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Vietnam not able to join WTO by January 2005 target
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Vietnam will not be able to join the World Trade Organisation on January 1, 2005 as Hanoi was aiming to do, the free-trade body said, hailing new measures from the country while also asking for improvements and clarifications.
The 63 WTO members in talks with Vietnam were much closer to an agreement than during a previous meeting last December, the Geneva-based organisation said in a statement.
he WTO negotiators supported Hanoi's aim of becoming a member as soon as possible, according to the statement.
The organisation said Vietnam had considerably improved its offers in terms of access to its goods and services markets.
"Vietnams latest offers, circulated in April, include commitments to cut tariffs to an average of about 18 percent (a four-percentage point improvement over the previous offer), and to provide some access to services in 10 sectors or 92 sub-sectors," the statement said.
Nevertheless, members of the working group said that there remained a lot of progress to be made on market access.
The organisation also sought greater clarity about certain laws and policies and urged other necessary laws to be put in place.
"I believe it is my duty to emphasize to the Vietnamese delegation the absolute need to accelerate the laws and enforcement regulations," the head of the working group, South Korean representative Seung Ho, said, adding that Vietnam's accession to the organisation depended on the implementation of such laws.
Vietnam indicated in March it aimed to join the trade body next year but experts consider that the country will not be able to join until one or two years later.
The 63 WTO members in talks with Vietnam were much closer to an agreement than during a previous meeting last December, the Geneva-based organisation said in a statement.
he WTO negotiators supported Hanoi's aim of becoming a member as soon as possible, according to the statement.
The organisation said Vietnam had considerably improved its offers in terms of access to its goods and services markets.
"Vietnams latest offers, circulated in April, include commitments to cut tariffs to an average of about 18 percent (a four-percentage point improvement over the previous offer), and to provide some access to services in 10 sectors or 92 sub-sectors," the statement said.
Nevertheless, members of the working group said that there remained a lot of progress to be made on market access.
The organisation also sought greater clarity about certain laws and policies and urged other necessary laws to be put in place.
"I believe it is my duty to emphasize to the Vietnamese delegation the absolute need to accelerate the laws and enforcement regulations," the head of the working group, South Korean representative Seung Ho, said, adding that Vietnam's accession to the organisation depended on the implementation of such laws.
Vietnam indicated in March it aimed to join the trade body next year but experts consider that the country will not be able to join until one or two years later.
