Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SAOPAULO718
2006-06-29 15:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Sao Paulo
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: WORLD TRADE: WTO DOHA ROUND NEGOTIATIONS IN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSO #0718 1801509 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 291509Z JUN 06 FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5337 INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 6424 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7226 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2504
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000718
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WORLD TRADE: WTO DOHA ROUND NEGOTIATIONS IN
GENEVA; SAO PAULO
"New Attempt To Overcome The Doha Round Impasse"
Business-oriented Valor Economico editorialized (6/29): "It would be
excessive optimism to expect that the diplomats who will meet as of
today in Geneva can make a significant step forward to remove the
negotiations from the enormous impasses in which they are involved.
There are old and profound differences, and more controversial
proposals are on their way.... Understanding [between developing and
developed nations] has shown no progress since the Hong Kong
meeting.... The EU, a champion of agricultural protectionism,
refuses to make important concessions to permit the access to its
markets and partially disarm the high barrier it raised in the form
of tariffs.... Despite George W. Bush's many speeches urging the
conclusion of the Doha Round, the US is a major part of the problem,
because it is reluctant in reducing the heavy system of domestic
support to its farmers. US internal subsidies are gigantic, as well
as are those of its partners.... If the current differences were not
enough, the US has just added another important one to the list. It
has resuscitated the so-called 'peace clause,' which had been
cancelled in 2003, to prevent its internal policies from being
opposed at the WTO, as was the case of cotton, in which the US was
defeated. In such an environment of minimal concessions, the
proposal was included in the long list of the unacceptable ones. A
Doha Round failure or its postponement - the most likely scenarios -
will harm more the developing nations.... Brazil is right to give
priority to the Doha Round, but it will be particularly unprotected
if the round is not successful. Brazil has neglected the FTAA
creation, obtains little progress in the negotiations with the EU,
and tends to lose trade advantages within its own region as a result
of the agreements the US is working on in the Andes and in the
Caribbean."
McMullen