12th MEETING OF APEC MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRADE
STATEMENT ON DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
1-2 June 2006
We, the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade, gathering for
our 12th Meeting in Ho Chi Minh city, Viet Nam, strongly re-affirm our
economies' commitment to the multilateral trading system and to a successful
conclusion of the
WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations by the end of
2006.
The DDA round offers so much potential benefit for global
trade, economic growth and development by delivering concrete results that
expand trade flows. A strong market access result, among others, is a
prerequisite for successful conclusion of this Round, as it has been in previous
Rounds. We, therefore, commit ourselves to summon the necessary political will
to conclude the negotiations with an ambitious and balanced outcome across the
board and we call on all other parties to do likewise.
Our Leaders agreed last November that breaking the impasse in
the agriculture negotiations, in particular market access, will unblock the key
areas, including non-agricultural products and services. This is still the
case. Urgent action is needed to drive the process of reaching agreement on
agriculture and
NAMA modalities by the end of June. At the end of July we need
to see the overall shape of the package and have draft texts to work for a final
result at the end of the year.
As we approach the end of June, APEC economies are ready to
meet the challenge of agreeing ambitious modalities, based on the guidance
agreed in the 2004 Frameworks and supplemented at Hong Kong. To do so, we must
ensure that the flexibilities provided for in NAMA and agriculture do not
undermine substantially improved market access.
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In NAMA, we agreed last year to
pursue a simple Swiss formula. We support a formula with two ambitious
coefficients applying to developed and developing Members delivering real and
meaningful market access improvements. We are committed to continue work on
sectoral initiatives using a critical mass approach and non-mandatory basis,
with the aim to deliver results over and above those which would be achieved
by the formula modality.
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In agriculture, we have agreed to
make effective cuts and disciplines in trade-distorting domestic support and
have a range of numbers on the table. On export competition we have agreed to
the parallel elimination of all forms of export subsidies by 2013 with serious
front loading, although work is still needed on disciplines on the other
elements of export competition. Market access lags behind, where the
issues of a tariff formula, along with other issues such as sensitive products
and special products must be taken together to ensure substantial market
opportunities that generate new trade flows while addressing sensitivities of
Members. More work is required to establish effective provisions on S&D
treatment, including special products and SSM.
Each of us is ready to contribute to the end of June
milestone by supporting strong formulas that deliver meaningful new
opportunities for our economies to prosper and develop. APEC Economies account
for close to 50% of world trade - we cannot afford to lose this opportunity for
global growth. We intend to stay personally involved in the development of
modalities and the outlines of the package by the end of July. When next meet in
November, we will need to give the negotiations a final push towards conclusion.
We appreciate the contribution and efforts made by the
Director-General of the WTO Pascal Lamy to advance the DDA Round negotiations
and extend our fullest support and cooperation to both Director-General Lamy and
the chairs of the WTO negotiating groups.
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