G33 which is a group of 47 developing countries also known as “Friends of Special Products in Agriculture” was formed before the 2003 Cancun Ministerial Conference and mainly puts forward issues related to agricultural trade at the WTO. The G33’s goal is to protect the interests of developing countries through the advocacy of special provisions and flexibility in agricultural trade agreements.
About G-33
• The G33 is a collaboration comprising of underdeveloped and developing countries (or referred to as the Friends of Special Products in agriculture).
• As much as their title suggests, they have 47 country members, with notable ones being India, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, and Kenya.
• The group created this in anticipation of the Cancun ministerial conference in 2003; it focused on agriculture during the Doha Round of WTO negotiations.
• With India as a dominant leader in the trade group, they have defensive aspirations regarding agriculture and want to limit aid to market access requirements for developing countries.
• Adding to the claims above, the group has strived to develop a defensive “special products” exemption for specific goods that would be unshipped under tariff cuts, and the right to impose tariffs on a surge in imports with no restrictions.
