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India unhappy with WTO draft on agriculture, industry

By IANS

New Delhi : India is unhappy with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) drafts on agriculture and industrial tariffs, and the next WTO ministerial meeting scheduled in October may take place only if its members reach a consensus on these issues, an official said here Thursday.

Last month, WTO mediators circulated the draft texts on liberalising trade in agriculture and industrial goods, including the possible ranges of tariff and subsidy cuts, to help member countries reach a consensus in the negotiations.

“We are completely unhappy with the agricultural and NAMA (non-agricultural market access) drafts. It is not at all acceptable,” Commerce Secretary G.K. Pillai told reporters.

“We can expect some progress if Pascal Lamy (chief of WTO) comes out with changes to the text of the drafts,” Pillai added.

The 151 members of the WTO will meet in Geneva on Sep 3 to discuss the drafts in a bid to revive the stalled Doha talks.

“If there is some progress then we can expect a ministerial in October,” Pillai said.

The global trade talks, which started in Doha, Qatar in 2001, had resulted in a stalemate in July last year after the members failed to reach a consensus, largely on domestic support and market access in agriculture.