Countries divided as UN plastics treaty talks begin

175 countries gather in South Korea for discussions to curb plastic pollution, but doubts linger on the stance of the US

SEOUL, Nov 25 (Reuters): As delegates from 175 countries gathered in Busan, South Korea on Monday for the fifth round of talks aimed at securing an international treaty to curb plastic pollution, lingering divisions cast doubts on whether a final agreement is in sight.

South Korea is hosting the fifth and ostensibly final UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting this week, after the previous round of talks in Ottawa in April ended without a path forward on capping plastic production.

Instead the meeting issued a direction for technical groups to focus on chemicals of concern and other measures after petrochemical-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia and China strongly opposed efforts to target plastic production.

The United States raised eyebrows in August when it said it would back plastic production caps in the treaty, putting it in alignment with the EU, Kenya, Peru and other countries in the High Ambition Coalition.

The election of Donald Trump as president, however, has raised questions about that position, as during his first presidency he shunned multilateral agreements and any commitments to slow or stop US oil and petrochemical production.

The US delegation did not answer questions on whether it would reverse its new position to support plastic production caps. But it "supports ensuring that the global instrument addresses plastic products, chemicals used in plastic products, and the supply of primary plastic polymers," according to a spokesperson for the White House Council on