VOA标准英语2008年-Doha Free Trade Talks Resume at WTO

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
03 January 2008

Trade experts from 151 countries are resuming international trade talks in Geneva. Delegates to the World Trade Organization talks hope to reach compromises on a number of issues that have been holding up an agreement to liberalize world trade for the past seven years. Lisa Schlein reports from WTO headquarters in Geneva.

Normally, nothing happens at the World Trade Organization during the first week of the New Year. But, these are not normal times. WTO spokesman, Josep Bosch, tells VOA there is a sense of urgency to restart negotiations¹ on the so-called Doha round of trade talks immediately.

"We have been negotiating for seven years and after seven years people are honestly getting a bit tired and now is the time to say is it possible to reach something? Is it possible that we can get altogether into an agreement that would really make a good impact on the economy of the world? And, this cannot go on forever. So, that is why there is an urgency and, there is so much that already has been achieved that now it would be a real waste to leave everything to waste," said spokesman Bosch.

Though much has been achieved, much remains² to be done. The main sticking point continues to be agriculture. Developing countries want greater access to the markets of rich countries for their farm exports.

They accuse the United States and European Union of distorting the market by giving huge subsidies³ and domestic support to their farmers and products. For their part, the rich countries want the poorer countries to lower the tariffs⁴ they impose on imported industrial goods.

Bosch says a balance has to be struck between these two competing interests. He says both the agricultural and industrial negotiations are closely linked.

"We always schedule the negotiations for industrial goods after agriculture because people are very much looking into what is the concession⁵ that rich countries are going to make in agriculture and then they are going to say, yes, I am prepared to give some concessions⁶ for the reduction of tariffs for your products to get into my market or not. This always depends on what happens in agriculture," explained Bosch.

Many observers believe it will be more difficult to reach a deal after the Bush Administration leaves office at the end of this year.

Bosch maintains a neutral position and says the United States is a very important member of the WTO and participates at all levels of the negotiations.

"Of course, everybody is watching the election in the United States because it is the biggest trader in the world. But, The WTO agenda cannot be just following one single country because as I said we are 151," he said.

Bosch says it is important to reach an agreement on liberalizing world trade as soon as possible. And then, he adds, WTO and its member countries will see what position the newly elected American officials take when they are in power.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

5 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

6 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。