WTO council defers decision on PHL request to extend rice import restriction

The World Trade Organization's Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) has put off deciding on the Philippines' request for an extension of its special protection on rice, due to concerns raised by "influential members” of the council. The Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the WTO did not identify which members these were, nor explain their concerns. However, the CTG is scheduled to meet again in March 2013, at which time it is expected to decide on Manila's request to extend the country's quantitative restriction (QR) on rice for five more years until 2017. The CTG oversees 12 committees, including Agriculture, within the WTO. The rice QR allows the Philippines to limit the volume of rice imported into the country by the National Food Authority. In its request, the Philippines underscored the importance of rice in the country's food and livelihood security, as it is a daily staple that is grown by more than 2.4 million Filipino farmers. "The Philippines is very pleased with the CTG's endorsement for the waiver talks to continue and for the Members to remain fully engaged so that solutions to the concerns of the remaining few but influential members can be had by the next meeting of the CTG," Agriculture Assistant Secretary Romeo Recide, who heads the rice negotiating panel, said in a statement. However, Manila expressed "serious concerns" about WTO members' failure to complete work on the petition for waiver which caused the delay. Recide said that India strongly supported the Philippines' request for an extension of the policy, while Australia, China, El Salvador, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand endorsed Manila's request for more time so that talks could be concluded. Manila filed its request for an extension on November 28, 2011. The WTO temporarily waived the lifting of the rice QR so that the Philippines could conduct bilateral talks with other countries about the extension. According to the WTO, the European Union said that it could support the extension; Indonesia said that the request "had merits"; and China said it would not block the request despite ongoing territorial issues with the Philippines. The US, however, said it had "serious concerns" about the request, but also “looked forward to” more bilateral talks with the Philippines. The CTG meeting was held on November 26 and was attended by Recide, National Food Authority Officer in Charge Ludovico J. Jarina, and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the WTO Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. — BM, GMA News