EU attacks India, Nath hits back
EU attacks India, Nath hits back
Hong Kong: The situation was fluid on Thursday as all the ministerial groups at the 6th ministerial meet of the World Trade Organisation were in hectic consultations to narrow down serious differences and look for convergences.
But divisions still remain irreconcilable, with the European Union for the first time attacking India and Brazil, the leaders of the G20 countries; the US and the EU continuing their tirade against each other and the developing countries attacking the EU for the first time for not respecting their own commitments that were part of the Doha declaration.
Desperate efforts are being made to get a draft on the development package for the least developed countries (LDC) within the framework of the specific safeguards and special products and less than full reciprocity by midnight on Thursday.
While India is with the LDCs all the way, the US had some reservations on clubbing all the 38 LDC countries as one. In a briefing on Thursday, Mr Rob Portman, the US trade representative said he hoped that the meet would be able to develop a package by the end of the week.
The name of game here is market access. India’s minister for commerce and industry Kamal Nath said there is “no question of moving forward unless the special products and special safeguards mechanisms are agreed for agriculture.” He said these issues were going to be discussed on Thursday night. India and Brazil were targeted by the EU on Thursday when they sent out emails titled, “Is the European Union asking India and Brazil to cut their industrial tariffs by more than 70 per cent?”
More: iht.com