06/06/06 Another Doha deadline

Farm and Ranch June 6, 2006 June is shaping up to be a very important month for world trade negotiations. The WTO has set an end of the month deadline to strike a deal on cuts to farm subsidies and tariffs. Salmonsen: "There is a lot more work to do and pretty much it has to be done by the end of 2006. So even though these negotiations have no good history of meeting any deadlines that have been set so far, the consequences of missing these deadlines loom larger." That's American Farm Bureau Federation trade specialist Dave Salmonsen who says the rush is on because Trade Promotion Authority expires next year. That's what calls for Congress to give a simple up or down vote on trade deals without adding any amendments, which is the only way other countries agree to negotiate. Salmonsen: "The real hang up has been the agreement on market access. On lower tariffs. It is the hardest issue. How much are you going to open up your agricultural economy to outside goods? " And while other countries are calling on the U.S. to make concessions, Salmonsen says U.S. agricultural groups have drawn a line in the sand. Salmonsen: "In fact there are some people saying we have to do more on domestic support. We're certainly saying we are not entertaining that at all until we see some movement on market access. The Farm Bureau was among a dozen agricultural groups, including the National Association of Wheat Growers, that recently sent a letter to the Bush Administration reiterating any reduction in U.S. domestic support must be accompanied by corresponding market access successes. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.