by Christopher Wenk

One of the key outcomes of the Chamber's Doha Trade Delegation to both Brussels and Geneva last week was a joint Transatlantic Business Community letter that was finalized and sent to USTR Ambassador Ron Kirk and EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht yesterday. The letter was a key point of discussion during the Chamber's meeting with BusinessEurope in Brussels on July 13.

 The letter urges for greater cooperation between U.S. and EU negotiators in the Doha Round (particularly on NAMA and Services) but also demonstrates that business communities across the Atlantic are not content with what is currently on the table. More ambition is going to be required to get Doha over the finish line. This letter is a significant development at a significant time in the negotiations. The aura of July 2008 is wearing off.

Besides the Chamber and BusinessEurope, the letter was signed by the European Services Forum, Coalition of Service Industries, National Association of Manufacturers and Business Roundtable.