Statement on Doha Development Agenda

We, the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade, gathering for our 13th Meeting in Cairns, Australia, re-affirm our strong support for the Multilateral Trading System. APEC economies account for close to 50% of world trade and are a major and growing component of the world economy.

We have expressed our views on all aspects of the Doha negotiations at past Ministerial meetings, including the importance of the development dimension of the negotiations. There has never been a more urgent need to make progress and at this meeting we have focused on the key issues which will have to be resolved at this critical juncture if we are to move forward.

We acknowledge the singular importance of ensuring the continued strength and openness of a rules-based global trading system which operates to provide expanding economic opportunities. We strongly re-affirm our commitment to a successful conclusion of the Doha Round negotiations this year.

We emphasise that a successful Doha outcome must deliver meaningful new market opportunities in order to significantly expand trade, promote global economic growth and foster development. We all undertake to contribute. We will demonstrate the necessary political will and flexibility, and call upon other WTO Members to do the same. To this end we will engage actively and constructively in the negotiations in Geneva.

We reiterate that consensus can only be achieved through an ambitious and balanced result that brings new trade flows in agriculture, industrial goods, and services, thereby securing benefits to all, in particular developing country economies. This means we need to make cuts in agricultural and industrial tariffs which result in real and substantial improvements in market access, and real and substantial reductions in trade-distorting agricultural subsidies. We urge the Chairs of the negotiating groups to table texts that will build consensus on an ambitious and balanced outcome.

We are committed to supporting the efforts of the Chairs of the negotiating groups. We note our expectations that forthcoming draft texts set a high standard for ambition, in order to set a solid foundation for a final phase of negotiations that lead to a successful Doha outcome.