Following this week’s publication of revised negotiating texts on agriculture and industrial products, ICC today called on all WTO members to seize the opportunity offered by these texts to reach agreement on these key issues, with a view to successfully concluding the Doha Round of WTO multilateral trade negotiations by the end of this year.

“These texts are the outcome of the latest discussions in the agriculture and industrial products (non-agricultural market access) negotiating groups and provide the basis for WTO members to reach agreement on these key elements of the Doha negotiations,” said ICC Secretary General Guy Sebban.

The latest negotiating texts issued by agricultural and industrial tariff negotiations chairs Crawford Falconer and Don Stephenson outline where convergence lies among WTO members, and where further negotiation is needed to reach agreement.

“WTO members must redouble their efforts to reach consensus, using the texts as a springboard towards this objective,” said ICC Chairman Marcus Wallenberg. “WTO members must engage in intense negotiations over the coming weeks, without losing sight of the many trade-enhancing measures already on the table or of the overarching goal of reaching agreement on a comprehensive and balanced Doha Round agreement,” Mr Wallenberg added.