March 15 , 2011
IN THIS ALERT:
Ambassador Punke: DOHA Negotiators Must Seriously Deepen the Level of Engagement
In a March 8, 2011 statement, U.S. Ambassador to the WTO Michael Punke said that the window of opportunity for successful Doha Round negotiations is quickly narrowing, and Members must act with a sense of urgency to bridge sizable, substantive gaps in order to succeed. He noted that an initial exchange on services among 30 delegations earlier this year discussed key areas of importance to an acceptable services outcome, and began to examine in greater detail Members’ sensitivities. It also provided an opportunity to explore possible flexible approaches that could lead to improved services offers. He discussed the need to “build on the initial exchange among the participants in the informal group to get greater clarity on what the outcome on services may look like – and it will take active engagement on the part of all members of that group to achieve that clarity.” For a copy of Ambassador Punke’s statement, click here: http://geneva.usmission.gov/2011/03/08/tnc-us-statement/.
Travel and Tourism: Moving Beyond the Downturn
The fourth Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report was released March 7 at the Global Tourism Forum 2011 held in Andorra. The Report is cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the travel and tourism industry following a period of severe economic turmoil. Positive signs are seen particularly in the emerging markets of Latin America, Asia and especially China. Among the challenges which must be overcome to ensure strong future growth in the tourism sector are the impact of the recent economic and financial crisis, the importance of competitive pricing for attracting tourists, and the role of travel and tourism in the green economy. To read the full report, please click here: http://www.weforum.org/news/travel-tourism-report-focuses-moving-beyond-downturn
Obama Administration’s Newly-Released 2011 Trade Agenda
On March 1, 2011, The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2011 Trade Policy Agenda, which outlines specific goals for opening world markets and enforcing existing trade agreements. The report discusses the U.S.-Korea trade agreement and efforts to resolve outstanding issues related to the Panama and Columbia trade agreements, and U.S. objectives in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks, and the Doha Round. On Doha, the Agenda says that significantly more must be accomplished in services in order to achieve a positive outcome to the Round. It says that the Round requires “a process of balanced and ambitious give-and-take among established or newly emerging trading powers, while giving due consideration to the special interests and circumstances of developing economies,” and recognizes 2011 as a “critical window of opportunity” to work toward a successful conclusion of the Round. For a copy of the 2011 Trade Policy Agenda, click here: http://www.ustr.gov/2011_trade_policy_agenda