WORKSHOP ON MARKET ACCESS
IN THE DOHA WORK PROGRAMME
Ministry of Foreign Trade
& International Cooperation
and UNCTAD
Guyana, September 2002
WTO NEGOTIATIONS ON AGRICULTURE
-Time Frame of Negotiations
-Negotiating Positions
-Contentious Issues
TIME FRAME OF
NEGOTIATION
2
2000 - 2001
2000
March
2001
March
st
(Doha:
Nov/2001)
nd
1 Phase
2 Phase
Submission of
negotiating proposal
Issue-specific discussions
- 45 proposals submitted by
126 countries (85 % of all
WTO members)
2002
March
- 24 issues discussed
- discussions before Doha
lacked substance
3
2002-2003
Negotiations on “Modalities”
April May
June
17-19:
July
Aug
September
2-3:
Export
competition
policies
Market Access
Oct
November
18-20:
Follow-up
matters
23-25:
Domestic Support
January
2003
December
By 18:
22-24:
February
MARCH
2003
Early Feb:
By mid March:
(Circulation of
an overview
paper
prepared by
the Chairman)
(Circulation of the first draft)
Review of options
for modalities, based
24-28:
on the overview
Consideration of the first
paper
draft
(Circulation of the draft
modalities)
25-31: Conclusion
Establishment of
modalities
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MARKET ACCESS
MODALITIES
•
•
•
•
•
TARIFFS
TARIFF QUOTAS
TARIFF QUOTA ADMINISTRATION
SPECIAL SAFEGUARD MEASURES
OTHER ISSUES
5
MARKET ACCESS
MODALITIES
• Item / Parameter Modalities
S&D
• Product coverage e.g. All agricultural
products as per Annex 1 of the Agreement
on Agriculture
• Base rates
e.g. Final bound Uruguay
Round rates and other bound rates as per
Members' Schedules
6
MODALITIES: Tariffs and TRQs
• Reduction method / target for further
commitments
•
Reduction method
e.g. Formula for
further tariff cuts
•
Reduction target
• Other commitments e.g. With respect to
simplification of tariff systems
• Implementation period and staging of
further commitments
7
MODALITIES: Importing State Enterprises
• Scope of entities to which
additional/improved disciplines would be
applicable
e.g. As per paragraph 1 of the
Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XVII of
GATT and the related illustrative list (document G/STR/4)
• Specific disciplines e.g. Relating to the
special rights and privileges granted to
importing STEs
8
MODALITIES: SSG and Other
• SPECIAL SAFEGUARD MEASURES
(e.g. Maintenance / modification /
elimination of price-based and/or quantitybased Article 5 special safeguard measures
• OTHER ISSUES:
Trade Preferences
Food Security
Food Safety
9
NEGOTIATING POSITIONS
10
“Major” Players
Export
subsidies?
Substantial
tariff cuts?
CAIRNS
GROUP
Eliminate
export
subsidies
Massive
cut in
domestic
support
USA
Central/Easter
n European
countries
Domestic
support?
EU
“Multifunctionality”
Switzerland
Domestic
support?
Norway, Japan, Korea
11
Substantial and
progressive
liberalization
Flexible and gradual
liberalization, taking into
account non-trade concerns
(Cairns Group)
(Multifunctionality group)
“Developing Countries”
Export Markets
better market access
less trade distortion
Domestic Markets
food security, rural development
12
“CONTENTIOUS” ISSUES
13
IMBALANCE
between developed countries and DCs
“The existing AoA rules seem to bestow S&D treatment on developed rather
than developing countries.” (from the Development Box proposal)
OECD
Market access Tariff peaks and tariff escalation
Export
subsidies
(ES)
Domestic
support
(DS)
US$ 13 billion in 2000:
- 3 countries accounted for 92 %
of total in 1995-1998 (EU-85%,
CH-5%, US-1.5 %)
- Increased since 1997, due to
plunge in world prices
US$ 158 billion in 2000:
- Accounts for 97 % of total
- Increasing use of Green Box
measures (e.g. environment and
decoupled payment)
DCs
Unilateral liberalization
(i.e. low applied rates)
US$ 0.6 billion in 2005:
- Total 7 DCs (rest with
zero ES)
- Few has utilized ES
between 1995-2001.
US$ 4 billion in 2005:
- Total 10 DCs (rest
with zero DS)
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SPECIAL & DIFFERENTIAL
TREATMENT
How to redress the imbalance?
Widen the scope of S&D
Developed DCs
- more flexibility in WTO rules to
meet development need
- specific S&D to meet different
needs among DCs
- review the Enabling Clause
?
… or not?
- liberalization by all is the best S&D
- enough flexibility to meet
adjustment needs
- S&D should not harm other DCs
- no discrimination among DCs
UR A o A
Liberalizatio n
by all?
15
NON-TRADE CONCERNS
Should they determine the scope of liberalization?
- Multifunctionality of agriculture
- Characteristics or objective?
- Specific to agriculture?
- Are trade-related measure necessary to foster
multifunctional nature of agriculture?
- Food security and rural development in DCs
- Immediate or long-term food security?
- How is it linked to trade policies?
- Can WTO rules do anything for food security?
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… Thank you for your attention
www.unctad.org/Commdip
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