XN000022-1993-06-25 — Page 11

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1993

"BUT

IT

"

WILI. BE A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT FUTURE STEPS POSSIBLE.

DIRECTION, MAKING

FOURTHLY, THERE WILL BE AGREEMENT AT LAST TO BEGIN RETURNING TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING TO GATT RULES.

SAID:

"IT

THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MPA) DRAWN UP IN 1974,

1 MAY BE DESIRABLE DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS FOR SPECIAL PRACTICAL MEASURES OF INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION TO BE APPLIED."

THE "FEW YEARS" HAD BECOME ALMOST 20 YEARS AND THE ECONOMIC DISTORTIONS HAD GROWN WITH EVERY YEAR, MR JACKSON SAID.

"ALMOST AS DAMAGING IS THE MESSAGE IT SENDS то DEVELOPING COUNTRIES STILL DOUBTFULI. ABOUT THE VIRTUE AND REWARDS OF MARKET OPENING.

SYSTEM

"DAMAGING TOO ARE THE CONSTANT DISPUTES WHICH ANY QUOTA IS BOUND TO GENERATE, PARTICULARLY ONE SO COMPLEX, COVERING SO MUCH VALUABLE TRADE."

FIFTHLY, THERE WILL BE AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE TRADE IN SERVICES BENEATH THE MULTILATERAL UMBRELLA; BADLY OVERDUE AND SOMETHING THIS REGION SHOULD BENEFIT FROM GREATLY, · PARTICULARLY IN THE LONG TERM.

++

INTERNATIONAL

TRADE IN SERVICES IS PROBABLY WORTH US$1,000 BILLION AND IS GROWING AT OVER 12 PERCENT A YEAR, HE SAID.

"YET THERE IS INSUFFICIENT TRANSPARENCY, LITTLE STANDARDISATION AND INADEQUATE MEANS TO ADDRESS DISPUTES.

HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT PROGRESS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS HAD BEEN REMARKABLE, GIVEN THE DAUNTING TASK FACED IN 1986 WHEN TALKS BEGAN AND THE RAPID GROWTH IN SERVICES SINCE.

TRANSPARENCY,

A

THE FINAL PRODUCT WOULD PROVIDE GREATER FRAMEWORK OF RULES AND DEFINITIONS, THE MEANS TO ENCOURAGE FURTHER LIBERALISATION AND A DISPUTE SETTLEMENT MECHANISM, HE SAID.

MR JACKSON ALSO NAMED A NUMBER OF AREAS IN WHICH THE ROUND HAD MADE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

THESE INCLUDED THE PROTECTION VITALLY IMPORTANT AS THE VALUE OF HEAVILY-RESEARCHED PRODUCTS SOARS; RULES REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS DO NOT CREATE LICENSING PROCEDURES AND PRESHIPMENT REVIEW MECHANISM, ALREADY IN PLACE, TRADE LIBERALISZATION.

זין

OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

TRADE IN TO ENSURE BARRIERS TO INSPECTION; A TRADE POLICY ENCOURAGE TRANSPARENCY AND

SOPHISTICATED, THAT TECHNICAL TRADE; IMPORT

NEVERTHELESS, HE NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE MEETING OF MINDS ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTI-DUMPING.

IT' WAS LIKELY TO CONTINUE ITS UNHEALTHY GROWTH AS THE MOST COMMONLY INVOKED SAFEGUARD, AN INCREASINGLY FLIMSY DISGUISE FOR PROTECTIONISM AND HARASSMENT, A SOURCE OF TRADE FRICTION RATHER THAN A CURE, HE SAID.

/"SOME IN