Hong Kong 13-18 Dec. 2005

The Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference  
Hong Kong, China, 13 to 18 December 2005.

Bangladesh has demanded duty and quota-free access for all LDC products and access for less-skilled persons to the markets of developed countries, and expressed to provide more subsidies to agriculture.

Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury informed this to the journalists at the Zia International Airport on his return from Kenyan city of Mombassa, where he attended the WTO mini-ministerial meeting on March 3 and 4.

The meeting was organised with an aim to find out a common platform for the participating countries, particularly LDCs, for negotiation in the sixth WTO ministerial conference scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from December 13 to 18 this year. Commerce and Trade Ministers from 30 countries, including developed and developing countries as well as LDCs, attended the meet.

Altaf Hossain said higher tariff cut by developed comprise may have an adverse impact on LDCs export and in the GSP scheme.

"We demanded duty and quota-free market access for all products originating from LDCs. The negotiations of Kenya meeting will strengthen this demand," he said.

Though July package (Geneva package) called for elimination of export subsidies, the minister said, at the meeting the LDCs stressed the need for providing cash on other incentives for export promotion of agro-based products.

He said elimination of export subsidies may result increase of fond prices. Sectoral approach regarding tariff cuts, the minister said, "Bangladesh is against this approach, as its export earning sectors like textile, shrimp may come under this purview." As per the mode 4 of the General Agreement on Trade and Services, the minister urged the developed countries to allow movement of less skilled persons of LDCs. "There is an attempt to weaken this understanding," he said adding, "We all should guard against it."

UNB adds: Trade ministers from WTO-member countries have stressed the need for providing landlocked countries with transit facilities through other countries to transport goods to and from the respective countries.

If Nepal and Bhutan want to transport goods to and from Bangladesh they need transit facilities through "another" country, Commerce Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury told reporters on return home yesterday from the WTO mini ministerial meeting.

He said the trade leaders also emphasised on another trade facilitation measure, as declared in the 'July Package' that it would not be binding on the member nations of LDCs to develop their trade infrastructure unless and until they get assistance from the developed and developing countries.

For example, he said, Bangladesh would not have to develop the Chittagong port to enhance its facilities without having development assistance.

On the other hand, a country like Bangladesh would have to carry out improvements that a country can do without outside help and as such, Bangladesh has set up a one stop cell in the Chittagong port to simplify export-import procedures, the Commerce Minister added.