WT/MIN(13)/ST/2  
4 December 2013  
(13-6638)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: Spanish  
 
 STATEMENT BY H.E. MR ILDEFONSO GUAJARDO 
MINISTER OF THE ECONOMY 
MEXICO 
The Mexican economy is going through a period of deep structural change with the reforms being 
promoted by President Enrique Peña Nieto in th e areas of labour, education, taxation, energy, 
telecommunications, economic competition, and financial services.  
Trade has a leading role to play in this package of reforms in enabling Mexico to integrate more 
efficiently into the world economy by helping its producers to become more productive and internationally competitive, optimizing economic growth and, in particular, contributing 
significantly to improving the standard of living and level of employment of the Mexican people.  
 For Mexico, a healthy, predictable and inclusive multilateral trading system is a prerequisite for 
sustaining economic development, and while our various bilateral and regional agreements are a 
satisfactory complement to that system, there is no way that they can replace it.   By reaching a consensus on the various topics included in the texts that were being negotiated in 
Geneva until a few days ago, we would be pr oviding the world economy with a strong and 
much-needed stimulus. An agreement on trade facilitation would have an impact comparable to the introduction of containers in maritime transport, and would have a greater effect on trade than 
the tariff reductions produced by the multilateral negotiating rounds of the last seven decades. 
 It is commendable that in a last-ditch effort, Members were able to resolve the outstanding 
LDC issues in the text on trade facilitation. It seems to me that all of the outstanding issues in that 
text can be solved.  A commitment, albeit political, to freeze agricultural export subsidies at the current level would 
be an important step towards eliminating them entirely. Improved management of agricultural 
product tariff quota administration would have a positive economic impact that is far from negligible. We all need food security for our peoples. Some WTO Members need special 
arrangements. We believe that in Geneva, a solution was found that should be acceptable to all 
of us.  
The specific elements that were agreed in favour of the least developed countries would contribute 
significantly to their economic and social development.  Our representatives in Geneva came very close to an agreement which was clearly balanced 
and from which all Members stand to gain. If we are unable to preserve that package, we all stand 
to lose.  
Ministers must take advantage of these three days and devote themselves to finding constructive 
ways to tie up the few loose ends that remain, bearing in mind the potential of a positive and balanced result. What is at stake here is the future of the Doha Round and the credibility of the 
multilateral trading system. 
 WT/MIN(13)/ST/2 
 
- 2 - 
 
  We support the Director-General's enormous efforts and commend him for the excellent manner in 
which he has led this process. Let us use the inputs that have been brought to us from Geneva intelligently, and agree on a package.  
Mr Chairman, inertia is the worst possible scenario, and that is what we have been seeing for a 
long time now. We have been making a serious mistake. Let us act to correct it. The future is here, today, in Bali. 
 
__________