WTO Farm Talks – In Final Lap of Mini Marathon?

Trade officials have entered the last stretch of talks before the WTO’s ninth ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia, with an outline deal for a “small package” of measures now due to be wrapped up by the first week of November - a month before the conference.

Negotiators are aiming to develop a three-pronged package for the Bali ministerial, drawn from the overall Doha Round - a series of trade talks that were launched in 2001, but which ministers later declared at an ‘impasse’ when they met in Geneva two years ago. This December’s package would, if achieved, ideally include an agreement on trade facilitation, select agriculture issues, and some components related to developing countries.

The chair of the agriculture negotiations, New Zealand ambassador John Adank, was this week expected to prepare draft negotiating text that trade officials could consider, following an informal meeting open to all WTO members which he convened last Friday.

The chair reported on consultations he has held on three topics: food purchases at administered prices in developing countries, as part of public stockholding programmes; disciplines on export subsidies and similar measures; and new rules on the administration of tariff rate quotas for imports.

Trade officials are exploring whether countries could temporarily agree to refrain from bringing legal disputes, in exchange for various safeguards and conditions that would apply to any country wishing to make use of this flexibility.

Legal analysis at the WTO secretariat has indicated that members could consider four main options for a possible agreement in this area. These included a waiver; a different form of ministerial decision; a ministerial declaration; and a chairperson’s statement.