Lamy: U.S. Needs to Do Its Part for Doha
The WTO Director-General spoke in Washington, urging U.S. leadership to remember what it could gain from a successful Doha Round.
Compiled by staff
Published: Apr 24, 2007
It is in the best interest of the U.S. to make concessions in order to help ensure the conclusion of the Doha Round by the end of this year, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said Monday.
Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Lamy addressed the crowd at an event titled "Is Time Running out on U.S. Leadership?" It would seem Lamy's answer is, in short, "yes," but he acknowledges that the same is true for many other important players "Let me reassure you," he said of the event's title, "it is the same question that I get about Brussels, New Delhi, Brasilia or Beijing.
The U.S., EU, Brazil, and India are the major actors that, Lamy says, " despite being politically committed to concluding this negotiation by around the end of this year, are somewhat paralyzed by fear that any move in the negotiation by any one of them will be pocketed by the others and will not lead to reciprocal moves."
"It is time to go back to the basics of trade negotiations, a win-win game where the sum of the collective gains is certainly much larger than the contribution each participant makes."
Although all of the major players need to contribute, Lamy emphasizes the crucial role the U.S. plays. "US leadership is always required to sustain the WTO but the exercise of this leadership by the Administration and Congress in the weeks and months ahead will be key to the fate of the Round."
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