Date:05/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/05/stories/2006040504991400.htm

National

CII writes to Lamy on special treatment

Special Correspondent

CII supports multilateral negotiations of the WTO and wanted Doha Development Agenda to be a success

NEW DELHI: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has urged World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy to ensure that developing countries are given the special and differential treatment (S&D) as per the mandate of the on-going Doha negotiations.

In a letter to Mr. Lamy, CII Director-General N. Srinivasan said that like other apex chambers, his organisation supported the WTO's multilateral negotiations and wanted the Doha Development Agenda to be a success.

Observing that the final outcome should be a win-win for all countries and the development aspect of the Doha Round should be fully honoured, the letter said the S&D and the "less than full reciprocity" principles of the Doha Round would ensure that tariff reduction commitments by developing countries would be lower than those of developed countries. Indian industry would like to see higher market access in developed country markets for products manufactured by developing countries at the end of the Doha round.

Tariff peaks

And this would be best achieved by targeting tariff peaks and tariff escalations in products such as textiles, leather products etc. manufactured by developing country markets, the letter said.

Agriculture

The CII is of the view that in agriculture there should be a meaningful proposal from developed countries in areas such as market access and domestic support.

There was a need for some real progress in agriculture from all developed countries before they demanded anything from developing countries on non-agricultural market access, he said.

The CII reminded that the plurilateral route been followed by the member- countries and two important modes of supply where market access commitments are needed for the Indian industry are mode - 1 (cross border supply) and mode - 4 (movement of natural persons).