US Industry Pushing to Sideline Doha?

Given the limited movement in the Doha negotiations, the US is reportedly discussing the idea of a plurilateral services pact with Canada, Chile, Colombia, the EU, Japan, and about a dozen other nations. However, US Trade Representative Carol Guthrie told Reuters last week, there is “no timeline set for negotiation.”

“There is a broad and growing interest in this concept among a group of developed and developing country WTO members,” Guthrie said.

The proposed services pact has been backed by US business groups, notably the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and the Coalition of Services Industries.

“After more than a decade of negotiations that have not led global trade negotiators to an outcome, it’s time for fresh ideas to break the diplomatic logjam and find ways to move global trade liberalisation forward,” said NFTC Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin in making the plug for the services agreement.

However, trade sources note, a number of members are comfortable with the idea of countries moving toward plurilateral agreements in the absence of a multilateral deal.

The next meeting of the WTO’s General Council is slated for early May of this year.