By Sanjana Dubey, Office of Public and Media Affairs
This week, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for World Trade Organization (WTO) and Multilateral Affairs Mark Linscott spoke at an American Bar Association (ABA) conference session concerning the impact of free trade negotiations on future WTO rounds, along with representatives from Brazil and Canada. At the event, sponsored by the International Trade Committee of the ABA, Assistant USTR Linscott discussed the current state of the WTO Doha negotiations and implications of important regional initiatives.
During the panel discussion, Linscott provided a historical overview on multilateral trade negotiations in the WTO and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), noting that in the past, the system had proven flexible and dynamic in confronting challenges. He emphasized how critical it is for the WTO to deliver results at December’s Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia, in order to regain confidence in the ability of the WTO negotiate agreements. Linscott also suggested that regional and plurilateral initiatives, such as the USTR-led negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), should provide impetus to future WTO negotiations.
To learn more about USTR’s involvement in the WTO, please visit the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Multilateral Affairs page, here.
