China, US Tackle Industrial Sector Tariffs

World Trade Organisation Director-General Pascal Lamy is evaluating negotiating positions.

China and the United States have held discussions on industrial sector tariffs, a U.S. official said on Friday, as countries prepare for a possible Doha trade meeting later this month.

World Trade Organisation Director-General Pascal Lamy is evaluating negotiating positions before deciding whether or not to call a Doha round meeting in Geneva. World leaders had called for such a meeting in November, to help mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis.

U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, in Beijing for the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) between U.S. and Chinese officials, took the occasion to discuss non-agricultural market access, or NAMA, issues with the Ministry of Commerce, her spokesman said.

"Ambassador Schwab and the minister did meet and discuss several outstanding issues, including NAMA sectorals, in an effort to bridge gaps that remain," Sean Spicer, a spokesman for Schwab, said in an email.

"The discussions will continue in the coming days."

For his part, Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming spoke warmly of the "courage and confidence" shown by both China and the U.S. in coping with the global financial downturn, during the latest discussions which concluded Friday in Beijing [ID:nPEK42540].

"Under the current situation, it is important to keep a stable development of the Sino-U.S. economic and trade relationship," Chen said at a dinner of businessmen and government officials hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce.