BRAZIL: WTO Taft Goods Demarche Response

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000319 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB/TPP/MTA/MST FOR AARON SCHEIBE DEPT PASS USTR FOR BNORTON USDOC FOR DMENDOZA AND EBRZYTWA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD WTO BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL: WTO Taft Goods Demarche Response REF: A) State 20817 ¶1. (U) EconOff delivered reftel points in to Peter Fox, GOB Deputy Director of Division of Market Access at the MFA. Fox, who will leave for the Geneva talks on 24 February, said that he had read in full the USG position on the issue and, after discussions both internally and externally with private industry groups, the GOB identified two issues preventing it from co-sponsoring the USG text as presented. ¶2. (U) First, he noted that the GOB is in the process of standardizing labeling within Mercosul. Since this has not been completed, the GOB does not have a base for comparison of Mercosul standards to the USG position. ¶3. (U) Second, he stated that while awaiting a Mercosul policy, the GOB is using an internally developed rule and the USG position does not "precisely" fit GOB requirements. He added that the GOB is open to discussions in Geneva to find common ground on this issue. Sobel