Negotiators Meet Again; Minds Don’t

Negotiations over cheaper medicines for developing countries and agricultural tariffs have again failed to make headway in preparation for the next meeting of the World Trade Organization's Doha round. The inaugural meeting of the Doha round, with the September 11 tragedy still in mind, seemed to unite rich countries in recognizing the need to tackle the problems facing developing nations. Unfortunately, that original energy has now dissipated. Access to cheaper drugs for developing countries has stalled, primarily because the U.S. has blocked a deal everyone else accepts. Meanwhile, reductions in farm tariffs have reached an impasse. Canada claims the reductions do not go far enough, while Japan asserts that its tariffs on rice imports are non-negotiable. And the EU, protectionist like Japan, worries about the scale of tariff reductions proposed. All this bodes for a trade round that will collapse if no one compromises. –YaleGlobal