22 states reach tariff-cut deal

A group of 22 developing nations produced a tariff-cut deal negotiated on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, saying it demonstrated that they were not the cause of the Doha stalemate.
The group signed an outline deal on Wednesday to cut tariffs on industrial goods by at least one-fifth to boost South-South trade from next year.
The deal, including trade heavyweights Brazil, India, Argentina and South Korea but not China, throws into relief the difficulties WTO members rich and poor are having in reaching a comprehensive trade-opening agreement.
Jorge Taiana, foreign minister of Argentina, which chaired the talks, said the pact showed developing countries were keen to clinch deals to expand trade and were not responsible for holding up the WTO's stalled Doha Round of global negotiations.
"This is a clear demonstration that the developing countries are willing to continue working on strengthening South-South trade and in a process of liberalization compatible with development," Taiana told a news conference.
"The negotiations will intensify in the coming weeks," Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told a news conference, while stressing any eventual agreement would need to protect the livelihoods of poor farmers.
The Doha talks are far more complex than Wednesday's deal since they cover the full range of trade from manufactured goods and agriculture to services among 153 countries. The 22-nation agreement - under the Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP) - will focus on industrial goods; Kazinform cites the Arab News.
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