American and European Industries want results from DOHA Round.
Press Release Summary:
According to NAM and BUSINESSEUROPE, widespread participation in sectoral tariff agreements is necessary to achieve WTO Doha Round breakthrough. In joint letter, NAM President and CEO, John Engler and BUSINESSEUROPE Direct General, Philippe de Buck told EU Trade Commissioner, Catherine Ashton and U.S. Trade Representative, Susan Schwab, they wanted to see G-20 Summit participants follow up by agreeing to participate in major sectoral tariff negotiations.
Original Press Release:
American and European Industries Want More Results From the DOHA Round
"Not Enough Market Opening on the Table Now," says Engler
WASHINGTON, DC, November 19, 2008 - The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and BUSINESSEUROPE joined together today to tell chief U.S. and European Union (EU) trade negotiators that widespread participation in sectoral tariff agreements is necessary to achieve a World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round breakthrough.
In a joint letter, NAM President and CEO John Engler and BUSINESSEUROPE Director General Philippe de Buck told EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab they wanted to see the G-20 Summit participants follow up on their November 15th Summit by agreeing to participate in major sectoral tariff negotiations.
"We were very pleased to see the G-20 statement call for Doha Round negotiating modalities that would lead to an ambitious and balanced outcome," said Engler. "Both the NAM and BUSINESSEUROPE insist that commercially meaningful market access is the yardstick by which ambition in the Doha Round must be measured."
"Industrial countries have already made significant offers to open their markets but unfortunately it is clear that the current Doha Round industrial tariff proposals now on the negotiating table from other nations do not lead to enough market opening opportunities or balance."
"The most practical way of adding the missing market access is by having countries, especially the rapidly emerging economies of Brazil, China, and India, agree to cut their trade barriers further by participating in major sector-specific agreements that would slash trade barriers," Engler said.
"Ambassador Schwab and the U.S. negotiating team have been making this point in Geneva repeatedly and forcefully," Engler said. "European Commission negotiators have not been as vocal in advancing the market-opening interests of their industry and we hope this strong joint expression of industry views will galvanize them into rapid movement," he said.
"U.S. and EU manufacturers together produce about half of all the manufactured goods in the world," said Engler. "But it is not only our industries that would benefit from greater market opening around the world - producers in all developed and developing countries would gain, particularly in the least developed countries that are most in need of market opportunities for their fledgling industries."
To read the NAM and BUSINESSEUROPE letter in full go to http://nam.org/namjointstatement.
The National Association of Manufacturers is the nation's largest industrial trade association, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the NAM has 11 additional offices across the country. Visit the NAM's award-winning web site at www.nam.org for more information about manufacturing and the economy.
CONTACT:
GREG WRIGHT (202) 637-3084
