"The new round of multilateral trade negotiations has a clear mandate to reduce, with a view to phasing out, the export subsidies which for so long have damaged Australian farm and processed food exports," Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today.

A new round of negotiations was launched at the conclusion of the WTO Ministerial Conference at Doha.  Mr Vaile headed the Australian delegation and chaired the Cairns Group of fair agricultural exporters.

"Australian farmers insisted the terms of the launch include phasing out export subsidies.  The Australian delegation would not come home until we achieved that.  The Government has delivered just what the farmers asked for," Mr Vaile said.

"This is the beginning of the end of the export subsidies.  For 50 years, under the GATT/WTO, rich countries have discriminated against agriculture in international trade rules, depressed world farm prices and reduced incomes to efficient Australian farmers.

"The declaration from Doha means that the elimination of export subsidies will be on the agenda for the first time ever."

Mr Vaile praised the Cairns Group for working effectively together to resist EU attempts to remove the language on phasing out export subsidies from the declaration.  The Cairns Group had succeeded in getting support for its fundamental reform objectives from a range of developing countries.

"We also have the results we wanted in terms of a commitment to substantial improvements in market access and substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support."