Jordan Times
Thursday, November 8, 2001
Jordan to attend Doha WTO meeting
By Rana Awwad
AMMAN — Jordan is concerned that launching a new round of negotiations during the 4th ministerial meeting in Doha will entail more compromises regarding inter-market access, officials said on Wednesday.They are worried that any further liberalisation will disrupt the tariff-reduction schedule the Kingdom agreed upon with the WTO, Trade and Industry Ministry sources said.
Upon accession to the world body, Jordan has committed itself to several gradual reductions in customs, which currently stand at a ceiling of 30 per cent. In agreement with the WTO, customs will be slashed to 25 per cent by 2005, and 20 per cent by 2010.
“We have conducted bilateral talks with some influential members which seem to have understood our concerns,” said a ministry source, preferring anonymity.
Represented by an official delegation headed by newly-appointed Trade and Industry Minister Salah Bashir, Jordan will participate in the Nov. 9-13 gathering as a full member for the time since it joined the WTO in April 2000.
The conference, the topmost decision making body of the WTO, is expected to launch a new round of trade talks amid continued debate on whether it is time for another such round.
Main topics on the conference's agenda include initiating the mandated negotiations in the areas of agriculture and services. Other topics that are set to be discussed are launching negotiations in investment environment, competition and labour.
The conference has to meet at least every two years, bringing together the 142-member countries in addition to the customs unions which are members of the organisation.