With Additional $1.2 Million, U.S. Doubles WTO Trade-Related
Technical Assistance
CANCUN, MEXICO – The United States today issued a summary report
of the approximately $750 million in trade capacity building assistance
it has provided this year. "U.S. Contributions to Trade Capacity Building: Improving Lives
through Trade and Aid" outlines U.S.
programs across 35 categories that help developing countries make the most of open global
markets.
In conjunction with the report, U.S. Trade Representative Robert
B. Zoellick announced an additional $1.2 million for trade-related technical assistance
(TRTA) to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This new multilateral contribution
augments $1 million given earlier this year, bringing total U.S. TRTA for the Doha
Development Agenda to $3 million since the launch of negotiations in November 2001.
"The $1.2 million announced today doubles the U.S. contribution to
the WTO and bolsters our efforts in Geneva to focus on three priorities:
trade-related technical assistance, the Integrated Framework, and the International Trade
Centre," said Zoellick. "These U.S. trade capacity building efforts stem from the
conviction that trade and globalization are critical to the growth of developing and
developed countries alike."
"Trade capacity building stands at the nexus of trade and
development," added Zoellick. "All nations gain when developing countries are able to harness
the power of trade and openness to boost economic growth and accelerate poverty
reduction. The United States is committed to more than just negotiating open markets. In
partnership with developing countries, we are crafting practical solutions that enable them to
actively participate in—and benefit more fully from—the global trading system."
A portion of the new trade capacity building assistance announced
today is a $200,000 grant by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to
the Integrated Framework Trust Fund. USAID will work with the International Trade
Centre to ensure that developing and transition countries have access to market
analysis tools and training courses on trade in services.
Background
The United States is the largest single country donor of trade
capacity building assistance. Total U.S. funding for trade capacity building
activities was $752 million in FY 2003, up from $638 million in 2002—nearly an 18 percent
increase. Regional funding in 2003 totaled $174 million in the Middle East and North
Africa; $150 million in Latin America and the Caribbean; $133 million in sub-Saharan
Africa; $92 million in Asia; $84 million in the former Soviet Republics; $65 million in
Central and Eastern Europe; and $53 million for non-targeted global projects.
WTO Trade-Related Technical Assistance: Since the Doha Ministerial Meeting, the WTO has developed an annual technical assistance plan specifically
related to the Doha negotiations and WTO agreements.
The Integrated Framework (IF): The IF is the mechanism for coordinating the work of six multilateral agencies to integrate trade into the development
strategies of the Least-Developed Countries (LDCs)—a group identified by the United
Nations as the world’s 49 most economically disadvantaged countries. The World Bank has
completed pilot Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies (DTIS)—in-depth needs
assessments—for Cambodia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritania, Malawi, Senegal and
Yemen. Additional DTISs are currently scheduled for Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali and Nepal. Twelve other LDCs have requested to participate in the IF
process, and their requests are being evaluated according to criteria agreed by the
IF Steering Committee. USAID provides assistance supporting the efforts of the LDCs under
the IF.
The International Trade Centre: The International Trade Centre works with developing countries and economies in transition to establish
effective trade promotion programs for expanding exports and improving import operations,
including in the area of services. USAID has previously formed an alliance with the
International Trade Centre to make the TradeMap Interactive Database available to
public and private sector users in the developing world. ITC’s TradeMap provides information
on trade flows and nontariff barriers and enables a country to analyze its
competitiveness in world markets.