WTO Meeting May Be Approaching Deal

Negotiators accede to India's demand to extend a temporary measure that prohibits members from disputing some kinds of food subsidies

The World Trade Organization's (WTO) ninth ministerial conference (MC9) seems inches away from a historical breakthrough with the draft ministerial decision on public stockholding for food security purposes accepting India's demand for continuing the interim measure until a permanent solution on doing away with the cap on food subsidies is put in place.

The draft ministerial declaration released by WTO states: "In the interim, until a permanent solution is found … Members shall refrain from challenging through the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism."