Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 7 • Number 32 • 1st October 2003
Agriculture Committee Discusses US Farm Assistance
The WTO Agriculture Committee met on 25 September to review Members’ implementation of commitments. The EC and Canada requested that the US notify Members of the details of its Trade Adjustment Assistance Programme for Farmers, which aims at providing technical assistance and adjustment payments to agricultural, livestock and aquaculture producers. Australia enquired on the products covered by the scheme, as well as the guidelines for payment. The US will report back later to the Committee. During its Annual Transitional Review, China re-iterated the importance it attached to implementing its commitments under the WTO agreements. China outlined how over the past year it had reduced its tariffs by an average of 7.2 percent and highlighted its revised procedures for tariff quota administration. China also stated that it had eliminated export quotas on sugar and garlic. The Chinese delegate said that its ‘Amber Box’ trade distorting domestic support was at 8.5 percent, which was lower than the de minimis level developing countries were allowed.
The Committee invited a representative of the IMF to present the proposal on a new trade initiative at the next meeting, scheduled for 20 November. In her speech at Cancun, IMF First Deputy Managing Director Anne Krueger had announced that the IMF was preparing a new initiative that would provide financial assistance to developing countries adjusting to the multilateral trade reform.
ICTSD reporting.