EU trade chief welcomes Bush signal on WTO round

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

BRUSSELS, June 16: Europe's trade chief today welcomed signs that US President George W Bush could be more flexible in struggling world trade talks, but said the onus remained on Washington.

Bush said yesterday that Europe and developing countries had to make ''a tough decision'' on lowering barriers to trade ''and the United States is prepared to make a tough decision along with them''.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said today he looked forward to discussing the World Trade Organisation round with Bush at an EU-U.S. summit next week, a few days before a WTO meeting that could be key to the round's chances of success.

''His remarks yesterday suggest that he senses the need for the US to match the EU in additional flexibility,'' Mandelson told reporters in Brussels.

The EU and the United States are at loggerheads over how to cut barriers to farm trade.

Brussels recently said it could be more flexible with its offer to lower import tariffs on agricultural goods, but Washington has dismissed the proposal as little more than a sweetener to concessions that fall far short of its ambitions.

Ministers from key WTO countries are due to meet in late June to try to negotiate a deal to free up trade in farm and industrial goods, two pillars of the WTO's Doha round.

Failure could delay the entire round for several years, a blow to the multilateral trading system.

Mandelson reiterated that the United States was demanding too much from Europe and developing countries in return for too little, especially in its offer on reducing subsidies paid to US farmers.

''The problem is in the US position, that they are offering to pay too little for what they are demanding in return and that has to be remedied before ... we can unlock the possibility of a deal,'' he said.

REUTERS

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