GATT Talks Reported in Trouble
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GENEVA — Uruguay Round world trade talks are in trouble with deep splits on all the major issues, GATT Director General Arthur Dunkel said today.
“It is difficult to see any points of real convergence,” Dunkel told a news conference after a heated three-day review meeting among the 106 participating countries.
GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) provides the framework for the Uruguay Round--launched in 1986, facing a deadline of December this year and with a “draft outline” supposed to be ready by the end of July.
On Monday and Tuesday the key players at the negotiations all accused each other of blocking progress by continued protectionism in violation of GATT free trade rules.
The United States charged the European Community with “dragging its feet” by rejecting a reform of its agricultural system, and the community said the United States is trying to resolve its trading problems through “unilateral” import barriers instead of using the multilateral system as Washington preaches to others.
Developing countries for their part said their special needs are being largely ignored by the richer nations.
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