APEC business leaders urge Doha conclusion

APEC business leaders urge Doha conclusion    Asian business leaders are warning that industry support for a multilateral free trade agreement negotiated through the World Trade Organization is waning without the prospect of concrete action.
   The Doha round of talks has languished for several years as nations have been unable to agree on trade liberalization rules for agriculture, services and other areas where domestic constituencies want to limit competition.
   Members of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum's Business Advisory Council told WTO Director General Pascal Lamy and ambassadors in Geneva this week that business interest is waning and that the WTO may be perceived as less relevant if conclusion of the Doha Round is further delayed.
   APEC officials pointed out that support is growing for establishment of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific
   'While an FTAAP and the WTO are not incompatible — both will go on regardless of the outcome of Doha — it does take away focus on the Doha Round and forces business to adapt to new challenges that the WTO has yet to consider. There is real danger that the WTO's relevance may be questioned if it is not in a position to have any influence on these issues — particularly now that the supply chain business model has become the norm,' said Tony Newell, chairman of a Business Advisory Council subcommittee, in a statement.
   APEC officials said their briefing at WTO headquarters indicated that technical issues should be resolved this year and that the possibility of a global trade deal being completed in 2010 still exists.
   Meanwhile, China's Xinhua news agency reports that Cambodia and Thailand have signed a memorandum of understanding allowing for cross-border interchange of cargo trucks. The arrangement will allow 40 trucks from each side to cross the border each day.