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West attacked over reluctance scrap farm subsidies { September 15 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4501-818272,00.htmlhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,4501-818272,00.html
September 15, 2003
West attacked over Cancun collapse
by our business staff
Rich nations are attacked over their reluctance to scrap farm subsidies after the failure of the Cancùn trade negotiations
Developing countries, environmentalists and aid agencies united in condemnation of Western protectionism after the collapse of the Cancùn trade negotiations.
The talks, aimed at progressing the Doha trade round launched two years ago, failed after rich countries and poorer states failed to agree measures to free up farm markets cut and red tape.
Pascal Lamy, EU Trade Commissioner, warned there would be "only losers" after the end of the talks, amid recriminations over the large farm subsidies given US and EU and the reluctance of many developing states to reduce inward investment hurdles.
However, developing nations took some solace over their show of defiance against the world's economic superpowers.
"We are elated that our voice has now been heard," Manuel Roxas, Philippine Trade Secretary, said.
The comments were echoed by non-governmental organisations such as Oxfam, which attacked developing nations for "overplaying their hand".
"Rich countries misjudged the strength of feeling and unity of the developing world who want to make trade fair and have a stake in global prosperity," the aid agency said.
ActionAid, stating the failure in Cancùn had exposed the US and EU as "cheap conmen", welcomed the "challenge to the supremacy" of the largest countries within the World Trade Organisation, which organised the negotiations.
"Now we have to translate this new power into genuine change in the world trading system," Aftab Alam Khan, of ActionAid Pakistan, said.
Friends of the Earth praised developing states for opposing Western "bullying".
But Patricia Hewitt, head of the UK delegation to Cancùn, said she, and other delegates had been "rather puzzled" by the breakdown of negotiations.
"There was a deal to be done her on agriculture," she told BBC radio, adding that many delegates had been "optimistic".
"All of us in the WTO do now have got go away and reflect on what went wrong."
Joseph Deiss, Swiss Economics Minister, while saying Switzerland was "open and ready for compromise", doubted the Doha round could now be completed by a 2004 deadline.
But the WTO restated hope in the talks, and Gerhard Shroeder, German chancellor said that "the end of Cancùn does not mean the end of the world trade round".
"One should not rule out that top-level talks could not resume soon," Herr Shroeder added.
Further reaction to the Cancùn collapse:
"It is regrettable... WTO talks are indeed difficult as we continue to seek an agreement without compromising Japan's position," Junichio Koizumi, Japanese Prime Minister.
The talk has become more complicated, but I don't think we are daunted by this complication," Supachai Panitchpakdi, director general, WTO.
"The EU was grapply with its morally repugnant and economically crazy Common Agricultural Policy," Catholid Fund for Overseas Development.
"[This is] bad news when the world economy is coming out of recession and needs a pick-up in trade - which is beginning to happen in Asia, particularly China - to carry over to the rest of the world," Eric Chaney, chief economist for Europe, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.
"The failure results from the struggle by anti-globalisation activists sparked by Lee Kyang Hae's holy sacrifice," Korean Advanced Farmers Federation following suicide by Lee last week in anti-WTO protest.
"[Rich countries] should have been faithful to the promise they made at Doha to talk about development," Yashpol Tandon, Ugandan delegate.
"Thailand is not affected because we are focused on bilateral trade relations. Multilateral co-operation is difficult because is it about negotiation," Thaksin Shinawtra, Prime Minister, Thailand.
"It is a big disappointment. The Pakistani cotton grower is now directly competing with the US government," Mian Anjum Saleem, chairman, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association.
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