The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Edward Schafer said here on Wednesday that the United States remained confident on an outline deal in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Doha round by the end of this year.
"We in the United States remain confident that we can see a successful completion to the Doha round this year," said Schafer, who was here for the fifth China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).
"Much progress has been made over the last two months, certainly with the help of the Chinese negotiators, as well as Brazil," said Schafer.
"It is our hope that, should these modalities get a reasonable movement toward agreement, [it] will lead to calling a ministerial session to solve the final issues."
The Doha round was launched seven years ago. However, it hit a deadlock at a ministerial meeting in July amid differences between the United States and India over measures to safeguard subsistence farmers in poor countries from a surge in imports.
It was reported on Wednesday that WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said a meeting of ministers that would try to secure a breakthrough in the Doha round would be possible around Dec. 13 to15.
Given the global financial and economic crisis, WTO members are intensifying negotiations for a Doha Round breakthrough before the end of this year.
"If you look at the calendar, that only gives us about three more weeks. But we do remain confident," Schafer stressed.
As to what concession the United States was prepared to make on agricultural subsidies, he said that it was "ready and willing" to do its part to come to an agreement.
"Earlier in the year, the United States proposed a reduction in our allowable level of subsidies, but I make the point that should we come to the effort to reduce subsidies from the U.S. standpoint, that it must come with new market access for our producers," he emphasized.
The fifth round of the SED is to be held here from Thursday to Friday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who is scheduled to arrive in Beijing very early on Thursday, will head a high-level delegation to meet with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and prominent ministers.
Source: Xinhua
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