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On June 22, the Chairmen of the negotiating groups on agriculture and NAMA (industrial tariffs) released the bracketed texts of draft modalities for further negotiations. The drafts reflect major differences among WTO members regarding the scope and amounts of tariff cuts. The letters accompanying the drafts make clear the major gaps that remain and are very sober reading. For a copy of the texts, please click here. Still, these drafts represent a step forward in that they accurately lay out the differences in stark language. Trade ministers gathering in Geneva next week can review these differences and, if they desire, make deals. High-level discussions are taking place in advance of the Ministerial conference in Geneva, which is scheduled to begin June 29. Whether this activity is enough to achieve a breakthrough is hard to say — but in our view there is at least a chance for progress between now and the end of July.
Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab The Food Trade Alliance submitted a letter to new U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, offering her support for reaching and passing through Congress a Doha agreement that ensures market access and the lowering of tariffs. The letter can be viewed here. As the WTO approaches a climactic ministerial gathering in Geneva next week, the letter points out that food processors, restaurants and other downstream users of foods would gain a great deal from a comprehensive deal that liberalizes trade in highly processed foods. Market access is the key to further development for the world’s developing countries and poorest countries too. Increased activity by FTA members would also develop entrepreneurial activity in developing countries around the world, bringing the benefits of increased trade to everyone. To find out the upcoming schedule for government meetings and other activities to further the FTA message, please contact Paul Nathanson at paul.nathanson@pbnco.com or (202) 466-6210.
Embassy Meetings The Food Trade Alliance held meetings in mid June with the Embassies of Japan and India to inform these countries’ diplomatic representatives of the Food Trade Alliance’s positions vis-a-vis the Doha talks. FTA members exchanged views on the course and progress of negotiations. At the Embassy of India, FTA members met with Anil K. Sharan, newly appointed Counsellor (Commerce); at the Embassy of Japan, FTA members met with Shin Yokoyama, Counselor of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries. The FTA has held similar meeting during the year with the embassies of Australia, Brazil and New Zealand and the European Delegation. FTA and Global Alliance members active in these countries should contact the Embassies of Japan and India to explain how trade liberalization will benefit consumers and value-added food processing sectors in those countries.
Next Member Meeting
The Food Trade Alliance welcomes its newest members: Griffith Laboratories: Griffith Laboratories, established in 1919, is a global manufacturer of food ingredients, providing a wide range of taste and texture components for customers including food processors, restaurant operators and grocery retailers throughout the world. McCain Foods: McCain Foods is the world’s largest producer of frozen French fries and supplies its product to over 110 countries around the world. The company is also a leading supplier of potato products to the retail and fast food markets. J.R. Simplot Company: Simplot is a major supplier of frozen potato products, producing three billion pounds of potato products each year. Simplot is involved with food, fertilizer, turf and cattle feed production in addition to its agribusiness interests.
Product Requests A reminder for all FTA members who have not done so already: Please send your specific product market access requests to Lewis Leibowitz and Warren Maruyama at Hogan & Hartson, Counsel for FTA. The FTA previously furnished USTR with a spreadsheet of our member companies’ priority products assembled by Lewis and Warren based on research and FTA member input. All individual company information furnished to Hogan & Hartson is kept confidential. For details on what product information to include, call Lewis or Warren at Hogan & Hartson at (202) 637-5600 or email them at LELeibowitz@hhlaw.com or WHMaruyama@HHLAW.com. Make sure your company’s products are included when we furnish USTR with our updated spreadsheet, which we plan on doing in July. |
