India campaigns to include main demands in WTO deal

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New Delhi, Jul 18: With the crucial July 21-26 mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) delicately poised, commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath on Friday launched India’s campaign to ensure that the country’s key demands are taken on board.

Kicking off the groundwork, Nath met WTO director general Pascal Lamy and impressed upon the him that India’s core concerns—protecting its infant industries and the livelihood of its poor farmers—be taken on board for a successful conclusion of the Doha Round talks. Nath had on Wednesday warned that India has the full option to walk out of the talks if these core interests are not included in the deal.

To make sure that the unity of the developing countries is intact, Nath would also on Friday attend a G-33 meeting and thereafter meet Alfredo Chiaradia, secretary of state of commerce and international relations of Argentina, and Celso Amorim, foreign minister of Brazil.

Ministers from over 30 countries would gather at the WTO headquarters in Geneva to prevent the collapse of the Doha Round, launched in 2001, by resolving the differences between developed and developing countries. According to WTO, a global trade liberalisation deal could add around $100 billion annually to the world economy.

The developing nations are demanding that the rich countries drastically reduce their “trade distorting” farm subsidies, while the developed countries are asking for more market access in the developing world to their goods.

The ministers’ meeting would work towards finalising the main elements to clinch a deal soon.

Nath has pointed out to the WTO that in order to adequately protect the livelihood of India’s subsistence farmers, around 20% of the total agricultural tariff lines need to be placed under special products (SPs or farm products that are subjected to minimum or no duty cuts). India has also insisted the special safeguard mechanism (SSM) was not negotiable. Currently, SSM available to protect the farm sector in developing countries continues to be weaker than a similar mechanism available to rich countries, experts said.