Deals on Agriculture Export Prohibitions, Public Stockpiling and Cotton Possible at WTO Ministerial
Agreements on export prohibitions and restrictions, public stockpiling and cotton could be reached during agriculture talks at the 11th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC11) in Buenos Aires Dec. 11-14, MC11 agriculture talks chair Stephen Karau of Kenya said during…
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a Dec. 4 meeting of the WTO Informal Committee on Agriculture, according to a Geneva trade official. But WTO members should pursue “a limited outcome in the form of a post-MC11 work program” for agriculture in the areas of domestic support, market access, and remaining issues of export competition, Karau told meeting attendees. During the previous meeting of the informal committee on Nov. 27, Singapore put forward an “information note” highlighting a proposal that would require WTO members to not impose export bans or restrictions on food purchased for non-commercial humanitarian purposes by the World Food Programme. During that meeting, Singapore also replaced a prior proposal pitching a requirement for WTO members imposing export restrictions to notify 30 days in advance with a “best-endeavor” clause, the Geneva official said. “Singapore hopes the simplified text could facilitate Ministers' discussion in Buenos Aires,” the official said. The Dec. 4 meeting marks the end of the pre-MC11 Geneva process for agriculture talks.