Dear WTO Trade Ministers:
The American Business Coalition for Doha (ABCDoha) is profoundly disappointed
at WTO Members' failure to meet yet another critical deadline. In Hong
Kong, Ministers instructed negotiators to reach agreement by April 30
on methodologies for market opening. Regrettably, little was accomplished
in the intervening four months.
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. A successful and timely conclusion
to the Doha Round could make history with its potential to boost the
world economy by $300 billion over the next decade. More importantly,
it offers the chance to extend the benefits of globalization to the
developing world. But if Members do not work to break the current impasse,
the round will instead make history as the first of its kind to end
in failure.
To be clear, ABCDoha considers a minimalist deal to be a failure.
We will urge U.S. and non-U.S. negotiators to reject proposals for a
"Doha light" deal that would produce only modest liberalization and
reforms. In our eyes, such an outcome would constitute a wasted opportunity.
A final package that misses the mark would draw little support from
agriculture, business or consumer interests, making it likely to fail
in Congress.
Consider what is at stake. If there is no round, all bets are off with
regard to reforming agricultural policies that include protective tariffs
and trade-distorting domestic supports. Current commitments to eliminate
agricultural export subsidies would be lost. Also lost is the package
of duty-free, quota-free access for the world's poorest countries that
was set to coincide with conclusion of the round.
These accomplishments represent some of the key elements of the package
that is now on the table. Greater still are the far-reaching gains Members
could achieve if they come together on aggressive market opening for
manufactured and agricultural goods as well as expanded access for trade
in services. Failure to conclude the round also risks forgoing the sorely
needed improvements in trade facilitation that are so close to agreement
already and that would yield real savings for businesses and consumers
globally.
It is already clear that the greatest gains from this round could
accrue to developing countries, enabling the world's poorest citizens
to benefit from trade. It is therefore also true that developing countries
have the most to lose.
Negotiations involve give and take-all Members must contribute if
they expect to benefit. The time to stop posturing and make tough decisions
is now. If the Doha Round is allowed to fail, everyone loses.
The Members of ABCDoha are:
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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 N
ational 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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