Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TELAVIV4246
2005-07-07 14:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

(C) ISRAEL WILL NOT SUBMIT REVISED OFFER FOR

Tags:  ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004246 

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR EASUMS
GENEVA FOR USTR - ALICIA GREENIDGE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2015
TAGS: ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: (C) ISRAEL WILL NOT SUBMIT REVISED OFFER FOR
SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS

REF: A) SECSTATE 103543 B) SECSTATE 81619

Classified By: Acting Economic Counselor Robert Tansey for Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004246

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR EASUMS
GENEVA FOR USTR - ALICIA GREENIDGE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2015
TAGS: ECON ETRD IS ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: (C) ISRAEL WILL NOT SUBMIT REVISED OFFER FOR
SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS

REF: A) SECSTATE 103543 B) SECSTATE 81619

Classified By: Acting Economic Counselor Robert Tansey for Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d)


1. (C) Econoff delivered reftels to Ministry of Industry,
Trade and Labor staff. Yoram Zara (Director Multilateral
Agreements Division); Yair Shiran (Director International
Agreements and Trade Policy) and Ami Levin (Multilateral
Trade Division, and POC for North America) all stated that
Israel has no intention to submit a revised offer for the
services negotiations "until progress is made on NAMA and
Agriculture negotiations."


2. (C) Shiran commented that Israel was one of only twenty
countries that submitted an initial offer on time and has
"done its part" in advancing the services negotiations. He
also noted that Israel has not submitted any requests for
revisions of other WTO members proposals and does not feel
there is much for Israel to gain in service negotiations,
since they enjoy relatively free market access via bilateral
FTAs.


3. (C) Commenting on the importance of NAMA and Agriculture
negotiations, Shiran said that Israel finds the "request and
offer" process most important, and that they are seeking
specific market access for specific products. As an example
he noted IT products access in Brazil. Turning to the
agriculture negotiations, Shiran commented that Israeli
flexibility in submitting a revised services offer would be
"made easier" if they maintained the right to be considered a
developing country. "In light of heavy US and EU subsidies
for agribusiness," he argued that the only option for
protecting the "relatively un-subsidized and open Israeli
agriculture market" was Israel's ability to maintain some
tariff protection.


4. (C) Finally, Yoram Zara detailed that there is an internal
decision making process occurring regarding a possible
revised services offer. He noted that the one area where
Israel might be willing to make a revised offer was in the
computer field as a member of the Friends of Computer
Services Group. However, he reiterated that any offer in the
services negotiations was tied to progress in other areas.

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