 World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial in Hong Kong –
Outcomes
20 December 2005
Related pages: Why trade really matters in the fight against world poverty
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What happened?
The big issues in the round are agriculture, non-agriculture market access (NAMA)
and services. This was where we had hoped for a breakthrough at Hong Kong. The
main successes were:
- All 150 member countries agreeing to end all forms of agricultural export
support by 2013.
- The agriculture and NAMA talks also agreed on some broad
principles, and a deadline of 30 April 2006 for agreeing modalities, which are
the detailed framework of an agreement.
- The services talks agreed some new
negotiating guidelines and a deadline of 31 July 2006 for revised offers for
market access.
The UK and the EU had put a great deal of emphasis on a
development package to complement progress on market opening. There were some
achievements here also:
- All developed countries will now grant duty and quota-free market access for
at least 97 per cent of tariff lines on products originating from the Least
Developed Countries (LDCs) by 2008.
- Export subsidies on cotton will be
eliminated in 2006 and all LDC cotton exports will be granted duty and
quota-free market access as soon as the Doha round is concluded.
- A Task Force
will provide recommendations by July 2006 on how to make Aid for Trade most
effective.
The outcome from Hong Kong provides a road map for the conclusion of
the Doha Development Round at the end of 2006. The UK Government remains
committed to a successful round which has the potential to lift millions of
people out of poverty.
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