Cairns Group Committed To Reforming Global Trade
MEDIA STATEMENT
31 August 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CAIRNS GROUP COMMITTED TO REFORMING GLOBAL TRADE IN AGRICULTURE
The Cairns Group has reaffirmed its vision
for the new World Trade Organisation (WTO) trade
negotiations to be launched at Seattle in November this
year," said Lockwood Smith on his return from Buenos Aires
at the conclusion of the 19th Cairns Group Ministerial
Meeting.
Dr Smith said that despite its diverse
membership, the Group had shown a strong sense of unity and
ambition in pursuing agricultural trade
reform.
"Substantially enhanced market access, the
elimination of both trade distorting domestic support and
export subsidies are key targets for New Zealand and the
rest of the Cairns Group," Dr Smith said.
"All Ministers
in Buenos Aires were aware of the damage caused by
agricultural protection around the world. Just last year
alone, OECD countries spent US$362 billion on agricultural
support, which inflicts gross damage through distorting
agricultural trade, reducing economic growth and employment
opportunities.
"The Group reaffirmed its commitment to
address the real and legitimate needs of developing and
least developed countries, which include market access for
agricultural exports, food security and rural development.
"The Group also met with US Agriculture Secretary Dan
Glickman, and there was a wide measure of agreement on the
need for further agricultural reform in the WTO. The Cairns
Group is looking to the US to take early action on export
credits, an area where it has yet to meet Cairns Group
expectations or live up to commitments in the Uruguay
Round.
"New Zealand and the Cairns Group are also totally
committed to the elimination of export subsidies, and given
that only a handful of countries continue to use such
measures, I'm hopeful that we can achieve this goal at an
early stage of the reform process.
"I am confident that
the Cairns Group will continue to play a strategic role in
ensuring that the interests of its members and all
agricultural exporting countries are not overlooked by the
major trading powers in the WTO negotiations.
"I look
forward to participating in the next Cairns Group
Ministerial dialogue in the run up to the Seattle
Ministerial in late November," Dr Smith
concluded.
ENDS