TRADE AUTO EMAIL

NAIROBI, Kenya – After talks through the night and morning that often teetered on the brink of collapse, the G-5 group of major World Trade Organization members are nearing a deal on a package of agricultural concessions and aiming to circulate the text to all members later today (Dec. 19) for a final decision. The G-5 group consists of the United States, European Union, China, Brazil and India. Some sources said the text that is circulated would include all aspects...

NAIROBI, Kenya – World Trade Organization members are tentatively slated to hold an informal heads of delegation meeting at 11 a.m. local time on Saturday (Dec. 19), but trade officials said it remains unclear whether negotiators will be able to produce a revised text of the ministerial package before then based on discussions that took place overnight between the G-5 group of major members. One source said negotiators were aiming to produce before the meeting a text covering all aspects...

NAIROBI, Kenya - Discussions here among the so-called G-5 group -- the United States, European Union, China, Brazil and India -- on an agriculture package shifted their focus early Saturday morning (Dec. 19) to export subsidies, after the U.S. called for phasing out these subsidies more quickly than had been previously been discussed at the ministerial. The U.S. proposal would require developed countries to immediately eliminate export subsidies, while giving developing members three years to phase out such programs. It...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- While negotiators have still not held substantive discussions here on how the future of the Doha round should be addressed in a ministerial declaration, they have reached agreement on two less controversial aspects of that document, according to a new draft circulated Friday morning (Dec. 18). Those aspects are language complaining about the lack of progress on the core Doha round issues, as well as the special status of so-called small and vulnerable economies (SVEs). The revised...