India more optimistic about Doha Round: Nath

Commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath is optimistic that there will be a successful conclusion to the Doha Round of world trade talks, after meetings in New York this week as part of the US-India Trade Policy Forum. “There will be a conclusion, I am optimistic,” Nath told reporters in New York. However, he quickly added, “I don’t want to set timelines or deadlines.”

Top US and Indian officials are meeting this week to discuss ways to boost business ties and attempt a last-ditch effort to reach a world trade deal. “We had a chat and now our people in Geneva are continuing the discussions and I do hope everyone will respect each others sensitivities,” Nath said. “We discussed manufacturing flexibility, we discussed agricultural flexibility. The headline is agricultural flexibility,” he added.

“On manufacturing tariffs, we have flexibility and in the end we have to see what a package deal is. The US-India talks coincide with the annual start of the UN General Assembly session. India and Brazil, as leaders the G20 developing country negotiating bloc, have pressed the US for deeper farm subsidy cuts than it has offered so far.

Washington has signalled willingness to move further on farm subsidies, but says that action depends on advanced developing countries like India and Brazil opening their markets to more foreign farm and manufactured goods. “There is a greater comprehension of India’s sensitivities, comprehension that was not there before,” Nath said.