India says developed countries undermining Doha round of talks

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday said the proposals for reduction of tariffs on industrial goods given by developed countries in the last few months at the WTO undermine the goal of promoting development that the Doha Round of talks had started out with.

"The proposals by developed countries over the last few months have not only flouted the less-than-full-reciprocity mandate but seem to be looking at effacing the development dimension of the Doha Round," a statement by Commerce and
Industry Ministry said.

While launching the Doha round of talks, the WTO members had agreed that developing countries would have to take less cuts than developed countries. This principle was reiterated at subsequent meetings of the multi-lateral trade negotiating body.

The statement said the formula suggested by the developed countries seeks to bring down the duties in the developing countries by 66 per cent while they will bring them down just by 33 per cent.

This would open up the markets of developing countries for developed countries without giving them any major advantage in return as tariffs for them would not come down in a significant way.

"If this is what the proposers believe the development round should deliver, we should re-examine the etymology of development," the statement said.

The statement also countered the argument that the developed countries had already brought down their tariffs, saying that they still have highest duties on products that developing countries would like to export to them.