Chamber Urges WTO Chief to Fight for Doha Round

Chamber Urges WTO Chief to Fight for Doha Round

"Time is Now to End Barriers to Global Economic Growth," Donohue Says

WASHINGTON, D.C.–-Following a meeting today with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy the U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue issued the following statement, calling on the U.S. and other countries to continue its push for an ambitious Doha Round agreement.

"The breakdown of world trade talks last month in Geneva was a setback for the world's workers, farmers, businesses, and most importantly the poor. However, there was some real progress during the talks. To capture that progress, emerging countries must come forward and demonstrate leadership and a sense of shared responsibility toward the Doha Round and the global trading system."

"Director-General Lamy's diplomacy is critical, and the progress from his recent visits to New Delhi and now Washington has confirmed we shouldn't give up. I urged him to continue on to China, Brazil, and the EU to chart a clear path forward in these negotiations."

"The Chamber remains strongly committed to achieving an ambitious result to the Doha Round that will end the barriers to global economic growth. However, there are no shortcuts to a good deal that business will support and Congress will approve. The path forward is to raise ambition in each area of the negotiations, especially manufacturing, services and agriculture."

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

www.uschamber.com

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