RI meets nations on national car<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (JP): Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo
\ntook time out from the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial
\nconference yesterday to meet U.S., Japanese and European Union
\nofficials about their complaints over Indonesia's national car
\npolicy.<\/p>\n
Tunky met European Commission vice president Leon Brittan for
\n10 minutes yesterday morning.<\/p>\n
In the afternoon he spoke with Japan's Deputy International
\nTrade and Industry minister, Hisashi Hosokawa, for about an hour.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday Tunky met Acting U.S. Trade Representative
\nCharlene Barshefsky for about half an hour.<\/p>\n
He said besides bilateral matters he asked the three biggest
\ntrading powers about Indonesia's national car policy which was
\ntaken to the WTO's dispute settlement body in Geneva in October.<\/p>\n
"Basically, we asked them to give us more time to work out our
\nposition on the next stage of negotiations," Tunky said after
\nmeeting Hosokawa, one was also of Japan's chief WTO negotiators.<\/p>\n
Tunky said he had not yet got any reports from Indonesia's
\nnegotiating team in Geneva about the end of the second round of
\ntalks with the three complainants.<\/p>\n
"All members of my team are here to assist me in various
\nnegotiations at the WTO ministerial conference. So, basically
\nthey have no time yet to complete a report on national car
\ntalks," the minister said.<\/p>\n
Tunky said Japan, the U.S and the European Union understood
\nIndonesia's difficulties in working out its position.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's car policy, announced last February, gives tax and
\ntariff breaks to PT Timor Putra Nasional -- which is controlled
\nby President Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra -- to
\nproduce Timor sedans as the national car in cooperation with
\nSouth Korea's Kia Motors Corp.<\/p>\n
Japan, the U.S. and the European Union are opposing the policy
\nat the WTO arguing it contravenes free trade regulations, the
\nmost-favored nation principle, and several other WTO rules.<\/p>\n
Negotiations are being held under the auspices of the WTO in
\nGeneva but no agreement has been reached.<\/p>\n
A Japanese official said Japan was waiting to hear Indonesia's
\nlatest position on its national car policy. If there was no
\nchange Japan would consider taking the case to the WTO panel, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tunky insisted yesterday Indonesia would make no compromises
\nbut said Indonesia was trying to settle the dispute through
\nbilateral negotiations. (rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-meets-nations-on-national-car-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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