Press Release: EU submits ambitious programme for tariff reductions in ongoing WTO trade talks

Delivering on the commitment undertaken in Doha the EU tabled an ambitious proposal for tariff reductions in industrial goods on 6 November 2002. The EU proposes a compression mechanism: eliminating tariff peaks and high tariffs, and significantly reducing tariff escalation. This initiative advances meaningful liberalisation across all non-agricultural products which represent over 70% of developing country exports. It also includes development-friendly proposals to eliminate all export restrictions on raw materials and make deeper cuts for textiles and footwear, bringing these tariffs within a narrow common range as close to zero as possible.