. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/148 
17 December 2005 
 (05-6152) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   Spanish 
 
  
ECUADOR 
 
Statement by HE Mr Jorge Illingworth
 
Minister of Foreign Trade, Industrialization, Fisheries  
and Competitiveness  
   It is a pleasure for me to congratulate you, Mr Chairman, on your skilful conduct of this 
Ministerial Conference, at the same time as we thank the city of Hong Kong for the generous 
hospitality provided this week.  We should also like to join in the welcome that the other Members of 
this Organization have given to Saudi Arabia and Tonga.   In Ecuador's view the principal objective of th is negotiating round is to achieve significant, 
substantial and effective progress in the development dimension and in equity, in the form of real, 
permanent and unconditional access to the mark ets of the developed countries, through the 
elimination of non-tariff trade barriers, quotas and other barriers that hinder our access.   In view of the importance of agriculture for the developing countries and for Ecuador in 
particular, we hope that this Round will result in real  access for our exports.  If that is to be achieved, 
it is indispensable to establish clear negotiati ng modalities, unambiguous commitments and shared 
visions that are directed to the opening-up of mark ets as the best form of assistance that the developed 
Members can provide for the development dimension.   In this context, cuts in market access for th e developed countries must not be on average less 
than 35 per cent. 
 
 Similarly, there must be agreement on a ce iling for the bound tariffs of the agricultural 
products of the developed countries of no more th an 100 per cent and higher still in the case of the 
developing countries.  
 The cuts for countries such as Ecuador shoul d not exceed two-thirds of those that the 
developed countries make.    We have emphasized that an essential issue for Ec uador is the fullest liberalization of trade in 
tropical products and products to replace illicit crops, which should not be included among the 
sensitive products nor be subject to the minimum cu t that would also allow for a pivot that would 
limit a wider cut.   The cuts in domestic support must be proportiona l to the amount allocated to such support.  
Consequently, it is unacceptable to seek to in clude illusory and disguised measures in the 
commitments to be agreed. 
 
 With regard to export competition all export subsidies should be eliminated by 2010 at the 
latest. WT/MIN(05)/ST/148 
Page 2  
 
  In these agricultural negotiations Ecuador su pports the G-20 proposals, since it considers 
them to be equitable in their approach to all the pillars of the negotiations and also to differential 
treatment for the developing countries.  We al so support the position of the Cairns Group on the 
elimination of export subsidies.  
 It is obvious to us that the scope in other areas of negotiation will depend on the results and 
modalities that are agreed w ith regard to agriculture. 
  As regards the negotiations on NAMA, Ecua dor wishes to see rapid progress in the 
negotiations of the formula, flexibilities and binding, on the basis of the Doha Mandate and Annex B.  
In this regard, due balance must be struck betwee n ambition and flexibility, so that the principles 
prevail and not the exceptions.   Furthermore, a solution to the issue of preference erosion is attainable, provided that it does not include trade solutions that prejudice other developing countries, so that we would see our market 
access restricted.  A clear example of that is the banana question. 
  In this context, special and differential treat ment is a fundamental element for the success of 
these negotiations and must be approached by mean s of non-trade solutions.  Consequently, we are 
ready to support innovative proposals through progr ammes such as the "Aid  for Trade" programme. 
 
 I wish to stress that our banana exports to the European Union are of the greatest importance 
for the economic and human developmen t of Ecuador, in view of the fact that a high percentage of our 
population depends for their basic livelihood, either directly or indirectly, on the production of and 
trade in that fruit.  
 For these reasons, we need a mutually satisfa ctory agreement so as to overcome this long 
impasse, which will respect the findings of 1 August and 27 October, and establish the right to a tariff 
that will ensure at least full access for our  fruit to the European Community market. 
  I wish to take this opportunity to emphasize th e work of the Advisory Centre on WTO Law in 
Geneva for its support to the developing countries,  and we urge the donor governments to strengthen 
this body. 
  Ecuador wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the multilateral trading system and hopes that 
the Doha commitments and the July  Package will be fully observed. 
 
 We hope that the Hong Kong Conference will act as a starting-point for a real commitment to 
the principles that underlie our Organization.  
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