Iraq Making Progress On WTO Application

Posted on 16 February 2010

A senior U.S. trade official says Iraq is making “steady progress” in its efforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), RFE/RL’s Radio Free Iraq reports.

Michael Delaney, the assistant U.S. trade representative for South Asia, told RFE/RL in Baghdad on February 12 that “the Iraqi government has done a lot on its WTO application process and [it] is pretty far advanced now.”

He added that becoming a WTO member will bring “considerable [economic] benefits” to Iraq and would make it easier for U.S. companies to do business in the country.

Delaney said that “the claim that U.S. companies are less active in Iraq than companies from other countries” is false. He pointed out that “two major U.S. oil companies” and many other smaller companies are operating in the country.

Delaney said that the Iraqi government’s work in applying for WTO membership has been “long and arduous.” He added that Baghdad’s application is being treated the same as applications from other countries.

He recalled that Iraq was a founding member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the precursor to the WTO, and, “if history had taken a different path,” Iraq would have been a founding member of the WTO.

Delaney said progress in bilateral trade relations has been “uneven”, but that there has been improvement “across the range of trade and investment issues…one of the things we are looking forward to is Iraq joining the WTO. We look forward to having in place a full range of trade and investment commercial laws, and we look forward to an updated modern labor law as well.”

The WTO was established to supervise and liberalize trade between countries. It has 153 members.

Membuat Kemajuan Iraq Pada Permohonan WTO

Dagangan pegawai kanan AS berkata, Iraq membuat "kemajuan yang stabil" dalam usaha untuk menyertai Pertubuhan Perdagangan Sedunia (WTO), RFE / RL 'Radio Free Iraq laporan.

Michael Delaney, penolong wakil perdagangan AS bagi Asia Selatan, memberitahu RFE / RL di Baghdad pada 12 Februari baru-baru ini bahawa "kerajaan Iraq telah melakukan banyak mengenai proses permohonan WTO dan [ia] agak jauh maju sekarang."

Beliau menambah bahawa menjadi ahli WTO akan membawa "yang agak [ekonomi] faedah" ke Iraq dan akan membuat lebih mudah bagi syarikat-syarikat AS untuk menjalankan perniagaan di negara ini.

Delaney berkata bahawa "dakwaan bahawa syarikat-syarikat AS kurang aktif di Iraq daripada syarikat-syarikat dari negara-negara lain" adalah palsu. Beliau berkata bahawa "dua syarikat utama minyak AS" dan lain-lain yang lebih kecil banyak syarikat-syarikat yang beroperasi di negara ini.

Delaney berkata bahawa kerja kerajaan Iraq dalam memohon untuk menjadi ahli WTO telah "panjang dan sukar." Beliau menambah bahawa permohonan Baghdad dirawat sama seperti permohonan daripada negara-negara lain.

Beliau teringat bahawa Iraq adalah ahli pengasas Perjanjian Am Mengenai Tarif dan Perdagangan, pelopor kepada WTO, dan, "jika sejarah telah mengambil laluan yang berlainan," Iraq akan menjadi ahli pengasas Pertubuhan Perdagangan Dunia (WTO).

Delaney berkata kemajuan dalam hubungan perdagangan dua hala telah "tidak sama rata", tetapi terdapat peningkatan "dalam pelbagai isu-isu perdagangan dan pelaburan ... salah satu daripada perkara-perkara yang kami tidak sabar-sabar untuk Iraq menyertai WTO. Kami berharap untuk mempunyai tempat yang pelbagai penuh perdagangan dan undang-undang pelaburan komersial, dan kami tidak sabar-sabar lagi kepada undang-undang buruh moden yang dikemaskini juga. "

WTO telah ditubuhkan untuk menyelia dan liberalisasi perdagangan antara negara-negara. Ia mempunyai 153 ahli-ahli.