Public
FTAA.ngadcv/com/20/Rev.1
April 16, 2003

Original: Spanish
Translation: FTAA Secretariat

FTAA – NEGOTIATING GROUP ON SUBSIDIES, ANTIDUMPING AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES

PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ 

1. The Twentieth Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties was held in Puebla, Mexico on 14 and 15 April 2003, under the chairmanship of Mr. Adrián Makuc (Argentina). In attendance at the meeting were delegations of the following thirteen countries: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, and a representative of the Tripartite Committee.
   
   
2. The meeting proceeded in accordance with the following agenda:
   
   
   • Briefing on the Thirteenth Meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee
      
   • Draft chapter on Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties
     
     
     1. Presentation of the new proposals, including the proposals on competition to be incorporated into the draft chapter
        
        
     2. Review of Articles 12 through 17
        
        - Article 12: Developing countries
        - Article 13: Joint committee
        - Article 14: Consultations and dispute settlement
        - Article 15: Public interest
        - Article 16: Elimination of antidumping measures
        - Article 17: Final provisions
        
        
     3. Review of the legal nature of the text
        
        - Identification of options for deepening subsidies-related disciplines
        
        - Communications from other FTAA entities
        
        - Other business
        
        
        
3. The delegations examined articles 12 to 17 and the section on the definitions of the new version of the Draft Chapter on this topic. A new version of this part of the chapter was drafted based on new proposals submitted by the delegations and the consolidation of existing text proposals. In addition, the Chair drafted a new version of the Draft Chapter, which compiles the work carried out by the NGADCV during its meetings of December 2002, January 2003, and April 2003, and which will serve as the base document for the review scheduled for the next NGADCV meeting.
   
   
4. In response to the invitation extended by the Vice Chair of the Consultative Group on Smaller Economies, the Chair of the NGADCV participated in the CGSE meeting to report on the treatment accorded to the issue of differences in the levels of development and size of the economies.
   
5. The next meeting of the Negotiating Group on Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing Duties will take place in Puebla, Mexico, from 19 to 23 May 2003.