US, Europe must revive world trade talks

CAIRNS – Latin American trade officials gathered in Australia, on Friday criticised the United States and Europe for the collapse of world trade talks, saying their bickering over how to cut tariffs and subsidies to farmers was “an excuse to do nothing.”

Trade representatives from 10 Latin American countries met this week in Australia with counterparts from eight other nations as the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting nations. Their aim was to help revive the WTO’s Doha Round talks, which were suspended in July amid disagreements over cuts to trade barriers protecting farmers.In their final communique issues Friday, the minister attending the Cairns meeting called on Washington, the European Union and other industrialised countries to “take the necessary steps to resume negotiations no later than November.”Latin American officials said both the EU and Washington should make substantial new offers that could kick-start the round, and urged them to stop finger-pointing at each other about who should go first.”It’s an excuse to do nothing,” Argentina’s Trade Minister Alfredo Chiaradia told The Associated Press as the meeting wrapped up on Friday.”Both sides need to come together simultaneously and produce an offer that is substantially better than what is on the table.”Guatemala’s Economics Minister Marcio Cuevas agreed, saying Washington and Europe should stop blaming each other for the July breakdown and find a way to restart the talks, which aim to forge a global treaty that will cut trade barriers on industrial goods, services and farm produce.”Now we need to find a solution,” he said.”I think its time for everyone to show good action and good faith and get down to work.”Costa Rica’s trade representative Gabriela Castro said Latin America was looking to the US and Europe to show “political will” needed to move the talks forward.”As soon as we can get underway and be serious about the negotiations the better,” she said.Chiaradia said both the US and Europe needed to make significant improvements on their offers to reduce subsidies and tariffs to help lift millions of Latin American farmers from poverty.”Right now, self-sufficient producers have to compete against the treasuries of rich countries rather than against the producers of those rich countries, and that’s not a fair competition,” he said.”That has to change.”Colombia’s senior WTO official, Claudia Uribe, said US domestic subsidies were more damaging to Latin American farmers than European import tariffs and called on Washington to act first.”For countries like mine, domestic subsidies are the most serious problem, more than access to the European market,” she said.”For us, the most important thing the reduction of domestic support in the US.”The Cairns Group comprises Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Uruguay.Nampa-APTheir aim was to help revive the WTO’s Doha Round talks, which were suspended in July amid disagreements over cuts to trade barriers protecting farmers.In their final communique issues Friday, the minister attending the Cairns meeting called on Washington, the European Union and other industrialised countries to “take the necessary steps to resume negotiations no later than November.”Latin American officials said both the EU and Washington should make substantial new offers that could kick-start the round, and urged them to stop finger-pointing at each other about who should go first.”It’s an excuse to do nothing,” Argentina’s Trade Minister Alfredo Chiaradia told The Associated Press as the meeting wrapped up on Friday.”Both sides need to come together simultaneously and produce an offer that is substantially better than what is on the table.”Guatemala’s Economics Minister Marcio Cuevas agreed, saying Washington and Europe should stop blaming each other for the July breakdown and find a way to restart the talks, which aim to forge a global treaty that will cut trade barriers on industrial goods, services and farm produce.”Now we need to find a solution,” he said.”I think its time for everyone to show good action and good faith and get down to work.”Costa Rica’s trade representative Gabriela Castro said Latin America was looking to the US and Europe to show “political will” needed to move the talks forward.”As soon as we can get underway and be serious about the negotiations the better,” she said.Chiaradia said both the US and Europe needed to make significant improvements on their offers to reduce subsidies and tariffs to help lift millions of Latin American farmers from poverty.”Right now, self-sufficient producers have to compete against the treasuries of rich countries rather than against the producers of those rich countries, and that’s not a fair competition,” he said.”That has to change.”Colombia’s senior WTO official, Claudia Uribe, said US domestic subsidies were more damaging to Latin American farmers than European import tariffs and called on Washington to act first.”For countries like mine, domestic subsidies are the most serious problem, more than access to the European market,” she said.”For us, the most important thing the reduction of domestic support in the US.”The Cairns Group comprises Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Uruguay.Nampa-AP