The Doha Development Agenda: What's On The Table?

Trade ministries will soon meet in Geneva in an effort to move the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiation towards conclusion. The negotiations have been under way for almost seven years. In the areas where negotiations are most advanced, they have generated complex and detailed proposals. This note takes stock of the major components of what is currently on the table in goods and services, as well as the key elements relating to economic development: duty-free, quota-free access for the poorest countries, trade facilitation, and aid for trade. The headline conclusion is that Doha round, perhaps not as ambitious as ministries had hoped at its launch in 2001, compares favorably with the Uruguay round in terms of market access, and surpasses it in terms of breadth of coverage and tangible benefits for developing countries. Ministries, if they turn their back on deal, will be leaving on the table a significant multilateral achievement.