{ "id": "RL33144", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL33144", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 341285, "date": "2007-01-22", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T18:29:39.152029", "title": "WTO Doha Round: The Agricultural Negotiations", "summary": "The pace of efforts to revive suspended World Trade Organization Doha Round trade negotiations has quickened as the July 2007 expiration for fast-track or trade promotion authority for expedited congressional consideration of trade agreement legislation approaches. Although technical negotiations have addressed specific formulas for reducing trade-distorting farm support and tariffs, high-level political discussions have yet to produce a satisfactory compromise among WTO members for future agricultural trade liberalization.\nNegotiations were suspended in July 2006 when a core group of WTO member countries\u2014the United States, the European Union (EU), Brazil, India, Australia, and Japan\u2014known as the G-6 reached an impasse over specific methods to achieve the broad aims of the round for agricultural trade: substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic subsidies, elimination of export subsidies, and substantially increased market access for agricultural products.\nThe WTO is unique among the various fora for international trade negotiations in that it brings together its entire 150-country membership to negotiate a common set of rules to govern international trade in agricultural products, industrial goods, and services. Regarding agriculture, because policy reform is addressed across three broadly inclusive fronts\u2014export competition, domestic support, and market access\u2014WTO negotiations provide a framework for give and take to help foster mutual agreement.\nDoha Round negotiators were operating under a deadline effectively imposed by the expiration of U.S. trade promotion authority (TPA), which permits the President to negotiate trade deals and present them to Congress for expedited consideration. To meet congressional notification requirements under TPA, an agreement would have to be completed by the end of March 2007. TPA, which could be extended by Congress, preserves Congress\u2019s key role in approving trade agreements while providing the President with credibility to negotiate with trading partners who otherwise might fear that Congress would amend an agreement that had been negotiated.\nAs a result of the suspension of the negotiations, a major source of pressure for U.S. farm policy change will have dissipated. Supporters of farm bill changes were looking to a Doha Round agreement to require changes in U.S. farm subsidies to make them more compatible with world trade rules. Proponents of continuing farm subsidy programs appear strengthened by the indefinite suspension of the Doha talks. The United States must still meet obligations under existing WTO agricultural agreements, and some trade analysts think that, without a new trade agreement, there could be an increase in litigation by WTO member countries alleging they are harmed by U.S. farm subsidies.\nThis report assesses the status of agricultural negotiations in the Doha Round and will be updated as developments unfold.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33144", "sha1": "89c1221e2f7a189de3de510c01cc6c3a244dc674", "filename": "files/20070122_RL33144_89c1221e2f7a189de3de510c01cc6c3a244dc674.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33144", "sha1": "b2a04935b7feaa0bf9353a256aca3f5d9e81f023", "filename": "files/20070122_RL33144_b2a04935b7feaa0bf9353a256aca3f5d9e81f023.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9908/", "id": "RL33144 2006-09-12", "date": "2006-09-12", "retrieved": "2007-06-12T15:47:01", "title": "WTO Doha Round: The Agricultural Negotiations", "summary": "On July 24, 2006, the WTO\u2019s Director General announced the indefinite\r\nsuspension of further negotiations in the Doha Development Agenda or Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. The principal cause of the suspension was that a core group of WTO member countries \u2014 the United States, the European Union (EU), Brazil, India, Australia, and Japan \u2014 known as the G-6 had reached an impasse over specific methods to achieve the broad aims of the round for agricultural trade: substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic subsidies, elimination of export subsidies, and substantially increased market access for agricultural products. This report assesses the current status of agricultural negotiations in the Doha Round; traces the developments leading up to the December 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial; examines the major agricultural negotiating proposals; discusses the potential effects of a successful Doha Round agreement on global trade, income, U.S. farm policy, and U.S. agriculture; and provides background on the WTO, the Doha Round, the key negotiating groups, and a chronology of key events relevant to the agricultural negotiations.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060912_RL33144_b8275773478c900ef5d8bb0cfa045f89f7b58c76.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060912_RL33144_b8275773478c900ef5d8bb0cfa045f89f7b58c76.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade negotiations", "name": "Trade negotiations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8390/", "id": "RL33144 2006-01-12", "date": "2006-01-12", "retrieved": "2006-02-28T09:27:08", "title": "WTO Doha Round: The Agricultural Negotiations", "summary": "The pace of negotiations in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations quickened in October 2005 as the December Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) approached. At Hong Kong, however, while WTO members agreed on a broad outline of negotiating objectives for further liberalizing global trade in agriculture, industry and services, they made only limited progress in determining precise numerical formulas (known as modalities) for meeting the Round\u2019s aims. WTO members agreed to intensify efforts to reach agreement on modalities and conclude Doha Round negotiations by the end of 2006. This report assesses the current status of agricultural negotiations in the Doha Round; traces the developments leading up to the Hong Kong Ministerial; examines the major agricultural negotiating proposals; discusses the potential effects of a successful Doha Round agreement on global trade, income, U.S. farm policy, and U.S. agriculture; and provides background on the WTO, the Doha Round, the key negotiating groups, and a schedule of historical and upcoming events relevant to the agricultural negotiations.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060112_RL33144_9e2b83d7979af1c785badbba210bc51539eae6de.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060112_RL33144_9e2b83d7979af1c785badbba210bc51539eae6de.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade negotiations", "name": "Trade negotiations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "World Trade Organization", "name": "World Trade Organization" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7926/", "id": "RL33144 2005-11-09", "date": "2005-11-09", "retrieved": "2005-12-21T16:46:48", "title": "WTO Doha Round: Agricultural Negotiating Proposals", "summary": "The pace of negotiations in the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations has quickened as the mid-December Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) approaches. At Hong Kong, WTO member countries are expected to reach agreements on specific measures (known as modalities) to expand global trade in agricultural and industrial products and services and set the stage for intensive negotiations that would take place during 2006. Despite intense negotiations, agreements on modalities, especially for agriculture, have eluded negotiators. This report provides background information on the WTO, the Doha Round, the key negotiating groups, and a schedule of historical and upcoming events relevant to the agricultural negotiations; reviews the agreements reached in the July 2004 framework and identifies issues that remain to be resolved by the Hong Kong Ministerial in December; discusses and compares the major agricultural negotiating proposals; and discusses the potential effects of an agricultural agreement on U.S. farm policy.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20051109_RL33144_e420d6c597f5ddc2c9dbc3ac5e7babc75d9cbf15.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20051109_RL33144_e420d6c597f5ddc2c9dbc3ac5e7babc75d9cbf15.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "International affairs", "name": "International affairs" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade negotiations", "name": "Trade negotiations" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "World Trade Organization", "name": "World Trade Organization" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Agricultural Policy", "Foreign Affairs" ] }