Media release
Saturday 7 September 2002 - MVT108/2002
Cairns Group Members Send Message on WTO Agriculture
Australian agricultural producers stand to benefit significantly
if a proposal from members of the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting
nations to open markets around the world is adopted in the World Trade
Organisation (WTO), Cairns Group Chair and Trade Minister Mark Vaile
said today.
Mr Vaile said overnight Cairns Group members released a proposal
which would see a significant cut to existing levels of agricultural
tariffs and an aggressive expansion of country tariff rate quota's
(TRQ) amongst WTO member countries.
"Agricultural tariffs and TRQ's have, for a long time, presented
an artificial barrier to efficient Australian agricultural producers
and have kept their products out of many major markets," Mr Vaile
said.
"The Cairns Group proposal would deliver substantial new market access
opportunities for all Australian farmers by
- cutting tariffs significantly by a formula which would reduce
all developed country tariffs, some of which are currently several
hundred per cent to 25 per cent or lower,
- substantially expanding developed country tariff quota access
by adding 20 per cent of domestic consumption, and
- Improving tariff quota administration, to ensure existing and
new market access opportunities can be fully utilised.
Mr Vaile said the success of the WTO Doha Development Round would
hinge on the round's ability to deliver substantial improvements for
agriculture market access.
"The Cairns Group members proposal would not only add a new dynamic
to the WTO negotiations, but also demonstrates the commitment of Cairns
Group members to help developing countries.
"We have developed concrete proposals to address poverty alleviation
and food security concerns of developing countries.
"Our proposal would allow them time to adjust to trade liberalisation
measures and, in recognition of the special needs of least developed
countries, we would not require any tariff reduction commitments from
them."
Mr Vaile said with this proposal and the recently released US agriculture
market access proposals now introduced in the WTO agriculture negotiations,
there can be no doubting the strength of support for fundamental agricultural
reform.
The Cairns Group has previously tabled a proposal for the elimination
of export subsidies, and is currently working to table a proposal
on domestic support.
Media Contact: Mark Croxford +61 02 6277 7420
Local Date:
Friday, 05-Dec-2008 13:58:29 EST
