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Org." , "TAED" , "Tassos Hatzimikes" , "The South-Nord federation" , "Thierry Kesteloot" , "Tobias Reichert" , "Toby Kasper MSF" , "Tom Hansen ART" , "Tristan Le Cotty" , "Trocaire 3" , "Trocaire4" , "Ugo Biggeri" , "Vincent Espagne" , "Wendel Trio" , "WIDE" , "Chantal Marijnissen" , "Genevra Forwood" , "Anja" , "June Zeitlin" , "Nadia Johnson" , "Lars Anderskouv NGO Policy Adviser" , "Volunteer2 4 WDM" , "Intern @ WDM" , "Kees--Journalist" , "Grassroots Globalization Network" , =?Windows-1252?Q?B=E9atrice_Gorez--CFFA_Coordinator?= , "Margaret Harris Project Officer" , "Alice Carl" , "Barbara Evers" , "Meredyth B Ailloud \(SDI\)" , "Peter Wahl" , "Suvi Virkkunen" , "Andrew Simms--Writer" , "Karine Tavernier Solagral" , "EFTA efta advocay" , "Gichinga Ndirangu" , "Nicole Metz" , "Hans Steinmuller GERMANWATCH Researcher" , "Elie Jouen NGO GATS Researcher Brussels" , "Marion Lienert NGO--DevZone Librarian NZ" , "E.M Koshy aofgindia" , "Mum" , "MONTES DE OCA Julio - Ramsar" Subject: WTOIL#284 | Thu-10 Oct. | [REG-TRADE]: New Zealand says "No!" to Bilateralism in Trade; EU-ECOWAS Trade Pact Ratified?; ASEAN the Dragon?; ASEAN & China Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 17:48:15 +0200 Organization: ICDA's WTO Impact List MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 =^============================================= WTO Impact List ##284 | Thu-10 Oct. | [REG-TRADE]: New Zealand says "No!" to Bilateralism in Trade; EU-ECOWAS Trade Pact Ratified?; ASEAN the Dragon?; ASEAN & China ==^============================================= Dear WTO Impact Lister, Thursday's articles re-visited the topic of ASEAN (articles 2,3,4) and explored the ramifications and consequences of deepening the heretofore integration that exists within that region. There is much consensus that considering the unique nature of the region -- comprising both developed and least-developed countries -- makes it incumbent for Asian officials, especially those in sympathy with ASEAN's vision of pan-Asian integration, to forge together and confront globalisation. Never has it been more propitious to do so than now when, the article intimates, the EU and US are forming their strong regional blocs. (EU with Cotonou?; US with FTAA by 2005?) The other articles re-visit ECOWAS, and its involvement with the EU for the EPAs negotiations that started 27 September here in Brussels at DG Trade. Finally articles 6 and 1 deal respectively with New Zealand's possibilities on trade -- free trade with US & Australia; free trade with US exclusively, or multilateralism through the WTO -- whereas the first article, an overview of September's focus on regional trade -- written by my colleague Melita -- revisits MERCOSUR...and ASEAN Sober reading! Emmanuel **********************************************************¨***************** ********** **PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EMAIL FOR THIS LIST HAS CHANGED: icda@tiscali.be. Sending mails to icda@yucom.be will arrive, but slower than usual as the two have merged -- YUCOM with TISCALI ** **************************************************************************** ********** ___________________________________ If you have any constructive suggestions or comments about the ICDA WTO Impact List, or articles and news to contribute, do not hesitate to contact us! Best regards, Emmanuel.K.Bensah & Anjali Ramachandran & Melita Sammut ekbensah@icda.be anjali@icda.be melitasammut@icda.be ************************************************************ List of contents: 1) SOD REPORT 14.4: ON MERCOSUR, ASEAN, & TRADE DISPUTES 2) ASEAN & CHINA TO WORK FOR SINGLE LARGEST FTA IN WORLD 3) WORKING TOGETHER TO CONFRONT GLOBALISATION 4) CREATING ASEAN FTA REQUIRES MORE DISCUSSION 5) EU and ECOWAS SET TO RATIFY TRADE PACT 6) TRYING OUT THE KEYS TO FREE TRADE ************************************************************ 1) SOD REPORT 14.4: ON MERCOSUR, ASEAN, & TRADE DISPUTES From: ICDA Secretariat Date: 8 October, 2002 By: Melita Sammut, Programme Intern ====================================================== [Q U O T E OF THE A R T I C L E] ====================================================== "Such countries seem unwilling to fully and freely open their borders, as the free-trade mantra of the US and the WTO suggest they should." _________________ Summary, Overview & Development Report 14.4 Regional Trade By Melita Sammut, ICDA Secretariat ************** There was a wealth of news in August about the various regional trading blocs. Negotiations and disputes between and within these groups are a permenant dynamic of the world trading system today. Regional blocs are upheld as a way in which developing countries can protect their trade against the advanced industrial countries, and can enable weaker countries to wield more power in trade negotiations with other regions. This was illustrated in early August when it was reported that South America ’s two regional trading blocks, MERCOSUR and the Andean Community, would join forces to better negotiate with the US in ongoing talks around a free-trade zone in the Western hemisphere (Free Trade Area of the Americas, FTAA) Stanley Chan also reported on the strengths of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which expanded rapidly in the 1990’s to include members such as Vietnam and Cambodia. ASEAN is often regarded as a very weak collaboration, which lacks unity and has only limited effectivness in the region. Chan argues, however, that the primary mission of ASEAN is clear and involves preventing the domination of Southeast Asia by external power, specifically China, Japan and India. In line with this goal, Chan reports that ASEAN has "been successful at taking advantage of the fears and ambitions of the major external powers to counter-balance each of them, while extracting concessions along the way. They have done this without greatly sacrificing their own dependence" (Asia times, 10 August). In contrast to this news on ASEAN, it was reported that there was conflict with the COMESA trade agreement. Egypt and Kenya were embroiled in various trade disputes regarding Kenya imposing trade restrictions on Egypt and Egypt trying to export some dubious paper products to Kenya. Such countries seem unwilling to fully and freely open their borders, as the free-trade mantra of the US and the WTO suggest they should. South America, which, as a region has experienced a fairly unstable economy over the past decades, is currently worrying economists. The shock waves from the Argentinian crisis at the beginning of the year are spreading throughout the region. Critics argue that such regional economic crises are symptomatic of the larger instability in the global economy as whole, in which individual private interests can manipulate and bet on currencies in order to accumulate personal profit. Uruguay has been particularly effected by the Argentinian crisis. Andrés Gaudin reported in August that "In the past 7 months, bank deposits in Uruguay have dropped by 37 percent and foreign currency reserves by 79 percent, while the currency had lost 41 percent of its value against the US dollar." This situation led to massive social unrest and unemployment. Foreign investment in the entire region has also dropped since the Argentinian crisis began. Bolivia and Paraguay have registered virtually no foreign investment in the past two years, according to ECLAC. And this is a region that is deeply embroiled in the loan-debt cycle of the Bretton Woods institutions. Some economists criticise MERCOSUR for not appropriately dealing with the crisis as a trading bloc. MERCOSUR it is argued, continues to look to the US, who has historically played a large role in dictating Latin American economic policy, for solutions. Brazilian Congressman Aloiio Mercadante of the Workers Party believes "MERCOSUR must be re-founded so it can negotiate as a bloc with the United States and the European Union." Developments It was reported in August that Slovakia, Europe’s youngest state was on the verge of being invited into the EU and the NATO military alliance. Slovakia is hoping that EU membership will attract much needed foreign investment from Western firms. However, the extent to which this kind of investment, which often leaves the country and isn’t used to finance development, will benefit Slovakian citizens, remains to be seen. The invitation was dependent on the results of the September election, which has now taken place. The EU’ s man Rudolf Schuster was successful in securing 47.4 %, while his opponent received 37.2 %. It seems likely therefore that Slovakia will enter the EU in 2004 with the rest of the EU candidate countries. The EU released a report entitled "Women and the EU", which gave an overview of attitudes and opinions of women from 10 EU candidate countries. The report was developed as part of NEWW-Polska’s activities in the project "Gender and Economic Justice in the EU Accession and Integration" (WTOIL #249 22 August). Finally, in August we delivered the news that President Bush signed a bill in Washington giving him authority to negotiate trade deals with foreign countries without interference by Congress. The US also continues to push for global free trade. The problem with this is that America still protects its own producers with high subsides. In early June Congress passed what was called "the biggest reversal to free trade in decades" (Andrews, E in WTOIL#254 29th August). This measure provided $100 billion in subsides to American farmers over the next 10 years. Meanwhile in Geneva US groups continue to cut their subsides and open their markets. Furthermore, last spring, the Bush administration infuriated leaders from Germany and South Korea by imposing new tariffs on foreign steel. The message seems to be "do as we say not as we do". [ENDS] _________ (c) Melita Sammut, 2002 ************************************************************* 2) ASEAN & CHINA TO WORK FOR SINGLE LARGEST FTA IN WORLD From: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/08/content_588321.htm Date: 8 October, 2002 By: Xinhua News Agency ======================================================= [Q U O T E OF THE A R T I C L E] ======================================================= "ASEAN needs to respond to the rapid changes in the strategic landscape in East Asia, and a nascent sense of an East Asian Community is emerging, although ASEAN and the Northeast Asian countries (China, Japan and Korea) have yet to crystallize a common vision on the nature and direction of East Asian cooperation" _________________ KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 8 (Xinhuanet)-- Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said Tuesday in a ground breaking initiative, ASEAN and China will work to create the single largest Free Trade Area (FTA)in the world. ¡¡¡¡The two sides agreed last year to establish the FTA with a regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of around two trillion US dollars, Goh said in a keynote address at the East Asia Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum here. ¡¡¡¡Some 800 representatives including government officials, business leaders and researchers mostly from Asia are attending the three-day summit which began Sunday. ¡¡¡¡The prime minister said studies for the ASEAN-China FTA project that ASEAN exports to China could grow by almost 50 percent. ¡¡¡¡ASEAN needs to respond to the rapid changes in the strategic landscape in East Asia, and a nascent sense of an East Asian Community is emerging, although ASEAN and the Northeast Asian countries (China, Japan and Korea) have yet to crystallize a common vision on the nature and direction of East Asian cooperation, Goh observed. ¡¡¡¡He said, "we should push ahead with greater integration of EastAsian economies. It will put us in better stead to respond to the formation of large economic blocs in Europe and the Americas." ¡¡¡¡He said, ASEAN must make sure that it continues to drive this emerging community through the ASEAN-plus-three process. ¡¡¡¡On the challenges and opportunities posed by a rising China, Goh said if ASEAN restructures its economies and integrates them more deeply, it can be well prepared and positioned to ride on China's growth. ¡¡¡¡Meanwhile, Goh also urged ASEAN to enhance linkages with India and other key partners. ¡¡¡¡The summit, "Renewing Asia's foundations of growth: building ondiversity," takes place at a time when the region has just recovered from the Financial Crisis in 1997-98. ¡¡¡¡The summit will discuss issues including the regional competitiveness, corporate reform, capital market revitalization and social responsibility. Enditem ___________ Copyright © 2000 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ************************************************************** 3.) WORKING TOGETHER TO CONFRONT GLOBALISATION From: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/BT/Wednesday/Business/20021009014439 Date: 9 October, 2002 By: LOKMAN MANSOR ======================================================= [Q U O T E OF THE A R T I C L E] ======================================================= "Hishammuddin said that in regional groupings like Asean (Association of South-East Asian Nations) and Asean+3, each country is encouraged to develop, grow and open up for trade. However, they are allowed to do so at their own pace" _________________ REGIONAL cooperation, relegated to the back seat after the 1997 financial crisis as the region’s economies became preoccupied with their domestic problems, needs to be revitalised to effectively meet the challenges of globalisation. “It is important to draw the right lessons from the past by assessing what the region got right, what its weaknesses are and what kind of approach must be taken,” Thai member of Parliament and deputy leader of the Democrat Party Abhisit Vejjajiva said. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s East Asia Economic Summit in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, he said that Asia’s pre-1997 economic success was achieved as a result of the region’s outward approach to development and recognition of the importance of the entrepreneurial spirit and market competitiveness. Abhisit was on the panel of Asia’s new generation of leaders discussing “Development: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future”. Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein, in his presentation, said that national priorities over the years had widened the gap between the developed and less developed economies in the region. With multilateralism under threat, he called for the strengthening of regional institutions as a fall-back measure. “We are a diverse region with both developed and least developed economies. We are also a region where three major civilisations converged and have co-existed for centuries. We can show the world that there need not be a clash of civilisations,” he said. Hishammuddin said that in regional groupings like Asean (Association of South-East Asian Nations) and Asean+3, each country is encouraged to develop, grow and open up for trade. However, they are allowed to do so at their own pace. “Asia must show that even within a community, there can be a sense of individual identity. When we have done this, globalisation will then become a tool for development, growth and prosperity,” he added. Abhisit said that while the subsequent recovery in Asia demonstrates the region’s resilience, the outlook remains fragile and it faces several key risks, including external factors that can upset stability in the global financial and economic system. “The inability to keep up with best practices and loss in competitiveness may make a return to a high-growth path difficult, if not impossible,” he said. Another risk is the increasing inequity within and between societies that can lead to conflicts and disrupt social harmony as more groups feel marginalised. The rate of depletion of natural resources may also create additional points of conflict, and development may not be sustainable. Meanwhile, Centre for Strategic and International Studies director Rizal Sukma said economies in the region realised after the 1997 crisis that they needed to understand each other’s problems, differences and expectations. Indonesia’s experience, he added, showed the importance of having public participation in the debate on globalisation. __________ Copyright © The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, Balai Berita 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. *************************************************************** 4.) CREATING ASEAN FTA REQUIRES MORE DISCUSSION From: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/BT/Wednesday/Business/20021009014105 Date: 9 October, 2002 By: FAUZIAH ISMAIL ======================================================= [Q U O T E OF THE A R T I C L E] ======================================================= " "We should push ahead with greater integration of East Asian economies. It will put us in better stead to respond to the formation of large economic blocs in Europe and the Americas,” " __________________ SINGAPORE Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong believes that a single market for Asean (Association of South-East Asian Nations), modelled after that of the European Economic Community (EEC) in the 1950s, is attainable. Asean leaders must discuss the matter further, he said at a question and answer session after delivering his keynote address on “Deepening Regional Integration and Cooperation” at the World Economic Forum’s East Asia Economic Summit in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. However, Goh acknowledged that the move towards an “Asean Economic Community” will take time as various issues have to be addressed. They include the use of a common currency in the region and the free flow of not only trade, services and goods but also people. “We cannot rule out the common Asean currency… in maybe 10 or 20 years... we first have to have equal levels of economic development among members. “Where the free flow of people is concerned, I think this would be pretty difficult to achieve as there are still pockets of prosperity and large tracts of poverty among Asean countries. I don’t think this is possible at this stage. “I am looking at an EU (European Union) type of cooperation among Asean countries in the far, far future,” he said. The EEC, at its inception, was aimed at removing tariff and non-tariff barriers and attaining full connectivity in transport, telecommunications and other economic links. Earlier in his address, Goh said Asean will still have a critical role to play as East Asian economies move towards greater integration. Asean is already acting as an interface to facilitate interaction among the 10 members of Asean and three other countries, namely Japan, China and South Korea. “We should push ahead with greater integration of East Asian economies. It will put us in better stead to respond to the formation of large economic blocs in Europe and the Americas,” he said. Asean, too, has to deal with the challenges and opportunities presented by China, which has drawn in proportionately more investments than Asean post-1997. “Asean opened its economies to foreign investors years before China did. Its economic institutions were more developed than China’s. “But push factors have reduced foreign direct investment inflow (FDI) into Asean as much as China’s pull factor has,” Goh said. He added, however, that if Asean now restructures its economies and integrates them more deeply, it can increase its share of FDI in East Asia. “It must convince the business community, too, that it remains committed to trade liberalisation and to achieving its Vision 2020. It must not backslide on the implementation of its agreements,” he said ____________ Copyright © The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad, Balai Berita 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia **************************************************************** 5.) EU and ECOWAS SET TO RATIFY TRADE PACT From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200209300422.html Date: 29 September, 2002 By: Nik Ogbulie; This Day (Lagos) ======================================================= *There are a few spelling mistakes in this article. We hope this does not detract from the clarity of the journalist's argument*--Ekb. ======================================================= [Q U O T E OF THE A R T I C L E] ======================================================= "participants at the negotiation may not tow their countries lines of interest as the EU has indicated that regional blocks appear ready and easy to deal with." ___________________ Member nations of the Economic Community of West African Sates (ECOWAS) weekend expressed readiness to fully participate in the ongoing trade agreement between the European Union in Brussels. Delegates from all ECOWAS states were sighted at the commissions office and the African, Carribean and Pacific countries (ACP) head office in Brussels for the preliminary talks on the cotonou [sic] agreement, formally known as Lome Convention. The negotiations involving 77 developing countries and 15 european union members will look at the contents of the over 500 page document which is meant to guide the flow of trade and development to the countries involved. In an interview in his office, Mr Poul Nielson,Director General of development in the European Union told Thisday that the commission was satisfied with the level of participation of ECOWAS countries in the ongoing nagotiations. Ecowas looks ready for concrete negotiation. The EU is the largest trading partner anybody can get in the world.Reduction of the major trading barriers is the target. The negotiation today will reflect the thinking of NEPAD and justify our efforts in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Nielson said. While reviewing the likely outcome of the negotiations, Mr Pascal Lamy, Director General of trade in the EU told Thisday that what would to happen was not a classic trade negotiation. He noted that the negotiation would succeed in setting a trade standard that would encourage developement in the 77 poor nations. We want to negotiate with Regional entities which are mandated by their members to do so. Economic integration today is more of standards. We want to build a market today for investment attractiveness and economics of scale in governance, Lamy said. However, participants at the negotiation may not tow their countries lines of interest as the EU has indicated that regional blocks appear ready and easy to deal with. Indications are rife in Brussels that ecowas has articulated very strong posture for the negotiation, eventhough there are other indications that the Francophone countries may opt out of the deal. A total sum of 350 million Euros has been budgeted for trade and development efforts, mainly for capacity building in the 77 countries. In June 2000, the Cotonou agreement was signed by the EU and African, Carre-bian and Pacific countries ACP,to establish a framework for a new economic partnership that is built around trade. Ten African countries including Nigeria represent about 61% of total ACP exports to the EU. ______________ Copyright © 2002 This Day. All rights reserved **************************************************************** 6.) TRYING OUT THE KEYS TO FREE TRADE From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=2947031&thesection=busine ss&thesubsection=trade Date: 27 September, 2002 By: MARTIN RICHARDSON ======================================================= [Q U O T E OF THE A R T I C L E] ======================================================= "even more pessimistic view, from a NZ perspective, is that Bush will be able to use the trade authority but that the US has given up on multilateralism (its main instrument for dealing with Europe) and will use the authority to form bilateral deals. " __________________ Where should New Zealand concentrate its trade negotiation efforts? Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton, recently back from a meeting with Asean trade ministers, is likely to stay pretty busy for the next couple of years. When it comes to bilateral, regional or multilateral trade deals, New Zealand is like Jonah after a test match: willing to sign anything. But we have tended to focus our efforts on the multilateral arena and the question must be asked whether this is effort well spent? The answer depends in large part on the actions of the big players, most notably the US. In March this year President George W. Bush opened his statement announcing a massive schedule of tariffs on imported steel into the US with the remark, "Free trade is an important engine of economic growth and a cornerstone of my economic agenda". In May he signed into being an enormously generous raft of assistance to US farmers, yet in July his trade representative, Robert Zoellick, announced a US proposal to the WTO to drastically cut agricultural subsidies worldwide. But how can the US really be committed to free trade when it is willing to sacrifice important international interests - particularly post-September 11 relations with Europe - for the domestic support of a few politically significant congressmen? How to reconcile US rhetoric on trade policy with its actual practice? A pessimistic view is that they are irreconcilable - actions speak louder than words and while this Administration talks the talk, it does not walk the walk. In this view, July's granting of trade promotion authority (TPA) to Bush (essentially the ability to negotiate trade deals which cannot then be fiddled with by Congress and must be voted up or down in toto) is meaningless. The damage has been done to relations with trading partners (particularly Europe) and the President's shiny new trade authority is a toy he'll not be able to use because no one will want to play with him. The WTO proposal, in this view, is irritating nonsense designed to capture some moral high ground: the US must know that Europe will not touch it as it calls for far greater reductions in agricultural support from Europe and Japan than from the US (although they both start from far higher levels than the US). An even more pessimistic view, from a NZ perspective, is that Bush will be able to use the trade authority but that the US has given up on multilateralism (its main instrument for dealing with Europe) and will use the authority to form bilateral deals. If we are cut out of those we will lose ground to competitors such as Chile and Australia (both high on the US list of potential partners, with Singapore) and we'll suffer as this bilateralism undermines the multilateral process of the WTO. Apologists for the US, however, have argued consistently that these recent concessions to domestic interests on steel and agriculture (and also on lumber and textiles) are just the price that has had to be paid in order to get the trade authority (which squeaked through the House by the smallest of margins). It's a huge price - and the cynic might argue that it illustrates the insignificance of international relations to the Administration. But there's a more optimistic view, which is that the huge price tells us just how important the trade authority is to Bush and Zoellick. If they have been willing to make these sacrifices to get it then it must be that they really do intend to use it as a major instrument of trade policy. What does that mean for New Zealand? There are three avenues by which this might be good news. First, there is the possibility that we might be able to sign a free trade area with the US by ourselves. Personally, I consider this as likely as a John Mitchell All Blacks team with fewer than seven Crusaders in it. Make no mistake: it would be fabulous for the country if a free trade area formed, but the problem is that the main thing such an area can offer the US is gains to its consumers and they get very small weight in assessing such deals. Goodwill alone is insufficient to curry favour with the US (as Pakistan discovered when its requested US textiles tariff relief - as consideration for its very risky participation in the war on terrorism - was rebuffed in favour of protectionist US domestic textile interests). We don't offer a big domestic market to US exporters and, unlike Singapore, which offers a springboard into Asia, the only leg-up we can offer is into Australia, where the US can go directly. The second possibility is a joint free trade area with Australia and the US. This is a more likely scenario - albeit still distant, as US agricultural opposition mobilises because Australia is a more likely potential free trade partner for the US (for reasons of size, geopolitical importance and its resource base) but our problem here will be to persuade Australia to take us along. Nevertheless, I think it is worthwhile pursuing this option with some vigour. If we miss out in the first instance and Australia and the US can conclude a meaningful free trade area between themselves then, while this would defuse some of the internal US opposition to any subsequent deal with us, such a deal would likely meet substantial Australian roadblocks. The third avenue is multilateralism and the WTO. The US has been very active in keeping the WTO relevant by enabling the Doha initiative, and the schedule for the current round dovetails very nicely with the trade promotion authority - both are slated for completion in 2005 (although the authority has an automatic two-year extension unless explicitly overturned by Congress). This may all signal that the US is back at the negotiating table with a vengeance and is willing to resume a leadership role in the multilateral system. One can only hope that this commitment is not undermined by isolationist sentiment in the US (driven by either its increasingly independent attitude to global security or too many more unfavourable WTO decisions) and that US trade practice will match its rhetoric. New Zealand's willingness to talk trade with anyone is a sound and sensible policy. But in answer to my opening question, I do think New Zealand's strong commitment to the WTO is particularly wise: this is surely the country's best hope for gains from the trade authority. We should continue to throw our weight behind multilateral initiatives to liberalise world agricultural trade and, at the same time, take some of the wind out of the sails of increasing bilateralism. * Martin Richardson is professor of economics at the University of Otago ______________ ©Copyright 2002, New Zealand Herald **************************************************************** U S E F U L I C D A W E B S I T E L I N KS **************************************************************** [**] The ICDA WEBSITE IS BEST VIEWED WITH IE 5.5[**] **************************************************************** The WTOIL Page: http://www.icda.be/wtoimpactlist/ Latest News @ ICDA: http://www.icda.be/icdalatest/ ICDA LDC Page: http://www.icda.be/unldc3-index.htm ICDA FfD Page: http://www.icda.be/ffdevelopment/ ICDA ETN Page: http://www.icda.be/cennt/ ****************************************************************** The ICDA WTO Impact List is a regular list issued daily by the International Coalition for Development Action (ICDA). 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