With the world on the cusp of a serious recession, last weekend’s G20 summit of the leaders of the richest industrial and emerging economies pledged to maintain an open global economy in the face of the economic downturn. In … Continue Reading…
When the subprime crisis started to turn into a full-blown financial crisis for the United States, German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück claimed that the crisis was principally a U.S. problem and that Germany’s banking system was robust enough to cope with potential losses. Unfortunately, Mr. Steinbrück was wrong … Continue Reading…
History tells us that multilateral trade rounds never die, and Doha is no exception. If the negotiations cannot be concluded this year, they will enter a period of hibernation, and things will pick up again when conditions are ripe to engage in a meaningful negotiation (probably during the second half … Continue Reading…
Making progress in multilateral trade negotiations involving more than 150 countries is very difficult. Negotiations require exchanges - offering something for what you want. Given the widely discrepant wealth of developed and developing countries, the poorest countries must, in relative terms, offer a great deal more.
Negotiations can advance because the … Continue Reading…
The gains from a Doha Round would greatly exceed those of the Uruguay Round. It would be a shame if an inability to find a solution to the SSM on the one hand, and further reduce trade distorting support on the other, derails the Doha Round, Such a failure would … Continue Reading…
In my view a failed Ministerial is not a failed Round. I am not aware that any of the negotiators have indicated that the Round has failed, and it is important as talks move forward to remain committed to sound agricultural policy, both in international trade and on a domestic … Continue Reading…
Significant progress occurred during the July negotiations in Geneva. However, many differences remained, both within the issues included in the Lamy package and in other areas that