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Corn
Growers See Benefits of Doha Meeting (11-26-01)
The recent World
Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Doha, Qatar, paved the way for both
China and Taiwan's accession into the WTO. But what does this mean for
agriculture and corn growers? Potentially, it means billions of dollars
in new trade opportunities.
"The National
Corn Growers Association continues to line up great trade successes,"
said NCGA President Tim Hume, a farmer from Walsh, Colo. "We entered
the meeting supporting China and Taiwan as potential markets for our
grower-members, and as a result, there is a very real opportunity for
our growers to capitalize on the WTO's approval of their membership.
Their accession into the Word Trade Organization means the potential
for increased corn exports due to the changes that will be undertaken
in their countries - reducing domestic subsidies and eliminating export
subsidies, he said.
Not only did NCGA
support the accession of the two nations into the WTO, but NCGA was
also concerned about efforts of the European Union (EU) to gain concessions
on the precautionary principle. Earlier in the month, NCGA sent a letter
to United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, urging him to
stand strong against efforts by the EU to open negotiations on the precautionary
principles, which would have resulted in the perpetuation of illegitimate
trade barriers. The precautionary principle was not included in the
final text of the WTO Ministerial Declaration.
Agriculture products
face tariffs as high as 60-percent, while non-agricultural goods face
a mere 4-percent tax, revealing the fact that agriculture has borne
the brunt of trade distorting policies for many years.
"As a result
of Doha," said Hume, "and new global trade negotiations, agriculture
has everything to gain from increased market access and eliminating
export subsidies, allowing the US to compete on a level playing field."
The National Corn
Growers Association supports increased agricultural trade, contributing
to a stronger domestic corn price. To learn more about the importance
of corn and the role it plays in international trade, click on the following
link: http://www.ncga.com/trade/main/index.html.
Last reviewed
November 26, 2001
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