GENEVA, June 3 (Agencies): The WTO's chief negotiator on freeing up access for industrial products said yesterday he sees no point in further talks until member states are ready to compromise over tariffs and other key sticking points.
The 152 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) need to "work among themselves to bridge their positions and until they do that, it is pointless to convene NAMA negotiating group sessions," ambassador Don Stephenson said.
Industrial products come under the rubric of "non-agricultural market access" (NAMA) as part of WTO talks launched in 2001 on liberalising the global trading system.
Stephenson said that member states were more divided than ever after he had issued a fresh text aimed at spurring stalled negotiations that are key to any success in the WTO's long- running Doha trade round.
"Over the course of the week of discussions, things actually got worse rather than better. We got farther from a text that could be put before ministers rather than closer," he told reporters.
"Some issues that were either resolved or at least nearly resolved were reopened, some extreme positions were maintained, some positions were perhaps even arguably made more extreme," he added.
Washington also cast a downbeat note, with top trade official Susan Schwab describing the new texts on NAMA and agriculture as "disappointing".
Around 30 ministers are set to hold an informal meeting on the sidelines of a summit by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris Thursday, with WTO director general Pascal Lamy also attending.
"He'll have to ask them whether or not they're ready to negotiate amongst themselves," one diplomat said last week-adding that he expected a negative answer.
Meanwhile, the WTO yesterday rejected an appeal by the United States over its cotton subsidies, paving the way for Brazil, which lodged the original complaint, to demand sanctions.
The WTO said an appeal panel upheld the ruling handed down last December that found that the US breached trade rules over its subsidies for cotton farmers.
The US "acts inconsistently with its obligations" as its subsidies for cotton producers is "significant price suppression" that constitutes "serious prejudice" to Brazil, the panel found.
Washington had failed to implement earlier WTO findings against US agricultural support, including for cotton farmers, the WTO said.
Last February, Washington had appealed against the decision.
Monday's ruling paves the way for Brazil to demand sanctions.
In 2005, the Brazilian government suggested it would seek to impose one billion dollars in sanctions on the world's biggest economy.
Another report adds: India yesterday flayed many developed countries for strengthening forces of protectionism and asked them to reciprocate offers from emerging economies to clinch a multi-lateral trade agreement that will boost global economy.
"It takes two hands to clap", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, referring to reluctance of some rich nations to cut back on subsidies to their farmers even while seeking access to industrial goods and services market in developing nations.
The Doha round of WTO talks launched in 2001 has been hanging over lack of consensus on agriculture, with developing countries including India declaring that they would not compromise the interests of their mostly subsistence farmers.
"At a time when we in the developing world are standing our ground in dealing with the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, it is regrettable that the forces of protectionism are gaining political ground in many developed countries," he said at the AGM of industry chamber Assocham in New Delhi.
