11:39 AM Jun 18, 1996

MARITIME TALKS IN NEXT ROUND, SUGGESTS US

Geneva 17 Jun (Chakravarthi Raghavan) -- Participants in the collapsed talks for liberalisation of maritime transport services are now mulling over the options before them, including the US suggestion that these sectoral talks should be part of the next round, in year 2000, of trade liberalisation in services covering all sectors.

The Negotiating Group on Maritime Transport Services, which met Monday to take stock, is to meet again on 24 June to decide on the options.

The US has insisted there is no critical mass of market opening to join an accord and has spurned a EU-led effort to persuade it to table its own offers, negotiate and conclude an agreement by the 30 June deadline.

At the last meeting of the Negotiating Group on June 4, at the EU's initiative a package of conditional offers were put on the table and circulated to the participating countries, and the US was given a deadline of 14 June to table its own offers for concluding the negotiations.

The deadline passed with no US offers. But this was no surprise to others as the US had made clear on 4 June that it did not find the package as containing the critical mass it was looking for.

At Monday's meeting, the US representative noted that on 14 June the US had made a public statement namely that this sector should be taken up in year 2000 along with others at the next round of negotiations on liberalisation of trade in services .

Art. XIX of General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) contemplates such periodic rounds of negotiations, with the first to begin no later than year 2000.

The EU acknowledged that the US had been continuously making this point all along, but that it was nevertheless disappointed with the US stand. The EU however favoured 'salvaging' something for the future, and suggested as a possible option continuing the negotiations after a pause, and hopefully before 2000.

Japan favoured extending the talks beyond the current deadline, while the ASEAN countries said they would consult their capitals. Canada said its authorities had to clear position on this, while Romania suggested resuming the negotiations early in the New year. Brazil said it had reached no final position, but perhaps the talks could be extended.

India said that the new government has decided to table an offer, but it was open to discussions on how this is to be done. Thailand and Turkey announced that they had submitted offers.

The Chairman, Mr. Don Kenyon of Australia, said the negotiating group would meet again on 24 June and he would consult with delegations on the various options.