November 14, 2001 (2:45 p.m. EST) No. 153

WTO MEMBERS LAUNCH GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ROUND

International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lyle Vanclief today announced that the agenda for the next round of global trade negotiations promises to open up markets for Canada, brighten the future of Canada's farmers and increase opportunities in the developing world.

The 142 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) closed six days of intense negotiations in Doha, Qatar with an agreement to launch a new round of global trade negotiations to be concluded by January 1, 2005.

"We have met our objectives," said Minister Pettigrew. "The agenda for the next round of negotiations will benefit Canadians and our economy. We are very proud that these negotiations will address the concerns of all WTO members -- especially those from the developing world. This truly will be the growth and development round that Canada has been seeking."

"We have achieved what we came to Doha for -- the launch of broad-based negotiations that will allow us to get on with the job of negotiating a significant outcome in agriculture," said Minister Vanclief. "This is good news not only for Canada, but also for countries engaged in agricultural production around the world."

From Canada's perspective, the major highlights of today's final declaration are:

• setting the level of ambition for agricultural negotiations which seek the reduction, with a view to the phasing out, of all forms of agricultural export subsidies; substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support; and substantial improvements in market access for producers around the world, which would allow Canadian farmers to compete on an equal footing with their international competitors;

• placing the developing world "at the heart" of WTO negotiations with a package of measures aimed at helping them to benefit from the global trading system and to adapt to WTO rules at a pace appropriate to their development needs; and agreement not to proceed with negotiations on investment, competition, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation until the fifth Ministerial Conference in 2003, if there is an explicit consensus on how to proceed;

• a recognition that WTO rules on intellectual property are flexible enough to allow countries to deal with their public health problems and to promote access to medicines, a major concern of developing countries. The declaration also recognizes that patent protection is important in the discovery of new and better medicines;

• negotiations on the reduction or elimination of tariffs on non-agricultural products, promising tangible benefits to both Canadian exporters and developing countries;

• negotiations on anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing measures, which are relevant to some of Canada's major trade disputes, such as softwood lumber;

• agreement that negotiations on services will continue under clear timelines, offering greater opportunities for Canada's service exporters in emerging world markets. Canada, with all other WTO members, has once again reaffirmed the right of countries to regulate the supply of services;

• negotiations on trade and the environment and a reaffirmation of the importance of sustainable development;

• a commitment to make the WTO more transparent and open, reflecting long-standing Canadian proposals; and

• approval of the protocols of accession for China and Chinese Taipei to join the WTO.

A complete backgrounder can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's (DFAIT) Web site at http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/wto-back2-e.asp.

The WTO Declaration can be found on the WTO Web site at http://www-svca.wto-ministerial.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min01_e/min01_e.htm and on the DFAIT Trade Negotiations and Agreements Web page at http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/tna-nac/wto-e.asp.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge

Office of the Minister for International Trade

(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

Donald Boulanger

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

(613) 759-1761

Media Relations Office

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

(613) 759-7972

This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca.