Telecom industry is generally pleased with existing framework set...

have made commitments to open their markets to voice/data and long distance services and to ensure access to underlying telecom facilities other providers needed, he said at Services 2002 conference on WTO negotiations in services. Conference was sponsored by Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and Coalition of Service Industries. Coming out of upcoming talks in Doha, Qatar, Shefferman said, his industry would like to see full market access and national treatment commitments from all WTO members. Audiovisual services industry’s goal for Doha Round is to secure open market commitments, not necessarily liberalization of those markets, said Bonnie Richardson, MPAA vp-trade & federal affairs. Virtually every country trades in audiovisual goods and services, she said, and many have imposed measures to boost their domestic production. Some of those rules don’t have “trade-distorting” effects, Richardson said. Even if they do, she said, audiovisual sector is willing to tolerate “psychological crutches” in order to convince other countries that trade commitments won’t hurt their local cultures. It’s “crucially important” that countries commit to open markets for e-commerce at next round of WTO talks in Doha, AOL Time Warner Vp-International Public Policy Laura Lane said. Despite ups and downs of stock market and high-tech businesses, “e-commerce is alive and well” and nations that have embraced open markets are experiencing tremendous growth, Lane said.