India trade chief optimistic for Doha deal in 2011

India’s trade chief sees long-stalled Doha talks progressing and is optimistic that a deal can be reached in 2011, he said on Monday.

Trade Minister Anand Sharma said a revised text of the rules to open up trade in food, industrial goods and services should be finalised at the earliest to allow text based negotiations to proceed.

“I remain optimistic and cautious, these negotiations are complex, but we should be able to settle matters,” Sharma said during a news conference in Rome.

“We have all recognised that 2011 provides a window of opportunity, we will collectively endeavour to close the remaining gaps.”

World Trade Organization members have been intensifying efforts to finally clinch a deal in the decade-old Doha round.
Ministers have acknowledged there are still big differences to overcome to agree a new set of rules that would boost the global economy and strengthen defences against protectionism.

One of the obstacles to a deal in the past few years was a difference between the United States and big emerging economies like India, China and Brazil over the role they should play in opening up markets.

Washington argues that the growing economic clout of the emerging economies means they have a duty to provide more opportunities for exporters from other countries, while the emerging countries say they have already offered enough.