A breakthrough on the 14-year-long Doha talks that aim to significantly reduce global trade barriers is expected during the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting in Nairobi in December, according to a delegation in Kenya.
WTO director of information and external relations Keith Rockwell said the meeting – the first WTO ministerial conference to be hosted in sub-Saharan Africa – comes when the negotiations have progressed following injection of “new energy" by the newly appointed WTO director general Roberto Azevedo.
"We expect the ministerial meeting to lead to conclusion of the Doha talks or a very big step in that direction," said Rockwell, in a pre-meeting media briefing yesterday in Nairobi.
The trade negotiations began at the WTO’s Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. The talks aim to reform international trade systems through reduced trade barriers and revised rules. The work programme covers 20 areas of trade.
Controversial issues under these negotiations arose mainly from tariffs touching on agriculture and manufactured goods, where most member countries currently have hiked tariffs on imports.
"Farmers are particularly powerful in many countries, so they may have concerns about opening their markets," said Rockwell.
For Kenya, which mostly exports unprocessed agricultural goods such as coffee and tea, conclusion of the Doha talks would be a big step forward, enabling export finished goods.
"The negotiations, as they are unfolding at the moment, have a tariff cutting," said Rockwell.
If Kenya exports more processed goods as opposed to raw materials, the country's industries would grow, thereby creating more jobs, while farmers would reap better returns.
Latest official data show Kenya’s coffee exports rose from 3,617.7 tonnes in October 2014 to 3,717.9 tonnes in November, while value increased to Sh1.7 billion from to Sh1.6 billion over the same period.
Tea exports rose from 37,637.2 tonnes in October to 38,275.2 tonnes in November 2014, while value grew from Sh7.4 billion to Sh7.5 billion.
"There are new products not covered by the original agreement, about 200 products whose trade value is about $1 trillion," said Rockwell.