Belize's trade policies have been under the unblinking scrutiny of the World Trade Organization for the last three days in Geneva, Switzerland. An 11-person delegation led by Trade Minister Hon. Eamon Courtenay had to aggressively defend Belize's position on a number of issues including high duties, a fixed currency peg and intellectual property violations. Speaking with us this afternoon from Geneva, Trade Minister Courtenay said that Belize alternately impressed and begged patience.
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Trade
"To be quite frank Jules I think most countries were exceedingly impressed with the level of out preparation, the depth of the answers, and the fact that we had good justifications to support some of the areas where the classical WTO position is that we should not, for example, have some of the tariff rates at the level that we have them. I think the answers were well received. I don't think they agreed with them but we stuck to our guns."
Jules Vasquez,
As you say, developing nations have special needs but we know how intolerant the world trade regime can sometimes be. So will there be a penalty assessed on us for lagging behind?
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Trade
"Yeah. It is quite possible although I would say unlikely at this time for any country to take us before the dispute settlement body. If there is anywhere that we are not in compliance with the WTO regulations and commitments that we have made we could conceivably be taken before a dispute panel and a ruling may be ordered against us. And if we don't comply with it we will be subject to financial sanctions. That is unlikely but it is a possibility."
Included in the delegation was Business Senator Hon. Godwin Hulse, and Public Utilities boss Gilly Canton. As for the scathing labor report issued this week by the ICTFU, Courtenay says it was only timed to coincide with the WTO presentations but did not factor into the meetings.