afrol News, 13 May - The WTO Council for Trade in Goods, has yesterday approved a ten-year extension to a WTO waiver allowing developing countries to provide preferential tariff treatment to products of least-developed countries (LDCs) without being required to extend the same tariff treatment to other WTO members. The decision however still has to go to the General Council for adoption.

The waiver, which was set to expire on 30 June, this year, was proposed by Brazil, China, India and Korea.

India, speaking on behalf of the sponsors of the proposal, said that “over the last few years developing countries have been finding means within their own developmental imperatives to meet the requirements of the LDCs and grant them meaningful concessions...given the right environment and enabling provisions the developing countries can be encouraged to enhance their efforts.”

Tanzania said the LDC Group had been “very much inspired by the goodwill shown by the membership in approving the extension.”

The WTO statement released today said on a related matter, the Council approved a decision on procedures leading to the verification and certification of Harmonized System 1996 changes the WTO Secretariat had undertaken to tariff schedules of 64 developing-country members. This decision also goes to the General Council for adoption, the statement said.

It also said that Turkey presented an updated version of its compilation of recent research of main trends after the phase-out of quantitative restrictions in the textiles sector. The paper proposed that the WTO take a coordinating role in overcoming economic difficulties encountered by developing countries in the post-quota period. Turkey suggested a detailed discussion of the paper at the next meeting.

According to the statement, Jordan, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Mauritius and Morocco expressed support for Turkey's paper, while China, Pakistan, India, Korea and Hong Kong, expressed concern that the paper might be aimed at reversing trade liberalisation, and stressed that it would never enjoy consensus in the Council.

The chair, Ambassador Elin Østebø Johansen (Norway), said that it was clear members were far from an agreement on this issue, with some wanting it to remain on the agenda and some others wanting to take it off the agenda. She urged interested delegations to meet among themselves to find a way forward. The Council agreed to revert to this item at the next meeting, which will be on 29 June, but that if the discussions remained inconclusive, this agenda item would be suspended.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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