Brazil regrets delay in international trade agreements

In a recent address to the Trade Negotiations Committee, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Roberto Azevêdo, said that WTO members have not found a solution to unlock the impasse in meeting the deadline for the Trade Facilitation Agreement, despite all efforts made. And this, according to him, may be the most serious situation that the organization has ever faced, with its impact felt in many areas of negotiation. In his words, it is creating “growing distrust” with a “paralysing effect” on the WTO's efforts. The statement was made at the past weekend (Oct. 18-19).

According to Brazil's Foreign Ministry, “Brazil has worked hard towards passing a set of agreements approved in Bali in December 2013, which besides trade facilitation, cover issues of priority interest for the country, including application of tariff quotas on farming products and developing a work program to complete the Doha negotiations.” This scenario has created concern within Brazil's government over the failure to complete the Agreement.

“It's a shame that such agreements should face delays. Brazil's government has worked constructively in Geneva so that this impasse can be overcome and negotiations can be resumed in a balanced manner that meets the interests of the country,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“It is my feeling that a continuation of the current paralysis would serve only to degrade the institution — particularly the negotiating function,” Azevêdo remarked.

The WTO director-general called on the member countries to reflect on what the current situation means to the organization. He warned that deadlocks have become frequent and the WTO members have not been able to overcome them. Moreover, he noted that several representatives have talked about other non-multilateral options that are open to them. “We may see these Members disengaging. We may see that these Members pursue other avenues,” he warned.

Translated by Mayra Borges