MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

WTO summit “positive”

Mercosur country members consider the recent WTO summit in Qatar as “positive” since prospects for agriculture are “encouraging”, following the export subsidies “progressive elimination” agreement.

The final document which commits a new round of trade negotiations, including advances in agriculture, "can be considered a success for Mercosur and the Cairns Group, since with support from other Latinamerican countries, United States and the Group of 77, led by Egypt, it will allow us to work in the elimination of agriculture export subsidies", said Uruguayan Deputy Foreign Secretary Guillermo Valles who coordinated Mercosur position in Doha. The new round is also expected to address market access in developed countries, plus the elimination of home regulations that promote (subsidized) production in different countries. According to the IV WTO Ministerial meeting, the document for the next trade round should be ready by March 2003, and actual tariff negotiations must begin no later than 2005. "Overall the strengthening of WTO as a multilateral ruling trade entity must be seen positively by Mercosur, Uruguay and other developing nations", said Mr. Valles who pointed out to the fact that China and Taiwan were formally accepted to the organization.