Ministers from more than 20 countries wrapped up WTO talks on Sunday, failing to find common ground on key issues of agricultural trade reform and poor countries’ access to life-saving drugs. How far and how quickly to tear down barriers to world farm trade was a key topic of the discussions, which showed countries were still widely split on the issue.“Different views were expressed as to the levels of ambition or balance we should be seeking,” Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, who chaired the meeting, told a news conference. But Kawaguchi said that the latest informal talks, on everything from import duties to generic drugs, would help push forward trade liberalisation negotiations launched in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001.“We had an intensive discussion and I believe we have contributed to keeping and strengthening the momentum of the round,” Kawaguchi said. The Tokyo talks were meant to give ministers a chance to take stock of progress to date, as the clock ticked towards a March 31 deadline to agree on such controversial farm issues as targets for tariff cuts. Failure to meet the March 31 deadline would reduce the chances of the overall set of WTO negotiations—on agriculture, services, manufactured goods and other sectors—being wrapped up by the target date of January 2005. At the meeting, differences came to the fore over a plan released earlier by the WTO’s chief agricultural mediator, Stuart Harbinson. Harbinson’s plan had proposed cutting the highest import tariffs on farm goods but not imposing ceilings on those duties. The plan pleased neither of the two main camps in the talks: the United States and other big exporters that want aggressive liberalisation, and the more protectionist Japan and EU, which want less drastic change. The two sides could not agree on whether the plan could form the basis for negotiations, so the blueprint had to be sent back to the drawing board. Such differences were underscored by comments by various ministers after the conclusion of the talks. “Australia and other members of the Cairns group are becoming increasingly concerned that if Europe is not prepared to play the same role it expects of its partners, the round could be headed for trouble,” said Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile. US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick criticised Japan for its stance on farm trade liberalisation.Delegates clashed over proposals to allow developing nations to import cheap copies of patented medicine when facing public health problems. US’ demand that extra restrictions be placed on the types of diseases to be covered has already caused the WTO’s 145 member countries to miss an end-2002 deadline on the issue.
