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Brazil and its Mercosur partners are ready to offer unrestricted market access, free of quotas and tariffs, to products from the least developed countries (LDCs), especially those in Africa and Latin America.
The offer was made at today's plenary session of the Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in Hong Kong, by the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim. The proposal to approve a development package for the poorest countries has been a topic of discussion among various groups of countries since the eve of the conference. Today, Amorim availed himself of the opportunity to address an audience comprising representatives from 149 countries to reaffirm that all must be sensitive to the needs "of the ones who face the biggest challenges," such as the LDCs and the vulnerable small economies. "This round should result in a firm commitment by the developed countries to grant market access, free of quotas and tariffs, to products from the poorest countries," Amorim emphasized. According to the Brazilian Minister, these preferences should be conceded on a permanent basis, in order to help these countries diversify their productive bases and "to free them from dependence upon unilateral, uncertain, and unstable favors." The Mercosur is ready to put this commitment into practice, he asserts. ABr
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Then he said : This round should result in a firm commitment by the DEVELOPED countries to grant market access, free of quotas and tariffs, to products from the poorest countries,"
The EU alone is already buying 70 % of all exports of the 50 least developing countries ! How much Japan, the US and the G20 (Brazil first) agree to buy from them. Sharing buying their exports seem logical and fair ! The EU alone buying 70 % is unfair.
Finally if every tropical country want to export freely for example their bananas, There will be a price war and a production war. The poorest countries will loose again and more poverty will prevail in these countries but also in the developing countries, the same that has happened a few years ago with coffee, when you had vietnam as a new competitor, prices collapsed due to over production.
The EU cannot and has no intention to be obliged to drink coffees and eat bananas all day long, just to please you with your over productions. Even worse, at a price that YOU consider fair, but the only fair price is the FREE market price, the price at which there is a buyer and a seller. But as you know too well the FREE market price is not the price that pleases you.
How do we reconcile ? You produce what we need, not more, but at a higher price, or do you want to produce ever more and have a price war within the producing countries ???? But none of these solutions are fair to the poorest nations unless they are financed with no repayments in sight ?
Will you participate with us in these loosing financings, to help the poorer nations ?
There is a gulf of differences.