WASHINGTON — The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is leading a Global Manufacturers Fly-In to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, to make certain manufacturing priorities are addressed in the Doha Round of trade negotiations.
Over 30 individuals from manufacturing organizations around the world will be participating. The NAM led similar efforts in 2005 and 2006.
“The principal objective of this global fly-in is to demonstrate that manufacturing organizations from around the world are determined that the Doha Round should result in truly ambitious cuts in industrial tariff barriers,” said NAM Director of International Trade Policy Doug Goudie, a member of the NAM delegation. “We have reached a critical stage of the Doha round and are concerned that too many WTO member countries continue to overlook the imperative of liberalizing industrial trade in the Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations.”
The Global fly-in coincides with a period of final discussions between the WTO’s Chairmen of the NAMA Committee and senior trade officials from WTO member country missions in Geneva.
“Our message of strong and robust participation in sectoral tariff agreements will be front and center in all of our meetings,” said John Meakem, Director of Trade for the National Electric Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and NAM Zero Tariff Coalition Chairman. “Our definition of a successful NAMA negotiation must include critical mass participation in a wide variety of sectoral tariff agreements.”
“Manufactured goods are three-fourths of all world trade in goods, and an ambitious outcome for the barriers facing these goods is a must if the Round is going to be supported by the global industrial sector,” added Goudie.
