
India, South Africa and Argentina, key members of NAMA-11 alliance at World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva on Monday, 21 July 2008, rejected a move by developed countries to limit the flexibility on tariffs and imports of developing countries to protect their domestic industry and farm sector.
"We reject any attempt to further constrain the already limited flexibilities in the modalities text, particularly the very recent anti-concentration proposals," the NAMA-11 communique said.
Meanwhile, the United States and the European Union is pressing the developing nations to make concessions in opening the markets to ensure a global trade deal.
To have a meaningful outcome to this round, all countries would have to secure meaningful new market access in agriculture, manufacturing and services and that is particularly true when it comes to the interests of the developing nations, US Trade Representative, Susan Schwab said.
The NAMA-11 alliance of developing countries said it would reject any plans that limit the flexibilities they have got to protect their nascent industries, particularly a clause in the draft WTO text that restraints a country from seeking protection for a whole sector.
It noted that the anti-concentration clause is an irritant to developing countries as it restrains them from seeking protection for a whole sector, which it finds is facing cheap imports.
Instead, a country has been allowed to use the overall level of protection across different sectors up to a certain limit.
Article published courtesy of BuaNews
