Asia Pacific | Japan says WTO farm reform plan unacceptableTOKYO, Feb 13 (Reu...

Asia Pacific

 

Japan says WTO farm reform plan unacceptable
TOKYO, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Japan's Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday that farm import tariff cuts proposed by the World Trade Organization were too big, and it would seek a major revision jointly with the European Union.

 

Australia says WTO farm blueprint not good enough

CANBERRA, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A draft agricultural trade report by the WTO does not go far enough, leaving tariffs at levels double those recommended by exporting countries, Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said on Thursday.

 

Concern over Tariff Increases
Australian government and industry agree to strengthen Japan beef lobbying efforts.

 

Americas

 

South America cautious on U.S. free trade proposal
BRASILIA, Brazil, Feb 12 (Reuters) - South America reacted with caution on Wednesday to a U.S. proposal to eliminate tariffs on all textiles by 2010 and cut duties on 56 percent of the farm products from the region as part of an Americas-wide free trade pact.

 

Europe

 

Spinal Cord Found in British Sheep Carcasses
Meat Hygiene Service to investigate breaches in BSE safety controls.

 

USA

 

INTERVIEW-U.S. sees little room to bend in WTO farm talks

TOKYO, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The United States, keen to slash the tariffs and subsidies it says are hurting world farm trade, said on Thursday it saw little room for compromise with protectionist voices in increasingly testy free-trade talks.

 

Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman Regarding WTO Chairman Stuart Harbinson’s Paper on Agriculture
"The U.S. has proposed a bold and aggressive approach to level the playing field for U.S. farmers and ranchers. We have serious concerns that Harbinson's paper lacks harmonization and equity in both the market access and domestic support areas. In addition, the low level of ambition reflected in the approach to market access falls far short of the Doha Mandate, which calls for substantial improvements in market access. The perpetuation of inequities regarding the allowed levels of trade-distorting domestic support is particularly problematic."