1.     Ministers from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the United States met in Singapore on 30-31 July 90 and assessed the progress of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations in the light of the recent meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee. Ministers agreed that a successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round is the single most important issue on the international agenda.

2.     Ministers expressed grave concern that greater progress had not been made and reiterated their firm commitment to a timely and successful completion of the Uruguay Round. They agreed that at this juncture of the negotiating process all participants must be prepared urgently to undertake commitments and political decisions to overcome the core difficulties in order that the Uruguay Round would achieve major and substantive results by December 1990. They urged all participants to engage fully and constructively in the intensified work programme accepted at the TNC Meeting.

3     Ministers emphasized that a significant outcome in Agriculture, and in Textiles and Clothing, Services, and each of the market access groups is crucial to a successful outcome in the Uruguay Round. They noted with concern a lack of progress in these areas of negotiations and called on all participants in the Round, to intensify their efforts. They noted that access negotiations in certain sectors could not be further deferred and recommended that negotiations among all participants in the Round should proceed on an urgent basis. They committed themselves to advancing access negotiations in accordance with the deadline as set down by the TNC.

4.     Ministers emphasized that the trade rules emerging from the Uruguay Round must enhance open and fair competition. They agreed on the need for a strengthened multilateral trading system. They stressed the importance of achieving a more, effective GATT Dispute Settlement System, which should lead to a commitment to operate only under the multilateral rules.

5.     Ministers shared the belief that the results of negotiations in the new areas should meet the concerns of all participants to ensure full participation.

6.     Ministers confirmed their intention to meet in Vancouver, Canada on September 11 and 12, 1990 to further assess developments in the Uruguay Round and to consider ways by which they could unblock any obstacles to a comprehensive and ambitious Uruguay Round result. They reaffirmed their intention at that time to achieve progress in all aspects of the negotiations.

7.     Ministers also agreed to convene a special meeting of APEC Ministers concerned with Trade Policy soon after the finish of the Round to assess its results.