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WTO
Meeting Opened Nov. 9 in Doha, Qatar; NCGA Focus on New Agriculture
Round (11-09-01)
The
World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference began Nov. 9 in
Doha, Qatar. The highly anticipated meetings include important votes
on new members to the WTO. The 142-member countries will vote on the
accession of both China and Taiwan into the WTO.
Not only do China
and Taiwan represent new potential corn customers, their agreements
to enter the WTO mean that they will make changes to their domestic
practices, in terms of agricultural support and export subsidies for
their domestic production.
"This is how
the WTO works for agriculture - by placing farmers on more equal footing
across the globe," said Tim Hume, corn farmer and president of
the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), "As U.S. corn producers,
we cannot realize advances in technology and production if foreign countries
are subsidizing their producers at a rate such that U.S. farmers cannot
compete in the global marketplace."
Hume concluded,
"NCGA is seeking the launch of a new round of negotiations, so
agriculture can benefit from trade liberalization."
NCGA seeks increased
export markets for bulk corn exports as well as value-added corn products,
such as meat, oil and corn gluten feed. One in five rows of corn is
planted for export market, so it is vital that the U.S. be part of negotiating
to lower tariffs and trade barriers around the world for our agricultural
goods. Agriculture has everything to gain from a new round - currently
the average permissible agricultural tariff is 60 percent, while for
non-agricultural goods it is 4 percent.
Hume noted that
the NCGA is working closely with its partner, the U.S. Grains Council,
in seeking the new round of negotiations to benefit agriculture.
Last reviewed
November 9, 2001
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