APEC Trade Ministers Continue to Push for Easing Trade Restrictions
APEC hopes to have a list of environmental goods that directly and positively contribute to the region’s green growth and sustainable development objectives "by September,” said Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, at the APEC Trade Ministers meeting June 4 in Kazan, Russia. ”It could be a positive, tangible signal that APEC could achieve results to help the international trade system,” he said. “Having such a list is a specific positive contribution that we could make to multilateral trade negotiations in connection to the new quality of growth,” agreed Andrey Belousov, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
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Meanwhile, “world trade growth is slowing and protectionist barriers are rising,” said WTO Director General Pascal Lamy. “What’s worrying is the slow accumulation of protectionism. It’s not only protectionist pressures; it’s not only protectionist rhetoric. It’s protectionist action.” "May I suggest that APEC, as a group, is in a good position to contribute to a compromise on trade facilitation," Lamy said. Belousov agreed: “We hope that by the time APEC Leaders meet in September we will have a mutually acceptable solution.” The ministers of trade issued several statements during the meeting, including: A statement endorsing trade and investment liberalization, and regionalization (here). A statement on supporting the multilateral trading system and resisting protectionism (here)