For Renato Baumann, director at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac), this is the most probable scenery for the Doha Rounds. The Eclac is connected to the United Nations (UN) and Baumann discussed the matter during the 2nd Brazilian Congress of Innovation in Industry, being held in São Paulo, Brazil.
Baumann believes that the other two possible sceneries for the negotiations, the return to talks in 2007 and the suspension of talks, are less probable. What is barring the Rounds is concessions that the negotiators are not prepared to make.
The United States and European Union are resisting eliminating agricultural subsidies and developing countries resist opening their government purchases and service sectors.
Meanwhile, Brazilian and Chinese are strengthening their ties. The Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq) established a partnership with the China Machine Tools Builder's Association (CMTB), its Chinese counterpart in the industry, based in Beijing, China.
The idea is to promote technological exchange and possible joint ventures between the Brazilian and Chinese manufacturers. Thirteen Brazilian businessmen participated in the signing of a protocol of intentions during a trip to China. The Brazilian delegation also visited the China International Machine Tool Show, held from April 9 to 15, in which Abimaq had a stand.
The protocol of intentions – signed in Portuguese, English, and Mandarin – will provide the basis for information exchange among the 130 companies linked to Abimaq, which account for a production of US$ 956 million, and the 700 companies linked to the Chinese organization, responsible for a production of US$ 7 billion.
During the fair, the Brazilian organization also promoted the International Machine Tools and Integrated Manufacturing Systems Trade Fair (Feimafe), to be held from May 21 to 25 at Anhembi, in the southeastern Brazilian city of São Paulo.
Anba