EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is quoted as saying that China and other developing countries need to give more on non-agricultural market access if the current Doha Round is to make progress. This confirms The Hive's view that the real problems lie in the non-agriculture area rather than agriculture itself (though it would appear that Sarkozy and some other Europeans would disagree with us). However, without further moves on services and non-agriculture is will be easier for the European and American protectionists to argue that the agriculture text goes too far, and that there is not enough elsewhere to compensate for the pain that is going to be caused to European and US agriculture (this argument is bullshit but they will make it just the same).
So will China, India, Brazil and Argentina etc be prepared to offer more on non-agriculture? We think they can. So as Commissioner Mandelson says the future of this Round is in their hands.
