Trade talks: National Association of Manufacturers still steamed about foreign tariffs
States News Service -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 2/13/2008 12:11:00 PM
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) says the latest revision in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Doha Round draft negotiating text for the Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations does not go far enough in making countries like China lift trade barriers.
"Although we see some regrettable retrenchment in key areas—particularly developing country flexibilities, implementation periods and measures to address non-tariff barriers—this new revision continues to provide a basis for negotiation," said NAM CEO and President John Engler. "However, it is clear that the U.S. must press hard for substantial cuts in foreign tariffs and a lot of work remains before the trade liberalization we seek is reached.
"We remain very concerned with the increased implementation period language, and particularly for recently acceded members," said Engler. "With this current draft, China, the largest developing country, could have as long as 14 years to implement its tariff cuts in manufactured goods. That does not work for us. China, the world's leading exporter, should do more—not less.
"Further, if the weakening of some key areas is to remain, the WTO members that will benefit from these changes should step up their level of ambition and take the lowest possible tariff formula cuts, participate robustly and comprehensively in sectoral tariff liberalization, and engage forthrightly on removal of non-tariff barriers," said Engler.
The text was drafted by the Chairman of the NAMA negotiating group, Canada's Ambassador to the WTO, Donald Stephenson. "Chairman Stephenson should be commended for his extraordinary dedication and strenuous efforts to provide a feasible point for this discussion," Engler said. "We continue to think there is a solution here, six years into the Doha Round."
The NAM and its members will examine the specifics of this framework and analyze its effects on industrial trade barriers before providing a detailed reaction.
"Emphasis must be placed on the provision for sectoral tariff agreements," Engler said. "This is something the NAM has been seeking over the last six years and believes is more important than ever.
"However, the proposed tariff cutting formula range is still not adequate," he said. "Likewise, we're baffled there is no mention of the U.S. proposal for a non-tariff barrier agreement on automobiles, something that the domestic auto industry put a lot of time into and the NAM endorsed."
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