Supply chain choke points, other barriers top trade meet agenda

Trade ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are set to tackle issues that have kept the region from addressing supply chain choke points and other trade barriers during key meetings this weekend.

Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said he and his counterparts in other member-nations would also work to form a common voice that would push for the continuation of negotiations for the World Trade Organization’s Doha Development Agenda, also known as the Doha round.

Talks will take place during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Meeting of the Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) in Surabaya, Indonesia, on April 20 and 21.

“Trade Ministers are expected to express their continued support for the multilateral trading system by sending a strong message to move the negotiations of the DDA forward,” Domingo said in a statement.

He said trade ministers were planning to exchange views on recent challenges such as the uncertain future of the collapsed Doha round, attaining the Apec Bogor Goals and achieving sustainable growth with equity.

Bogor goals refer to the Apec’s mission for free and open trade and investment in industrialized member countries by 2010 and by 2020 for emerging countries.

Trade ministers will also discuss the progress of Apec’s work to eliminate supply-chain choke points to keep markets open and to refrain from raising new trade barriers.

Domingo said ministers at the MRT meetings would also discuss the Apec Growth Strategy, specifically focusing on equitable growth in the Asia Pacific region.

He added that he was planning to raise the issue of the centrality of Apec’s support for small and medium entrepreneurs in all the agenda items of the MRT.

“The country is also keen on fueling continued compliance with the Apec commitment of 10 percent improvement in supply-chain performance by 2015,” he said.