§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made by his Department towards a binding commitment on tariff-free and quota-free access for exports from the poorest 48 countries in the world. [102301]
§ Mr. CabornUnder the UK Presidency of the European Union in 1998, the EU agreed to provide duty free access for essentially all products from the Least Developed Countries by 2005. We will be pressing the EU to fulfil this commitment as soon as possible. More generally, we will continue to call for zero tariffs to be applied to all goods from the Least Developed Countries, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister promised in his speech at Mansion House on 22 November.
In addition, and notwithstanding the fact that the WTO Seattle Ministerial conference was suspended without agreement between member Governments on a new multilateral market access initiative for the Least Developed Countries, we will continue to urge other developed countries to match the EU's commitment.