WTO -Bangladesh continues negotiations on apparel?s duty-free access to US mkt"

Financial Express: "LDCs to maintain unity until demands are met
Bangladesh continues negotiations on apparel?s duty-free access to US mkt"
Govinda Shil
12/16/2005

Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury said Thursday he is hopeful about inclusion of the issue of apparel exports in the agenda of duty- and quota-free items to the US market.

Bangladesh, Vietnam and other apparel exporting countries were continuing their negotiations with the USA until the filing of this report at 8.30 PM (Bangladesh Standard Time or BST) on apparel issue to break a deadlock.

The deadlock ensued when the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman said Bangladesh and Vietnam should not be getting zero tariff and unlimited access to the US market.

'I am not satisfied, so far, (with the WTO meetings),' said Chowdhury, the head of Bangladesh's delegation to the sixth World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting, in an interview over the telephone with the Financial Express.

The minister said, the USA has, however, agreed to provide duty and quota free entry of some 2,000 items.

Earlier, the least developed countries (LDCs) sat together and decided to maintain close unity among themselves until their demands for market access, handling farm subsidy issue, movement of labour force are met, said a commerce ministry source in Dhaka.

'Our unity is quite strong?and I believe we will hold it up,' declared Chowdhury, saying all the LDCs have been demonstrating a strong fellow feeling for each other.

Chowdhury is expecting Vietnam and Bangladesh would be able to get 'something' through negotiations with the United States that announced significant trade-facilitation aid to the poorest nations.
'I won't be satisfied until export items of all the LDCs are given duty- and quota-free access to the markets of the developed nations,' said Bangladesh's commerce minister.

As the LDCs expressed their dissatisfaction over the market access issue, the USTR Rob Portman called upon ministers not to leave Hong Kong without setting a date for another meeting to settle a framework that would guide them in striking a new trade deal by the end of 2006.

Rob Portman, according to reports by the wire services, said at a press conference that Bangladesh and Vietnam should not be receiving duty- and quota-free facilities as there are some African nations who need such facilities most and that Bangladesh would soon be graduating to 'developing country' status.

Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury defended Bangladesh's stance, saying that apparel was one of the sectors of the country that might have been doing better, but the Bangladesh is still a member of LDC group and deserves better treatment in areas of trade.

Earlier, the Bangladesh minister met Vietnam delegates to adopt a common strategy after US had said 'no' to their apparel export proposal. He also met Iran's trade minister, Director General (DG) of WTO Pascal Lamy, and the delegation of the Maldives Thursday.
Many countries like Brazil, China, France and Australia have endorsed the duty- and quota-free market access of Bangladesh and other LDC members.

The World Bank added its voice to the indignation expressed by the LDCs over their treatment to the WTO meeting in Hong Kong, saying there had been much talk about development but too little action.

BSS adds from Hong Kong: The tricky negotiation at the WTO global trade summit in Hong Kong is entering the most critical stage as the LDCs are putting vigorous efforts to win the zero tariff access of their products to the market of the developed nations.
The Bangladesh garment export issue has come to the fore as some major developed countries appear to be reluctant to allow zero tariff access to readymade garments of Bangladesh in their markets.

In talks with Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury Wednesday, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy frankly acknowledged the hard time Bangladesh is facing in negotiation table. He said he fully understands it and hopes to solve the problem in the end.

Altaf told the news agency the issue is 'a long war' to establish the legitimate trade interests of Bangladesh in the competitive world as an individual nation and as a partner of the LDC group.