Nations Act to Spur Trade Talks: The...

Nations Act to Spur Trade Talks: The United States, the European Community and other major trading nations drafted a negotiating timetable aimed at rescuing the stalled Uruguay Round trade liberalization talks. At the same time, the European Community publicly reaffirmed its commitment to successfully concluding the four-year talks, scheduled to end in December. The draft program, they said, included several key dates: on Sept. 30, there will be a presentation of detailed national agricultural support and export subsidy schemes and possible reductions; on Oct. 8, high government officials will go to Geneva to meet “on a more or less permament basis” to reinforce their lower-ranking permanent negotiating teams.; on Oct. 15, governments are scheduled to make presentations on improved market access offers; on Nov. 15, a draft package covering all 15 Uruguay Round sectors will be submitted to participants by Dunkel; on Dec. 4, trade ministers will meet in Brussels to try and complete a full agreement.