WT/L/1052  
 
14 December 2018  
(18-7933) Page: 1/2 
 Original: English/Spanish  
 
MINISTERIAL STATEMEN T 
G20 TRADE AND INVEST MENT MINISTERIAL MEE TING 
14 SEPTEMBER 2018, M AR DEL PLATA, ARGENT INA 
The following communication, dated 11 December 2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Argentina.  
 
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1. We, the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers, met on 14 September 2018 in Mar del Plata, 
Argentina, under the chairmanship of H.E. Amb. Jorge Faurie, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship 
of the Argentine Republic, and H.E. Mr. Dante Sica, Minister of Prod uction and Labor of the Argentine 
Republic, to further strengthen G20 trade and investment cooperation, under the overall objective 
of the G20 Argentinean Presidency of "building consensus for fair and sustainable development ", 
taking into consideration na tional needs, priorities and circumstances.  
2. The G20 Trade and Investment Ministers meeting gathered all G20 members as well as guests 
from Spain, Chile, Netherlands, Jamaica (on behalf of CARICOM), Senegal (on behalf of NEPAD) and 
Singapore (on behalf of ASEAN). Also, the following International Organizations participated in the 
meeting: IMF, ITC, OECD, UNCTAD, World Bank, WTO, CAF, and IADB.  
3. International trade and investment continue to be important engines of growth, productivity, 
innovation, job creat ion and development. Rapid technological advances are transforming the world 
economy at an unprecedented level. Economic growth remains robust, while trade shows signs of 
recovery since the financial crisis, with an increase of 4.7% in 2017 and a projected  increase of 
4.4% for 2018. However, downside risks, vulnerabilities and growing inequality could affect 
confidence and the prospects for strong, balanced and sustainable growth.  
4. At a critical juncture for international trade and investment cooperation, G 20 members will 
work together to enhance sustainable economic growth, keep markets open, address economic 
development and to reinvigorate the international trading system.  
Promoting inclusive Agro -food Global Value Chains  
5. Global and regional value chains  have produced deep transformations in patterns of 
production, trade and specialization around the world. Agro -food Global Value Chains (GVCs) are 
one of the important means to achieve a sustainable food future.  
6. We welcomed the inventory of national exper iences, programs, policies and practices on trade 
and investment aspects of agro -food GVCs. We also welcomed the discussion of key factors for G20 
trade and investment policy -making options to support the participation and increasing value -
addition in agro -food GVCs, which can particularly benefit developing countries. National policies to 
support Micro, Small and Medium -Sized Enterprises (MSMEs), and women are also important. Those 
factors can help to improve access to markets, foster opportunities for val ue-addition, and create 
jobs in rural areas to contribute to agricultural productivity and income for small producers.  WT/L/1052  
 
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  Facing the challeng es of New Industrial Revolution  
7. The expansive and transformative changes brought about by the New Industrial Revoluti on 
(NIR) and the adoption of digital technologies across all industries has wide-ranging  implications for 
the scope, scale, speed and patterns of production, trade and investment. The NIR has the potential 
not only to increase productivity, but also to tra nsform comparative advantages among countries 
and break down the traditional boundary between the physical and the digital world and between 
goods and services.  
8. We welcomed the inventory of national experiences, programs, policies and practices on trade 
and investment aspects of the NIR. We also welcomed the discussion of factors for G20 policy -
making options to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that the NIR poses 
for trade and investment flows, with particular attention to the si tuation of MSMEs, developing 
countries and women, thereby contributing to bridge all forms of digital divide.  
G20 Dialogue on Current International Trade Developments  
9. The G20 is a platform for political dialogue outside of a negotiating context and for g athering 
collective efforts to ensure that the benefits of international trade and investment are shared by all.  
10. We recognized the need to step up dialogue and actions to mitigate risks and enhance 
confidence in international trade.  
11. We stepped up our dia logue on current international trade developments, recognizing the 
urgent need to discuss current events in international trade and ways to improve the WTO to face 
current and future challenges. In this context, we discussed what the G20 can do to address the 
current situation in a collaborative manner.  
12. We encouraged all G20 Members individually and with other interested parties to continue to 
come forward with ideas to ensure that the WTO continues to be relevant.  
13. We welcomed the continued assistance of international organizations in support of the G20 
trade and investment agenda moving forward.  
In preparation for the Buenos Aires Summit  
14. We recommend our Leaders to consider these important topics furth er at the Buenos Aires 
Summit.  
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