Due to inequitable global trading policies, which are dominated by rich countries, the gap between the developed and developing countries has become wider.
In previous trade negotiation rounds, the developed countries’ defensive interests in the agriculture, textile, and apparel sectors among others have limited liberalizing concessions in these areas. While they are aggressively pushing for liberalization of some important sectors like manufacturing and services in the developed countries, they are not ready to go beyond modest agricultural liberalization measures.
Meanwhile, talks stalled at the Doha Development Round of the WTO due to failure of reaching an agreement over opening up agricultural and industrial markets in various countries and also on cutting farm subsidies in rich nations. Most rich countries, with their apparently stronger bargaining power in the negotiation tables, have missed every deadline on reducing market distorting mechanisms and barriers to trade.
It is therefore a challenge for the developing countries, to strengthen their position in the negotiation tables, similar to how the G20 developing nations posed a strong stance in the Doha round.
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