Brazil on Wednesday criticised the United States for its stance on stalled talks at the World Trade Organisation, saying Washington and other developed countries were misleading public opinion.
"I imagine that the US is trying to put the blame on the shoulders of others in case the round doesn't go forward," Brazilian under-secretary for economic and technological affairs Roberto Azevedo told journalists.
"This misleads public opinion into believing that the US and EU have made a bold move and that developing countries are the ones stalling," he said. The US on Wednesday criticised new proposals put forward by South Africa on behalf of developing countries, that would afford them greater flexibility as part of the WTO's Doha round of trade negotiations, particularly regarding non-agricultural market access (NAMA).
WTO members have been debating proposals put forward by working groups on both agriculture and NAMA, and the US says that these two texts should be the basis of any negotiations. "We are disappointed in the statement made by South Africa," US ambassador Peter Allgeier told the 151-member WTO's General Council on Tuesday.
The United States and the European Union are under pressure to cut their agriculture subsidies but demand in return that other WTO members, notably developing nations, reduce their tariffs on imported industrial goods.
Washington said last month it was prepared to negotiate on the basis of proposals by the WTO's chief agricultural negotiator, Crawford Falconer, to cut its subsidies to between 12.8 to 16.2 billion dollars (9.2 to 11.6 billion euros). "It is time for delegations to affirm that they will negotiate on the basis of Chairs' texts in both agriculture and NAMA, including the market access ranges and flexibilities contained in those drafts," Allgeier said. However the Brazilian negotiator on Wednesday accused the developed countries themselves of taking a 'pick and choose' approach to the texts.
"The US, EU and other developed countries are picking and choosing provisions in the agriculture text that they can live with and reject the ones that cause problem for them," Azevedo said. "On the other hand, they are expecting developing countries to accept the NAMA text on a take it or leave it basis," he added. "This is frankly unfair, unreasonable and irrational."