21 October 2005

This letter in the guardian was written in response to the WTO meetings being held in Geneva this week:

The US has offered a paper cut of 60% of the possible total, but its actual payments are $25bn a year now, and will be $23-26bn in 2008-12. The EU has offered a paper cut of 70%, but with actual payments at €64bn a year now and €55-60bn a year to 2012. If rich countries are serious about development they should make real cuts in subsidies and stop demanding that developing countries open their markets to industrial goods and services.

Tom Sharman
Trade policy officer, ActionAid