In the Doha talks, the so-called Least- Developed Countries, many in Africa, were to get quota-free and duty-free access to sell products in wealthy markets without being asked to open up their economies. Mandelson said Tuesday that he favored pushing ahead with these measures – agreed to at a WTO ministers meeting late year in Hong Kong – even without a full Doha agreement. “We should extract from the rubble a significant development package,” he said. [IHT]

Since both the US AGOA and EU EBA preferential programs have limitations (AGOA has tariff rate quotas; EBA delays liberalizing sugar, rice, and bananas), there is room for this brand of trade liberalization. Does “pushing ahead with these measures” mean coordinated unilateralism by the rich countries or low-level activity at the WTO?

(Based on the work I’ve done on AGOA’s impact on beneficiaries’ exports, I’m skeptical of characterizing its expansion as “a significant development package.”)