Differences remain between rich, developing economies: Lamy

September 30th, 2009 GENEVA - Global trade, projected to fall by a full 10 percent this year, could be dealt an even bigger blow if members of the World Trade Organization were to adopt the full range of protectionist measures they are allowed, the head of the WTO has warned. Exporters could be faced with tariff hurdles twice their current level, Pascal Lamy told delegates at the annual WTO public forum.

September 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Visiting trade ministers of more than 30 countries including US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and WTO director general Pascal Lamy met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here. During the meeting, the ministers held a discussion regarding various vital issues.

September 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Top officials of the 153 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will meet in Geneva later this month after a "breakthrough" was reached to resume the Doha Round of trade talks, India's Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said Friday. "We have reached an agreement to intensify negotiations.

September 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hosting some 40 trade ministers from across the world for a two-day meeting here, India Thursday made a strong plea for an end to protectionism by some countries while it pushed for early resumption of multilateral trade talks and building a consensus on the way forward. In his opening remarks at the mini-ministerial meeting of the 153-member World Trade Organisation (WTO), India's Commerce Minister Anand Sharma asked the assembled dignitaries to remain conscious of the 2010 deadline to conclude the Doha Round.

September 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Hosting some 40 trade ministers from across the world for a two-day meeting here, India Thursday made a strong plea for an end to protectionism by some countries, even as it pushed for early resumption of multilateral trade talks. In his opening remarks at the mini-ministerial meeting of the 153-member World Trade Organisation (WTO), India's Commerce Minister Anand Sharma also asked the assembled dignitaries to remain conscious to the 2010 deadline to conclude the Doha round.

September 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Restrictive steps by some countries to protect their domestic markets in the wake of the global economic crisis have hurt international trade that must remain open, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy said Thursday. Some countries have increased tariffs, instituted new non-tariff measures and initiated more anti-dumping actions, Lamy told a business conference organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here.

September 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Speaking on behalf of African nations, Egyptian Trade Minister Rachid Mohamed Rachid Thursday called for early resolution of issues concerning global cotton trade, which remained an important crop for several countries in the continent. "African countries remain concerned that no significant progress has been made in some key issues of interest to them, Rachid told the mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) here.

September 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Trade ministers of nearly 40 countries will meet over two days here from Thursday to try and draw a roadmap that can put the derailed Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations back on track. India's Commerce Minister Anand Sharma will host the meet, which will include US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Brazilian Foreign Trade Minister Celso Amorim and the director general of the 153-member World Trade Organisation (WTO), Pascal Lamy.

July 13th, 2009 GENEVA - World Trade Organisation (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy Monday warned his agency's member-states that they should avoid "excessive optimism" for an economic recovery. "Although financial markets are showing signs of stabilising, the crisis is far from over, in particular in many developing countries that are only now starting to feel its full force on their trade and economic growth," Lamy said.

July 9th, 2009 World leaders want deal in trade talksL'AQUILA, Italy — Leaders of rich and developing nations want to finally seal a long-delayed world trade deal next year and head off trade wars that could hit world economies as they struggle to emerge from recession, according to a draft of a joint declaration obtained by The Associated Press. Completing the so-called Doha round of talks has risen up the agenda due to fears that the economic crisis will lead to an upsurge in protectionist policies like the ones that helped cause the Great Depression of the 1930s.

July 9th, 2009 L'AQUILA - The groups of rich and developing countries, including India, are likely to commit themselves to early conclusion of the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade talks under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) later Thursday. A statement in this regard to this effect is expected from the G8 and G5 countries, as well as Egypt, at the G8 Summit being held at this quake-hit Italian city, some 100 km northeast of Rome.

June 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Protectionist measures by the developed economies will have an adverse impact on the downturn, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said, even as he reaffirmed India's commitment to the successful conclusion of the Doha Round of trade talks. In his address at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ministerial meet in Paris Thursday, Sharma said a rule-based multilateral trading system, which is fair and equitable and addresses aspirations of developing countries, was required with respect to the stalled Doha Round.

June 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON/SEOUL - Most developing economies will slip into recession this year amid a global financial crisis that has prompted wealthy investors to pull their money out of projects for the poor, the World Bank warned Monday. The developing world will grow 1.2 percent this year after growing 5.9 percent in 2008.

April 1st, 2009 LONDON - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the soft-spoken economist who leads the world's loudest and largest democracy, will be much in demand at a gathering of the world leaders here Thursday. With degrees from Oxford and Cambridge universities and an enviable track record as Reserve Bank of India governor and finance minister, Manmohan Singh is expected to argue for the reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and caution the world's richer nations against adopting protectionist policies.

March 6th, 2009 WELLINGTON - The director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy, has rejected the 'food miles' campaign of some European farmers who say consumers should buy local produce instead of imported foods, according to a news report Friday. Their argument says buying food from countries like New Zealand is environmentally unfriendly because of the carbon emissions involved in transporting it to consumers over long distances.