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The OECD Trade Committee provides senior trade policy officials of OECD Member countries and several observer countries the opportunity for a wide-ranging exchange on key trade policy issues and developments. It held its 144th Session on 29-30 June 2006 in Paris (agenda of the 144th Session of the Trade Committee).
The meeting opened with a brainstorming session on the future of the multilateral trading system (MTS). Noting that the meeting of the Trade Committee was taking place at a critical period in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations in Geneva, the Chair invited Delegates to share their views on the post-Doha process and how the OECD could contribute to strengthening the multilateral trading system.
The Trade Committee welcomed the opportunity to hold this brainstorming session. All Delegates reiterated their commitment to a strong multilateral trading system and a successful and ambitious outcome for the DDA negotiations. They felt that it was important for the Committee to take a forward-looking approach to the MTS, going beyond the topics currently under negotiation, and fielded some preliminary ideas on future areas of work. These included, inter alia, issues related to trade and development; trade and adjustment; evaluation of the impact and results of the DDA; work to facilitate negotiations; and the relationship between regionalism and the MTS, as well as further study of how different policy areas interact with trade policy (“trade and” issues). Mr. Schlögl, the Deputy Secretary-General, highlighted the institutional complementarity between the OECD and the WTO, with the OECD focusing on analysis, and WTO overseeing negotiations. The Chair concluded the discussion by thanking Delegates for their preliminary thoughts on this topic, which would continue to be discussed at future meetings of the Trade Committee.
The Secretariat presented the findings of two major studies on South-South trade, that is trade among developing countries, in goods and services. In terms of South-South trade in goods, the study highlights some of the past trends in world goods trade with a special focus on South-South trade. It identifies geographical distance, language barriers and policy barriers as having posed particular obstacles to South-South trade in the past. In its forward-looking assessment of the balance of gains from liberalisation of South-South goods in the context of multilateral negotiations, the study reveals substantial potential for welfare gains for developing countries from South-South liberalisation.
In terms of South-South trade in services, the study explores the magnitude of South-South services trade via the various modes of supply. It identifies key features of the South-South dimension of services trade and the potential for such trade, as well as the impact of removing services barriers on South-South services flows and goods trade. The Trade Committee welcomed both of these groundbreaking studies and provided some comments and suggestions on the papers, which will be released to the public in the coming weeks.
The Trade Committee was updated on developments on work on aid for trade, as the OECD’s contribution to the WTO task force addressing this issue. The OECD report on “Aid for Trade: Making It Effective” will be distributed to WTO members in time for the July General Council at which aid for trade will be discussed. The Trade Committee welcomed this work by the OECD as a timely and relevant contribution to multilateral discussions on aid for trade. They expressed support for further work on aid for trade in the OECD.
The Trade Committee will hold its next meeting on 16-18 October 2006.
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