WTO Must Agree on Export Competition at Nairobi Ministerial Conference

The World Trade Organization (WTO) ministers should agree on export competition as soon as possible, and there is no better time and place to do it than at the WTO 10th Ministerial Conference (MC10) in Nairobi, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Wednesday.

NAIROBI (Sputnik) – Legally binding commitments to fully eliminate export subsidies could be agreed at MC10. The question remains how fast they can be removed and whether developing countries will get any preferential treatment.

"The issues we have in front of us are doable and they can be done if there is enough leadership and willingness," Malmstrom said at the MC10 plenary session.

According to her, there is no better place than Nairobi to come to an agreement on export competition, considering the benefits it will bring to developing countries.

Malmstrom also called on the facilitators of the talks to boost the adoption of the agreement.

Kenya's capital, Nairobi, is currently hosting WTO's four-day 10th Ministerial Conference with the participation of economy ministers from over 160 states. The summit aims to define the course of multilateral trade relations for the coming years.