WTO text on anti-dumping, subsidy soon
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15/07/2008
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Economic Times (New Delhi)
Chief Of WTO Negotiating Group On Rules To Call A Series Of Meetings Starting Early September Sheila Mathrani GENEVA THE chairman of the WTO negotiating group on rules, ambassador Guillermo Vallo Galmes of Uruguay, has faxed members that as soon as the modalities in agriculture and Nama are achieved, he will release draft texts for anti-dumping and horizontal subsidies. These texts need to move to draft texts which will have to describe a gradually emerging consensus. No magic solutions can be expected, delegates were warned. The text should, however, reflect the areas of common agreement and Mr Galmes intends to call a series of meetings starting early September. For India, not only are modalities in agriculture and Nama of high importance in the WTO negotiations but progress in talks on the rules, services and Trips are also critical to the successful of Doha agreement. India has repeatedly told WTO director general Pascal Lamy that it views these issues equally important. India is against the proposal by the chairperson to amend the WTO's anti-dumping agreement to permit zeroing in dumping investigations and subsequent reviews, which the US is strongly supporting. The US also wants fisheries subsidies to be limited for they contribute to overfishing, but developing countries such as India oppose it for it could threaten the livelihood of small-scale fishermen. In his communication to delegations ambassador Galmes stated that it is necessary to have further discussions on fisheries subsidies as the situation is "more complex and the problem is of a different nature.'