Home>News Center>World
         
 

Last-minute trade deal clinched at WTO meeting
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-18 18:52

But the draft represents a far less ambitious agreement than WTO negotiators had originally hoped to achieve in Hong Kong: a detailed outline for a global free trade agreement that the WTO hopes to forge by the end of 2006, concluding the current round of development-oriented trade talks that began in 2001 in Doha, Qatar.

The draft agreement noted "the compelling urgency of seizing the moment and driving the process to a conclusion as rapidly as possible. We must maintain momentum. You don't close divergences by taking time off to have a cup of tea," it said.

"To meet this challenge and achieve this goal, we must act decisively and with real urgency," the text said.

The final draft also calls on wealthy nations to allow duty-free and quota-free privileges to at least 97 percent of products exported by the so-called least developed countries by 2008.

In a victory for West African cotton-producing nations, the text retained an earlier proposal that rich countries eliminate all export subsidies on cotton in 2006.

It also represents a concession by the United States, a major cotton exporter, and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman had said the proposal would be a hard sell to U.S. lawmakers. Cotton growers in Burkina Faso, Benin, Chad and Mali say the U.S. farm aid drives down prices, making it impossible for small family farms to compete in international markets.

The Group of 20, a collection of developing nations headed by Brazil and India, said it was prepared to accept the draft's proposals on agricultural trade.

Portman was noncommittal, saying he had concerns about the final draft but hoped to end up with an acceptable version.

"Some members have concerns as we do, but in the end there is an overriding need to come together and work out our differences so I'm hopeful we can do that," Portman said as he headed from his hotel to the convention center after reading the draft.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong security forces braced for more fighting and chaos. Some 900 demonstrators, among them many South Korean farmers, were arrested after they went on a rampage Saturday evening, attacking police with bamboo poles and barricades and trying to break into a building. Police scattered them with tear gas and seized control of the area.

Such large-scale violence is rare in this stable Asian financial capital. The last time the city saw such a melee was during 1967 riots aimed at usurping British colonial rule. Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.

Sunday's procession was led by Hong Kong activists, who held a giant red banner saying "Oppose WTO." The protesters included Thai and Filipino migrant workers along with Japanese farmers.

Some of marchers were South Korean farmers who carried cardboard signs saying, "Hong Kong government quickly release our comrades!"


Page: 12



Victory day celebrations in Srinagar
EU's Mandelson says no progress at WTO trade talks
Probe launched into fuel depot blaze near London
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Last-minute trade deal clinched at WTO meeting

 

   
 

Corruption on decline, but big fish caught

 

   
 

Analysts expect China to revise GDP by 20%

 

   
 

Bush: Eavesdropping helps save US lives

 

   
 

Closing gap between haves and have-nots

 

   
 

43 killed in stampede in an India relief center

 

   
  WTO draft sets deadline to end subsidies
   
  WTO negotiators race for compromise deal
   
  Stampede at India relief camp kills 43
   
  WTO negotiators reach sweeping trade deal
   
  Santas go on rampage in New Zealand
   
  25 Israeli cluster bombs found in southern Lebanon
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
WTO draft sets deadline to end subsidies
   
WTO negotiators race for compromise deal
   
WTO negotiators reach sweeping trade deal
   
Progress made in HK WTO conference: spokesman
   
China to play bigger role in WTO talks
   
WTO kicks open trade talks amid protests
   
6th WTO Ministerial Conference opens in Hong Kong
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 阿娇囗交全套高清视频| 亚洲人成影院午夜网站| 欧美xxxxbbb| 性xxxxbbbb| 亚洲女初尝黑人巨高清| 老子午夜伦费影视在线观看| 国产精品无码午夜福利| 中文字幕在线视频免费| 欧美性大战久久久久久| 啊用力太猛了啊好深视频免费| 2023悦平台今天最近新闻| 攵女yin乱合集高h小丹| 亚洲国产一区二区三区| 精品欧洲AV无码一区二区男男 | 稚嫩娇小哭叫粗大撑破h| 国产极品大学生酒店| jizzjizz18日本人| 日本精品一卡二卡≡卡四卡| 亚洲精品午夜国产va久久成人| 色综合视频一区二区三区| 国产精品爽黄69天堂a| 一级特黄色毛片免费看| 欧美freesex10一13| 免费一级特黄特色大片在线 | 久久精品成人无码观看56| 淫444kkk| 啊用力点国产嗯快在线观看| 久久五月天婷婷| 坐公交车弄了2个小时小视频| 久久777国产线看观看精品| 欧美一级在线免费观看| 免费A级毛片无码视频| 被cao的合不拢腿的皇后| 国产精品成人va在线观看| segui久久综合精品| 日日躁夜夜躁狠狠躁超碰97| 亚洲人成色在线观看| 男人把女人桶爽30分钟应用| 国产一区二区三区电影| 日本xxxxx在线观看| 国产麻豆欧美亚洲综合久久|