Focus Commentary
Facts and Figures Information Resources Electronic Journals of the U.S. Information Agency, Vol. 4, No. 2, May 1999
Focus Commentary
Facts and Figures Information Resources
AGRICULTURE: THE UNITED STATES AND
THE 1999 WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING
The Future of Agricultural Trade
By August Schumacher, Jr., Under Secretary of Agriculture for the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Now is the time to accelerate agricultural trade reform and bring agricultural trade into the 21st century.
Opening Markets for Agriculture
By Peter L. Scher, Special Trade Ambassador, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
The American vision for agricultural trade continues to be that open, global markets are the best way to achieve societies' expectations for agriculture.
Export Subsidies: A Distortion to Free Trade in Agriculture
By Timothy J. Galvin, Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Export subsidies are generally considered to be one of the most distorting trade tools used by governments to interfere with commercial markets. Substantial progress toward eliminating them will be a critical element of the upcoming WTO negotiations.
The Promise of Biotechnology
By James M. Murphy, Jr., Assistant U.S. Trade Representative
Biotechnology holds enormous potential for U.S. and global food producers and consumers. It can be the catalyst for achieving global food security, as well as helping developing countries establish sustainable agricultural sectors.
Market Access: Eliminating Barriers That Impede Trade
By Jason Hafemeister, Senior Advisor for Multilateral Trade Negotiations, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Market access barriers deny efficient producers the opportunity to compete in other markets and limit the variety and quality of products available to consumers.
State Trading Enterprises: Existence of Monopolies No Longer Justified
By Hugh Maginnis, International Economist, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
State trading enterprises (STEs), used by some countries to control imports and encourage exports for noncommercial reasons, no longer have a place in global agriculture.
WTO Agricultural Negotiations -- Completing the Task
By Paul Morris, Minister-Counsellor for Agriculture and Resources, Embassy of Australia, Washington, D.C.
The Cairns Group membership is pleased with the Uruguay Round outcome but now believe that much remains to be done to achieve a genuine market-oriented approach to agricultural policies.
The Importance of a New Trade Round for America's Farmers
By Dean Kleckner, President, American Farm Bureau Federation
U.S. farmers and ranchers cannot sit idly by while our competitors trade openly in the U.S. market but deny us equal access to their markets.
Developing Countries and the WTO Agricultural Negotiations
By Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla, Visiting Research Fellow, and Sherman Robinson, Director, Trade and Macroeconomics Division, International Food Policy Research Institute
The needs of the least-developed countries, while given some attention in the Uruguay Round, require further evaluation and consideration during the Seattle ministerial conference.
THE URUGUAY ROUND AND AGRICULTURAL REFORM
URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE
THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR AGRICULTURE IN OECD COUNTRIES
KEY CONTACTS AND INTERNET SITES
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Volume 4, Number 2, May 1999
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May 1999
USIA Electronic Journals, Vol. 4, No. 2, May 1999.