Emergency Committee For American Trade

Pause in DDA Negotiations Gives Negotiators the Time to Get it Right

News Release For Immediate Release

July 24, 2006 Contact: Emily Watkins 202.659.5147

PAUSE IN DDA NEGOTIATIONS GIVES NEGOTIATORS THE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT

ECAT Will Continue to Work with Administration and Congress for Pro-Growth

and Pro-Development Outcome

Washington, D.C., July 24, 2006: Calman Cohen, President of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), issued the following statement today after the suspension of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy:

“While disappointed that consensus on a path forward could not be reached, ECAT urges WTO members to use this pause in the negotiations as an opportunity to lay the groundwork to support the concrete liberalization required to make the Doha Development Agenda a success for farmers, manufacturers, and service providers. Negotiators should use this time effectively to be able to come back to Geneva to support, sooner rather later, concrete trade-liberalizing proposals that will bring meaningful benefits to people in the United States and around the world.

“In reviewing the current status and the work that yet remains, ECAT urges negotiators to keep their eye on the ball – the huge benefits that will be the outcome if meaningful trade-liberalizing proposals are actually agreed by key WTO members. Indeed, even conservative estimates indicate that such an outcome to the DDA negotiations will produce more than a hundred billion dollars in income gain to developing countries and help lift millions out of poverty.

“ECAT applauds the resolve and tireless efforts by the United States and its negotiators, particularly its lead negotiators – United States Trade Representative Ambassador Susan Schwab, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Deputy USTR Ambassador Peter Allgeier, and Assistant USTR for WTO and Multilateral Affairs Dorothy Dwoskin – to promote just such a pro-growth and pro-development outcome.

“ECAT and its member companies will continue our work in support of achieving concrete new liberalization for agricultural, consumer and industrial trade.”

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Founded in 1967, ECAT is an organization of the heads of leading U.S. international business enterprises representing all major sectors of the American economy. Their annual worldwide sales total nearly $2.4 trillion and they employ approximately five and one-half million persons. ECAT’s purpose is to promote economic growth through the expansion of international trade and investment.

Attached Document(s): 07-24-06 ECAT Release on DDA Suspension.pdf