India along with the other developing country members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) completely dismissed the contentious proposal being presented by the US and the EU which stipulates ‘anti-concentration’ in the latest text on Doha modalities for industrial goods. This is seen as a move intended to check the flexibilities rendered to the developing nations in the Doha mandate. Several members felt the draft on Doha modalities for Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) has nothing in it to look forward positively or either to initiate negotiation.
According to India’s Chief Trade Negotiator Rahul Khullar, the proposal is making a fool of them, and the anti-concentration’s purpose of transparency, as it claims to be, is just drafted to cut short the flexibilities accorded as per the mandate. Commerce Minister of India Kamal Nath called for an immediate revision to the text to avoid the stalemate in negotiations. He further added the draft is aimed at jeopardizing the livelihood of millions of poor, especially traditional fisherman spread across India, China, Indonesia and many other developing countries.
Developing countries unanimously opposed the proposal by claiming that it has blocked the right to decide which industrial goods or items would be sensitive to their economy. Similarly, the trans-Atlantic trade partners denied any such intentions, rather defended the text, stating that, their sectors which come under flexibilities would suffer due to majority of developed states’ narrow export interests. Special flexibilities prescribed for some countries including South Africa and Venezuela were also been contested by other developing countries. Ambassador Don Stephenson, the chair for the proposals said, the protracted differences between the two parties would force him to submit the proposal in a messy state to the trade ministers to decide. Trade experts warn if the differences are not ironed out soon, even holding a ministerial level talk would be an uphill task for the WTO.