11/28/05 Fruit industry likes U.S. W.T.O. plan

The World Trade Organization's Hong Kong Ministerial is less than two weeks away. And the desired outcome of an ag trade reform deal that all member nations can at least live with is still up in the air. That includes the bold proposal offered last month by U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman as a way to get the discussions flowing again. The proposal gained a lot of attention from several W.T.O. members and individuals and groups involved in American agriculture. And it really garnered notice from the Northwest fruit industry, and its supporters like Mark Powers of the Northwest Horticultural Council. POWERS: And the reason I say that is that it is exactly what we as an industry have been after, which is total tariff eliminations over a probably fifteen to twenty year time period, assuming that can be negotiated. And Powers admits that what the Portman deal offers could change. So far the plan has received resistance from the European Union and Japan. Then again, Powers believes the U.S. will hold firm in its position and gain a deal beneficial to our region's fruit industry. POWERS: They seek the elimination of export subsidies which our industry does not receive, but our competitors in Europe do. And it seeks the complete elimination of domestic trade distorting subsidies which are like direct payments to growers in the E.U., for instance, that our growers are not eligible to receive. So it really gets at the heart of some of what we feel are the most distorting policies that government's have and that which we don't benefit from.