Some WTO Members Are More Interested In Increasing Trade Barriers Than In Eliminating Them: Jason Hafemeister, Trade Counsel, USDA
In the series of events post a prolonged negotiation, which resulted in another exclamation on World Trade Organisations, more than 164 of the member economies from WTO did not settle scores at agriculture commission. They were unable to reach consensus on Buenos Aires in December. BW Businessworld shares the US perspective on the same from Jason Hafemeister, trade counsel, US department of agriculture.
With a mature international political negotiation, Jason Hafemeister of a three-decade-old WTO negotiation career opens up the US perspective on the same, he elaborates it in his report published by the global agriculture information network, "Following the conclusion of the 11th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference last month, it’s time for WTO members to reflect, reset, and reinvigorate the agriculture negotiations to tackle the real-world international trade concerns that face agriculture today".
Jason further adds, ‘At the Buenos Aires ministerial, commonly called MC11, trade ministers and other high-level representatives from 164 WTO member economies were unable to reach consensus on any new agricultural provisions or post-MC11 work plans. This simply underscores the fact that WTO members’ current negotiating strategies are not working. We need a new approach that involves the development of a more market-oriented agricultural trading system. Such an approach would be in line with the core objective of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, establishing fundamental reforms to achieve substantial, progressive reductions in support and protection. The United States remains fully committed to this objective."
Getting critical to the stance of developing countries the way exactly a developed country had never shown willingness rather than a call for a ‘Do more’ from developing economies. Jason said, "I’ve been involved in multilateral trade negotiations for almost 30 years, and it was my honour to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) senior official in the U.S. delegation to MC11. The 1995 WTO Agreement on Agriculture was truly a breakthrough, establishing for the first time disciplines on countries’ use of measures, such as import quotas and subsidies that might impede the free flow of trade. But we must recognize the global agricultural trading environment has changed significantly since the first major negotiations to update these rules were undertaken in the Doha Round in 2001. Today, agricultural trade is no longer dominated by a few large developed countries. We’re seeing the increased role of South-South trade, as well as the emergence of several large developing countries both in terms of their role in agricultural production and trade, and their expenditures on trade-distorting agricultural policies."
Being selectively critical and not blaming a nation or certain group of nations selectively, he diplomatically says, "While the Doha Round began with efforts to achieve significant trade liberalizing reforms, that ambition has slowly declined over the nearly two decades that have passed". It has become evident in recent years and was underscored again last month in Buenos Aires, that some WTO members are more interested in increasing trade barriers than in eliminating them. The WTO needs to refocus on its core functions of opening markets and promoting trade through comprehensive negotiations of both domestic support and market access, as well as any other identified trade barriers.
Before embarking on further agricultural negotiations, the United States has called on WTO members to implement the existing WTO agreements and decisions they have already agreed to. In this regard, a crucial first step is for members to meet their transparency obligations, which many are years behind on. In the absence of transparency, how are we to determine whether members are complying with existing obligations? Moreover, only with comprehensive and current information can negotiators understand, discuss, and address the problems that face farmers today: high tariffs, trade-distorting support, and non-tariff barriers.
On the subject of non-tariff barriers, I’d like to highlight the efforts of the United States, Kenya, and Uganda that resulted in a joint statement on pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs), which was signed by 17 countries at MC11. The statement reinforces the critical role of science-based standards under existing WTO rules and recognizes the increase in MRL and similar regulatory issues faced by farmers around the world. We look forward to further work with other WTO members to ensure trade is not hampered by non-scientific regulatory barriers.
