June 12, 2006
Dear WTO Trade Ministers:
The American Business Coalition for Doha (ABCDoha) urges you to consider
seriously the current dynamics in the Doha negotiations which we believe
constitute a recipe for failure.
At their most basic, multilateral trade negotiations are undertaken
with the objective of creating opportunities for individuals and businesses
from all participating countries to sell more goods and services around
the world. In doing so, societies achieve sustainable economic growth
that enhances individual welfare and enables poverty reduction in the
liberalizing country and globally. More simply, countries that open
themselves to trade attract investment and grow faster.
With that in mind, it makes little sense to us that members are fixated
on negotiating exemptions to market opening even before a core agreement
is reached. Members have already agreed to build appropriate flexibilities,
in various forms, into a final agreement. But to allow discussions of
specific flexibilities to overtake negotiations on formulas for tariff
cuts is to allow the tail to wag the dog. A Doha agreement must be built
from the foundation up, beginning with credible formulas for liberalization.
Businesses maintain focus on the bottom line. Ministers must hold the
results of this round to the same standard. When a deal is finally concluded,
we will analyze whether it improves our bottom lines by determining
whether we can sell goods and services in new markets or expand current
access. That's not just good business. It is the key ingredient in a
development agenda and the measure of a successful Doha round.
We applaud the commitment by APEC Ministers made last week in Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam, to support strong formulas. APEC Ministers representing
economies that account for 50 percent of global trade emphasized that,
"A strong market access result…is a prerequisite for successful conclusion
of this Round…APEC economies are ready to meet the challenge of agreeing
to ambitious modalities…To do so, we must ensure that the flexibilities
provided for in NAMA and agriculture do not undermine substantially
improved market access."
There is much more work yet to be done, particularly before the August
break if a 2006 conclusion of the Doha negotiations is to remain viable.
For those who would have us seek a more "realistic" outcome, we point
out that achieving substantial improvement in market access is not a
U.S. requirement - it is the Doha requirement - and it is the only outcome
that the U.S. business community could whole-heartedly endorse. We oppose
any calls to adopt a "Doha Light" approach.
ABCDoha represents more than 200 leading U.S. companies, associations,
and other organizations who understand that an opportunity like Doha
only comes around once in a generation. We remain strongly supportive
of concluding the Doha negotiations this year, but not at the expense
of our priority which is to achieve ambitious results. In the end, that
is the benchmark by which the U.S. business community will measure the
success of the Doha round.
ABCDoha Member Signatories:
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Abbott Laboratories
Advanced Medical Technology Association
Advanced Micro Devices
Altria Group, Inc.
The Aluminum Association
American Apparel and Footwear Association
American Association of Exporters and Importers
American Bearing Manufacturers Association
American BioIndustry Alliance
American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union
American Chemistry Council
American Council of Life Insurers
American Electronics Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Forest & Paper Association
American Insurance Association
American International Automobile Dealers Association
American International Group, Inc.
American Luggage Dealers Association
American Meat Institute
American Natural Soda Ash Corporation
American Petroleum Institute
Amgott Mitchell
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association for Manufacturing Technology
AT&T
Auto Trade Policy Council
Bankers' Association for Finance and Trade
Bayer Corporation
Bechtel Corporation
BellSouth
Biotechnology Industry Organization
Bison Gear & Engineering Corporation
The Boeing Company
The Bretton Woods Committee
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bryan Cave LLP
Business Roundtable
Business Software Alliance
C&M International
California Chamber of Commerce
Campbell Soup Company
Cange International, Inc.
Cargill Incorporated
Case New Holland
Caterpillar, Inc.
Celera
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Citigroup
Coalition of Service Industries
Consumer Electronics Association
Consumers for World Trade
CropLife America
DaimlerChrysler
Decision Leaders, LLC
Detroit Regional Chamber
Diageo North America
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
The Dow Chemical Company
Eastman Kodak Company
eBags.com
William D. Eberle, Former Special Trade Representative
EDS
Electronic Industries Alliance
Eli Lilly and Company
Emergency Committee for American Trade
Emerson
European-American Business Council
Express Delivery & Logistics Association
FedEx Corporation
FMC Corporation
Fonterra USA
Fontheim International, LLC
Ford Motor Company
The Franklin Partnership, LLP
Fujitsu Limited
Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association
General Electric
General Motors Corporation
The Global Business Dialogue
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Hershey Foods
Hewlett-Packard Company
IBM Corporation
Information Technology Association of America
Intel Corporation
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International Association of Drilling Contractors
International Business-Government Counsellors, Inc.
International Dairy Foods Association
International Paper
IPC-Printed Circuit Board and Electronics Assembly Industries
Information Technology Industries Council
Jockey International, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
JP Morgan Chase
Kissinger McLarty Associates
Kruesi Center for Innovation
Liz Claiborne
Manchester Trade Ltd.
Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America
Mars Incorporated
Mattel, Inc.
The McGraw-Hill Companies
MeadWestvaco Corporation
Merck & Company, Inc.
MetLife
Microsoft Corporation
Miller & Chevalier
Monsanto Company
Morgan Stanley
Motion Picture Association of America
Motorola Inc.
MWW Group
National Association of Manufacturers
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
National Center for APEC
National Council for Textile Organizations
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
National Foreign Trade Council
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Retail Federation
New York Life Insurance Company
NIKE Inc.
Novartis Corporation
OnPoint Advocacy
Oracle Corporation
Panasonic Corporation of North America
PepsiCo
Pet Food Institute
Pfizer Inc.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
POPAI "The Global Association for Marketing at-Retail"
The Procter & Gamble Company
Puerto Rico Trade
QUALCOMM Inc.
Quality Float Works, Inc.
Retail Industry Leaders Association
RiddellTseng
Samuels International Associates, Inc.
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, PA
Sara Lee Branded Apparel
SAS
Securities Industry Association
Semiconductor Industry Association
Sharp Global Partners, Ltd.
Skyway Luggage Co.
Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.
Sony Corporation
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Starbucks Coffee Company
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sweetener Users Association
TechNet
Technology CEO Council
Telecommunications Industry Association
Texas Instruments
Time Warner Inc.
Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
TRADEWINS LLC
The Trade Partnership
Travel Goods Association
TWIRIS International
Tyco International, Inc.
United Parcel Service
United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Council for International Business
United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
United Technologies Corporation
USA-ITA
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Warnaco Inc.
The Washington Center
WBC Global
Wheat Export Trade Education Committee
Whirlpool Corporation
White & Case, LLP
World Perspectives
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