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Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Biz groups to continue talks on global issues
The Hong Kong trade talks, though seen globally to have gained pretty little in making new rules on global trade, has been a baptism of fire for the Philippine business community.
For the first time since the country joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) 10 years ago, the business sector got directly involved in trade talks.
This was made possible after the appointment of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president Donald Dee as special presidential envoy on trade negotiations.
Dee moved to determine what constitutes national economic interests that must be forwarded in all trade negotiations.
He and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. president Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Jr. held consultations with businessmen in the regions and leaders of industry associations on what trade issues affect them and what must be wangled out with our trading partners.
Dee said the consultation process with stakeholders has to be institutionalized.
Trade negotiations are a continuing process and should be updated to keep up with global trends.
Towards the middle of December, the business leaders had crystalized a few general negotiating stands that they sought to articulate in the Hong Kong talks.
Subsidies
One of which is that the Philippine panel would stick to the position that there should be no further opening up of the country’s markets through tariff reduction unless the developed world agrees to eliminate their farm and export subsidies.
Secondly, the development needs of the less developed countries must be taken care of in the WTO talks by giving them the flexibility to determine sensitive products entitled to protection and the privilege to impose special safety measures for threatened domestic industries.
To save the Hong Kong talks from going the way of Seattle and Cancun that totally collapsed, the European Union finally conceded that farm and export subsidies in any form will have to be totally scrapped by the year 2013.
And for the other major issues, participating countries agreed to give themselves until April next year to arrive at agreements that all member-nations are willing to swallow.
Exposed at the Hong-Kong firing line, the private sector team, led by Dee, had gained the needed experience to get deeper involved in future talks not only within the WTO, but also on other negotiating tables, like the Asean Free Trade Area and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. (Philexport News)
(December 27, 2005 issue)
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