APEC blueprint nearly finished

APEC blueprint nearly finished

HONG KONG (AFP): Senior officials from the 18 APEC economies
ended three days of meetings here after completing "80 percent"
of the work on a blueprint for an Asia-Pacific free trade zone by
2020.

But there was reason to believe that major problems still had
to be overcome before a final "action agenda" can be put before
foreign and economic ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum in Osaka in November.

"We're still in a fluid drafting stage," Hiromoto Seki of
Japan's foreign ministry told a press briefing after the meeting
Wednesday at a luxury hotel concluded and the other delegates
dashed off for a evening harbor cruise.

Seki claimed that in the opinion of the delegations, 80
percent of the work on the action agenda -- initially drafted by
Japan which is this year's APEC chair -- had been completed.

"We managed to visit the entire universe of liberalization and
(trade) facilitation," he said, adding that another round of
talks will take place in Tokyo next month, ahead of the Osaka
conference.

But he refused to say what the stumbling blocks were, or even
in which sectors progress was being made, leaving observers with
the impression that consensus was still a long way off.

APEC leaders agreed at their November 1994 summit in Indonesia
that their region -- which represents 46 percent of world trade
-- should tear down all trade impediments by 2020.

For developed economies, the deadline would be set 10 years
earlier.

The action agenda would comprise customs procedures, standards
and conformity, investment, dispute mediation, competition
policy, government procurement, rules of origin, implementation
of the Uruguay Round of world trade practices, and the easing of
regional trade impediments.

But the goal of a fully comprehensive agenda for APEC members
to abide by is being dashed by demands by some economies -- South
Korea reportedly chief among them -- for exceptions to appease
their powerful farm lobbies.

The United States meanwhile feels its scope for action is
restricted because of a growing protectionist mood in Congress, a
year before President Bill Clinton faces a re-election campaign,
analysts say.

Seki, however, tried to play down the significance of the
agriculture hurdle. "Agriculture itself is not an issue," he
said. "What is an issue is the issue of comprehensive."

The ultimate goal, he said, was to come up "with something our
leaders will be proud of."

APEC comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New
Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan,
Thailand and the United States.