While trade negotiators are striving to find a way forward for
the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks,
politicians from around the world are balking at making any
changes to domestic policies towards that same goal. The
negotiating agenda includes some of the WTO member countries'
most politically sensitive and difficult trade issues. For
example, the United States and the European Union must make
meaningful offers to cut agricultural protection, and countries
such as India and Brazil need to offer reductions in
manufacturing and services barriers. All countries need to
commit to some level of liberalization if Doha is to progress.
The initial U.S. proposal was the strongest proposal for
eliminating tariffs and subsidies and opening markets across all
agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors. It went too
far, however, for Europeans in agriculture and too far for many
other countries in opening services markets and slashing
manufacturing tariffs. In order for these countries to consider