Jobs & Development/NAMA

Brazil and India Hang Tough

Original Publication Date: 
7 March, 2007
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
Brazil and India agreed this week to reject a coefficient of '15' as advanced by the European Union and the United States in the tariff-cutting formula for developing countries in the nonagricultural market access negotiations.

Debating ‘10’ and ‘15’

Original Publication Date: 
1 March, 2007
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
Ahead of another four-member ministerial effort to reach a 'breakthrough' in the long-stalled Doha Development Agenda negotiations, the NAMA-11 coalition of developing countries yesterday warned that a Swiss formula coefficient of '10' for industrialized countries and '15' for developing countries is 'totally unfair and unbalanced.'

NAMA Group concludes four days of consultations

Original Publication Date: 
6 February, 2007
Source: 
Kanaga Raja, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Feb07/03)
The WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-agricultural Products (NAMA) concluded on Thursday 25 January four days of consultations in different formats to advance the technical work in the negotiations. The consultations to advance technical work covered areas such as Ad Valorem Equivalents, Non-Tariff Barriers, Recently Acceded Members and sectorals.

A NAMA Caucus

Original Publication Date: 
31 January, 2007
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
The chair of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations on nonagricultural market access Don Stephenson has created what he calls a NAMA caucus of some two dozen key World Trade Organization members to accelerate work on all core issues.

Real progress needed on NTBs and sectorals, says NAMA Chair

Original Publication Date: 
29 January, 2007
Source: 
By Kanaga Raja, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The Chair of the WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-agricultural Products (NAMA), in his first open-ended consultations of the new year, encouraged members to work harder on  the issues of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and ‘sectorals’.

G-33 asks World Bank to tweak ?flawed? paper on special products

Original Publication Date: 
12 January, 2007
Source: 
The Financial Express
The World Bank has come under a torrent of criticism from the G-33 group, comprising India and 45 other developing countries, for its paper, which called for raising agricultural prices substantially through special products (SPs)

G-33 blasts draft World Bank paper on Special Products as anti-development

Original Publication Date: 
11 January, 2007
Source: 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt of India
The G-33 group of 46 developing countries had sent a detailed critique on the initial draft paper authored by Maros Ivanic and Will Martin for the World Bank, pointing out that the paper was fundamentally flawed in its assumptions and methodology, ignored the reality of the prevailing agrarian structures in most developing countries and misinterpreted the proposed operation and impact of Special Products (SPs).

G-33 warns WB on ?special products? paper

Original Publication Date: 
11 January, 2007
Source: 
The Economic Times, India
The G-33 group of developing countries, including India and 46 other countries has warned the World Bank that its

NAMA - Not An Easy Row to Hoe

Original Publication Date: 
10 January, 2007
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
As the negotiating climate for the Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations receives a boost from two major players - the United States and the European Union - increased activity in the nonagricultural market access negotiations is expected in the weeks ahead

NAMA Talks to Resume, despite the lack of movement

Original Publication Date: 
4 December, 2006
Source: 
By Goh Chien Yen, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The Negotiating Group on Non- Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) met on 1 December, for the first time

Numsa plan marches on US and EU embassies over tariffs reductions

Original Publication Date: 
16 July, 2006
Source: 
National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa)
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is to stage countrywide general strikes in August to halt removal of industrial tariffs which are expected to open up markets and destroy more jobs and industries.

NAMA modalities paper shows up many areas of division

Original Publication Date: 
26 June, 2006
Source: 
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The paper on draft modalities for non-agriculture market access (NAMA) that will serve as the basis for WTO negotiations in the next ten days contains little in the form of agreed text, and more in terms of comments on the areas of present disagreement among the WTO members.

Developing countries submit texts for NAMA modalities

Original Publication Date: 
20 June, 2006
Source: 
By Goh Chien Yen, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
Several WTO members submitted draft texts last week to the Chair of the Negotiating Group on NAMA for his preparation of the draft modalities paper, which is to be issued this week. Among them were the NAMA-11 and the small and vulnerable economies.

Differences remain as NAMA Chair prepares his modalities text

Original Publication Date: 
20 June, 2006
Source: 
By Kanaga Raja, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
The Chair of the negotiations on Non-Agriculture Market Access (NAMA) at the WTO has reported that he would be working on a text that would reflect members' positions on modalities for the consideration of Ministers at a meeting expected to take place later this month in Geneva.

Beware of NAMA's slippery slope to de-industrialisation

Original Publication Date: 
20 June, 2006
Source: 
By Mehdi Shafaeddin, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
Following the failure of the WTO to finalise modalities for agriculture and non-agriculture market access (NAMA) at the scheduled deadline of the end of April, the WTO's Director-General Mr. Pascal Lamy warned that the price of 'failure' would be high. A new deadline of the end of June has now been set, for a mini-Ministerial meeting to finalise the modalities.

Spurt of NAMA talks planned till mid-June

Original Publication Date: 
2 May, 2006
Source: 
Martin Khor and Goh Chien Yen (TWN), Geneva, 28 April 2006
Negotiations on non-agricultural market access (NAMA) will intensify with almost continuous meetings from 1 May to 16 June.

New NAMA Report from Chair including Posible Modalities

Original Publication Date: 
26 April, 2006
Source: 
Carin Smaller
Link to the latest progress report from the chair of the NAMA negotiations, Ambassador Stephenson, which includes possible language for modalities.

Country tables on NAMA

Original Publication Date: 
25 April, 2006
Source: 
Carin Smaller
The four new simulation exercises by Esther Busser from the ICFTU on India, Indonesia, Philippines and Mexico.

South Cone Metalworkers Unions on NAMA

Original Publication Date: 
24 April, 2006
Source: 
Carin Smaller
Link for the English translation of the statement circulated in Spanish.

WTO members resigned to missed deadlines as week of talks ends

Original Publication Date: 
23 April, 2006
Source: 
Martin Khor (TWN), Geneva, 21 April 2005
The World Trade Organisation's April 30 deadline for attaining 'modalities' in agriculture and non-agricultural market access (NAMA) will be missed, it became clear Friday as delegations wound up a week of negotiations on the two subjects.