2. International Trade Negotiations:
WTO and FTAs
- John Riley, NZ High Commission, London

3. Our panel: Yaryna Ferencevych, US Embassy (State)
Jennie Wilson, US Embassy (FAS)
Tiffany McDonald, Aus High Com
Matt Molloy, DEFRA, UK
and John Riley

4. Countries tend to act in their national interest.
Things to consider:
Countries tend to act in their national interest.
What is it that drives the decisions of politicians and officials?

5. Trade Policy World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
Bilateral Trade Access (removing regulatory barriers)

6. WTO Secretariat in Geneva 153 Members
Accession process – college fraternity
Membership led oganisation

7. WTO (continued…) Decisions made by consensus
Surprisingly very effective (dispute settlement)
Ministerial meetings roughly biannually

8. 2 important WTO principles
National Treatment
Most Favoured Nation

9. History Began 1947 with the GATT
Negotiating Rounds – GATT, Kennedy, Tokyo, Uruguay
Started with non-agricultural subsidies then tariffs
Technical barriers addressed later

10. How are WTO Rounds Negotiated?
By CONSENSUS!

11. Yeah, nah… but there are 153 Members so…
Negotiating Groups
Modalities
Chair’s texts
Ministerial Meetings
The green room

12. How are WTO Rounds negotiated?
The majors crunching it
Splitting the difference (don’t get salami sliced)
Hand of God text
Lock them in a room!

13. Why would they do a deal? Important factors:
Political capital = industry + votes
Reason for urgency (TPA)

14. Commenced 2001 Called Doha Development Agenda Incomplete
WTO Doha Round
Commenced 2001
Called Doha Development Agenda
Incomplete

15. Some important Doha dates
2001 mandate
July 2004 framework
Hong Kong December 2005
Came close to modalities in July 2008

16. The Negotiating Groups
Agriculture (subsidies and tariffs)
Non-agricultural market access (tariffs and NTBs)
Services

17. Other Negotiating Groups
Rules (anti-dumping, fish subsidies)
TRIPS (intellectual property, GIs)
Trade facilitation

18. Special and Differential Treatment
Developed countries
Developing countries
Least developed countries

19. Who are the key players?
The G4

20. Do they have offensive interests or defensive interests?
If a WTO Member wants to reduce tariffs or subsidies…
If a WTO Member wants to maintain tariffs or subsidies…
the Member has offensive interests
the Member has defensive interests

21. US EU Brazil India defensive offensive offensive offensive (?!)
Agriculture:
Domestic support
(subsidies reductions)
Market Access
(tariff reductions)
Non-agricultural goods: US EU
Brazil
India
defensive
offensive
offensive
offensive (?!)
defensive
offensive
offensive
offensive
defensive
offensive
defensive
defensive
Is each Member mainly offensive or defensive?
Mainly wants to reduce measures
Mainly wants to maintain measures

22. Which Members are saying this?
“We can’t offer to reduce non-agricultural tariffs until other countries offer to decrease agricultural subsidies and agricultural tariffs”
- Brazil and India

23. Which Member is saying this?
“We can’t offer to reduce agricultural subsidies until other countries offer to decrease their tariffs”
- US

24. Which Member is saying this?
“We can’t offer to reduce agricultural tariffs until other countries offer to reduce agricultural subsidies and non-agricultural tariffs”
- EU

25. What about China?

26. G20 (developing countries wanting reduced agriculture subsidies by developed countries)
Argentina, Bolivia, Plurinational State of, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Zimbabwe

27. G33 (developing countries who are defensive on agriculture tariffs)
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Plurinational State of, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, China, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Republic of, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Zambia, Zimbabwe

28. G10 (defensive on ag)
Chinese Taipei, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Republic of, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Norway, Switzerland

29. Cairns group (offensive on ag subsidies and tariffs)
Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Plurinational State of, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay

30. Cairns group (offensive on ag subsidies and tariffs)
Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Plurinational State of, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay

31. G100

32. What is the situation with Doha now?

33. Substantially all trade Can’t deal with subsidies
FTA Negotiations
Substantially all trade
Can’t deal with subsidies

34. Some common FTA areas Goods (tariffs) Services Investment
Government procurement
Intellectual property
TBT/SPS (Non-tariff barriers)
Labour and Environment

35. Bilateral Market Access
e.g. Sanitary and Phytosanitary conditions
Sometimes justified
Sometimes not 

36. Thank You!