Syrian Accession to WTO: Requirements and Opportunities. Discussion

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Syrian Accession to WTORequirements and
Opportunities. Discussion

• Discussion
• José María García Alvarez-Coque
• Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

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Syrian accession to the WTO Not only in the
interest of Syria

• Many developing countries in the world would
  like to see the multilateral system reinforced
• A ruled-based system for everybody is needed to
  avoid unilateral trade policies.

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WTO advantages for developing countries? The
Uruguay Round experience

• The Agreement on Agriculture imposed limits on
  market access, export competition and domestic
  subsidies.
• But
• Negotiations were controlled by the Quad (US,
  EU, Canada and Japan).
• The new rules were comfortable for industrial
  economies.
• Agricultural support in industrial countries
  remained high.

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Developing countries did not give up

• Negotiations were resumed in the Doha Development
  Agenda.
• Objectives for developing countries
• Substantial improvements in market access.
• Strengthening the Special and Differential
  Treatment.
• Substantial reduction (elimination) of
  export-subsidies and trade-distorting domestic
  support in industrial economies.
• The Cancun Conference represented a test of the
  level of organization of developing countries.

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Two examples..
The G-20

• prevented current trade talks from being
  monopolized by the Quad.
• Agricultural negotiations are at a hot point.
• But a more favorable setting for developing
  countries can be envisaged.
• has underlined the effect of US and EU cotton
  subsidies on international prices.

The cotton initiative
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To conclude..

• Developing countries start to trust the system
  (they take part on it).
• Prospects for achieving positive outcomes are
  not too bad.
• WTO rules constrain domestic trade policies. But
  there are still degrees of freedom.
• Trade liberalization is the result of a balanced
  negotiation and mutual concessions, and not of
  unilateral decisions.