Africa will be the big loser if efforts to revive the Doha round of trade talks fail, World Trade Organisation (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy said on Tuesday.
”If we conclude this round, there will be many winners. If the negotiations fail, no doubt who will be the biggest loser: Africa,” said Lamy.
”We all know that. This is the reality,” added Lamy, who was on a visit to the African Union’s headquarters in Addis Ababa for talks with trade ministers from around the continent.
The WTO suspended the round in July last year after negotiators failed to reach agreement after five years of talks.
The round, launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001, is at an impasse as Western and developing countries remain split on issues such as agricultural subsidies and market access.
Developing countries want lower tariffs on their agricultural exports to United States and European markets while industrialised nations seek greater access to developing and emerging nations for their industrial services and goods. – Sapa-AFP