Building Developing Countries' Convergence on Tropical and Diversification Products: Picking the Low Hanging Fruits

30 May 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

Description

The objective of the meeting was to explore the potential for possible convergence between those developing countries that are active proponents of the fullest liberalisation of trade in tropical and diversification products and others which have long benefited from trade preferences for these same commodities. The discussion would focus on those products on which agreement might be most easily reached, and would exclude controversial products such as sugar and bananas.

The July 2004 Framework commits Members to pursue the "full implementation of the long-standing commitment to achieve the fullest liberalisation of trade" in tropical farm products as well as crops that farmers could grow instead of narcotics - so called 'diversification products.' Members still need to identify which products will qualify, and agree on their treatment. WTO Agriculture Chair Ambassador Crawford Falconer proposed that Members establish a "core set" of products that individual countries could build on when scheduling specific liberalisation commitments. Since some products are controversial, Amb. Falconer has suggested that Members could begin by developing a list of products for which agreement exists, before deciding on any others.

In this context, discussions was initiated with a brief presentation of ICTSD's draft paper "Tropical & Diversification Products: Strategic Options for Developing Countries", by its author, economist and formal Colombian trade negotiator, Mr Santiago Perry. Mr Patrick Low, Director of Economic Research and Statistics at the WTO acted as a discussant.