WTO News

High Food Prices and the Doha Development Agenda (USDA Radio News; 07/21/08 - real, mp3, wave)
— U.S. Doha Delegation Making Rounds With WTO Member Nations (USDA Radio News; 07/21/08 - real, mp3, wave)

Schafer On Progress in The Doha Round (USDA Radio News; 07/18/08 - real, mp3, wave)

Mini-Ministerial in Geneva (July 2008)

U.S. And WTO Members Reviewing Revised Doha Round Texts (USDA Radio News; 07/11/08 - real, mp3, wave)

Revised Agricultural Modalities Texts (07/10/08)

Revised Ag Negotiating Text To Be Presented Soon To WTO  (USDA Radio News; 07/08/08 - real, mp3, wave)

July A Critical Month For Doha Round Progress (USDA Radio News; 07/02/08 - real, mp3, wave)

WTO Cotton Ruling Remains In Place (USDA Radio News; 06/03/08 - real, mp3, wave)

Available Soon: Revised World Trade Organization Draft Ag Modalities Text (USDA Radio News; 05/14/08 - real, mp3, wave)

More on the Upcoming Revised Draft of WTO Negotiations (USDA Radio News; 05/14/08 - real, mp3, wave)

Doha Round Deal and Impacts to High Food Prices (05/07/08 - real, mp3, wave)

Falconer Agricultural Text (February 2008)

U.S. Submits Notification of Domestic Agricultural Support Payments to World Trade Organization (10/04/07)

United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, made the following statement regarding APEC Leaders statement on the Doha Development Round (U.S. Trade Representative; 09/09/07)

Brazil, India Lost Opportunity to Advance Global Trade Talks (U.S. Department of State; 07/18/07)

Revised Agricultural Modalities (07/17/07; .pdf)
On July 17, 2007, Ambassador Crawford Falconer, chairperson of the agriculture negotiations, circulated his 45-page revised draft “modalities” containing formulas for cutting tariffs and trade-distorting subsidies, and related provisions.

Joint Statement from Ambassador Schwab and Secretary Johanns on the Doha Round (06/21/07)

Trade Deal Setback Will Not Deter U.S. from Pursuing Pact, Officials Say (U.S. Department of State; 06/21/06)

Wide Gap When It Comes to Farm Trade and WTO Members' Positions  (USDA Radio News; 06/07/07 - real, mp3)

Agriculture Is Always at Trade Talk Table (USDA Radio News; 06/07/07; real, mp3)

WTO Member Discussions Continue (USDA Radio News; 06/07/07; real, mp3)

U.S. Farmers and Position on Trade (USDA Radio News; 06/07/07; real, mp3)

U.S. Proposes To Address “Zeroing” in World Trade Organization Negotiations (U.S. Trade Representative; 06/04/07)

U.S. Proposes Strengthened Subsidy Rules to World Trade Organization (U.S. Trade Representative; 06/04/07)

United States Requests WTO Panel in Challenge of India’s Duties on Wine and Spirits and Other Imports from the United States (U.S. Trade Representative; 05/25/07)

Johanns Announces Joe Glauber's Detail to Special DOHA Agricultural Envoy at USTR  (05/11/07)

Schwab Praises Chief Agriculture Negotiator Crowder’s Service, Announces Appointment of Special Doha Agricultural Envoy (U.S. Trade Representative; 05/11/07)

WTO Members Set Year-End Deadline to Reach New Deal
Meeting in New Delhi, trade representatives from six key member nations of the World Trade Organization have proposed a new year-end deadline to complete negotiations on a treaty to liberalize global trade.
Transcript of news conference (04/12/07; .pdf)

WTO Agricultural Trade Policy Commitments Database (Economic Research Service; 10/04/06)

Under Secretary Penn on the Suspension of the WTO Trade Talks (USDA Radio News; 08/15/06 - real, mp3, wave)

Transcript of Press Availability With Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, USTR and Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture - WTO Headquarters (07/24/06)
— Statement of Ambassador Susan C. Schwab at the WTO Heads of Delegation Meeting (07/24/06)
— WTO Talks Are Suspended (USDA Radio News; 07/24/06 - real, mp3, wave)

U.S. Presses To Keep Ambition High In Doha Round (07/01/06)

Joint Statement by U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on WTO Trade Negotiations (06/30/06)

Transcript Of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns And U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Susan Schwab At A Press Conference On The WTO Development Agenda (06/27/06)

Transcript of Press Briefing with Deputy Assistant USTR Jason Hafemeister on the Doha Development Agenda (.pdf; 06/16/06)

WTO Still Divided over Agricultural Tariffs, U.S. Negotiator Says (U.S. Department of State; 06/16/06)

U.S. Welcomes APEC Trade Ministers' Commitment to WTO Doha Round (U.S. Department of State; 06/02/06)

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab Report on WTO Negotiations During Press Briefing in Geneva (05/03/06)

Johanns Attends WTO Negotiations At G-6 Meeting In United Kingdom And Travels To Poland And Germany (03/10/06)

WTO Update (USDA Radio; 03/03/06 - real, mp3, wave)

Transcript of Joint Media Availability by USTR Portman and EU Commissioner Mandelson (.pdf)
Discuss WTO negotiations (02/22/06)

Sixth WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong (December 2005)

U.S. Proposal, October 2005

U.S. Offers Bold Plan on Agriculture to Jumpstart Doha Round (10/10/05)
— Facts on U.S. Proposal for Bold Reform in Global Agricultural Trade (.pdf)
— Analysis by U.S. Department of State (includes proposal text)
— USTR Statement on European Union WTO Counter Proposal (10/28/05)

 WTO Framework Agreement , 2004

USDA  Praises U.S. Negotiating Team on the World Trade Organization Framework (08/01/04)

Negotiators in Geneva were able to reach agreement on a framework that will enable the Doha Round talks to proceed to a conclusion. (08/01/04)
-- From USTR (all .PDF | require Adobe Acrobat Reader)
-- Press Release (08/01/04) -- Press Conference Statement (08/01/04)
-- Fact Sheet (07/31/04) -- Agreement: Final Text (07/31/04)

The WTO

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an independent international organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that sets and maintains the rules of global trade . Representatives from over 145 member countries use the WTO framework to negotiate trade agreements, adjudicate trade disputes and review national trade policies. By having a standard set of consistent and enforceable ground rules, international trade can prosper without facing barriers such as excessive tariffs, unfair regulations and other obstacles. Countries participating in this freer global trade environment help expand the world economy and increase their own citizens’ level of prosperity.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has a brief description of the various functions of the WTO.

The WTO and U.S. Agriculture

Year after year, America’s agricultural producers consistently produce high-quality, competitively priced agricultural products. In 2004 alone, the U.S. exported over $62.4 billion of agricultural products, producing hundreds of thousands of jobs of good-paying jobs throughout rural and urban America.

As impressive as this trade sounds, it could be expanded if many of the trade barriers that have been eliminated for other goods under the WTO are also eliminated for agriculture.

Trade Is Important to U.S. Agriculture World Trade Organization and Agriculture: Fact Sheet State Fact Sheets Trade Delivers Growth, Jobs, Prosperity and Security  (2006; .pdf) U.S. Brings New Members in to Rules-Based Trading System (2006; .pdf)

Charts (.pdf) Importance of Exports to U.S. Agriculture U.S. Agricultural Productivity Grows Faster Than Consumption Export Subsidies (2005) Tariffs (2005) Trade-distorting Domestic Support (2005)