Brazilian Agriculture Official Warns That U.S. Protectionist Sugar Policies Threaten America's Free Trade Pact.Business Editors GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 2002 Statement Issued with Request for WTO See World Trade Organization. to Stop 'Unfair' EU Sugar Trade Practices & U.S. Cotton Trade Practices A top Brazilian agricultural official today warned that the United States' "protectionist (sugar) policies" must undergo "serious reform" or "Brazil will be unable to reach agreement" on the Free Trade Area of the Americas The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) (Spanish: Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA), French: Zone de libre-échange des Amériques (ZLÉA), Portuguese: Área de Livre Comércio das Américas . Negotiations on the hemispheric free trade agreement are scheduled to begin in early November in Quito, Ecuador. The statement by Secretary of Production and Trade for the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Pedro de Camargo, coincided with Brazil commencing two separate consultations with the World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body, alleging unfair trade practices by the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community and by the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . The full text follows: STATEMENT OF SECRETARY PEDRO de CAMARGO NETO NETO National Environmental Training Office NETO Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio NETO North East Timing Organization NETO National Education Telecommunications Organization , SECRETARY OF PRODUCTION AND TRADE OF THE BRAZILIAN MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, REGARDING BRAZIL'S WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION FILING Brazil today commenced two separate consultations with the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body, alleging unfair trade practices by the European Union concerning commerce in sugar and by the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, concerning commerce in cotton. United States subsidies to cotton producers greatly exceed the maximum amounts the United States agreed to during the Uruguay Round
The World Trade Organization conducts negotiations through what are called rounds. negotiations. These subsidies are having a serious adverse impact on the Brazilian industry. The European Union provides sugar export subsidies that are prohibited by the WTO agreements. These subsidies also are causing serious damage to the Brazilian industry. The protectionist approaches by the European Union and the United States greatly impede Brazilian exports of these key commodities and undermine generating new jobs and spurring economic growth in developing nations. Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugar, yet it is being deprived of major markets for this important product. Similarly, although Brazil is a highly efficient producer of cotton, it is denied the benefits of that comparative advantage by United States subsidies that depress de·press v. 1. To lower in spirits; deject. 2. To cause to drop or sink; lower. 3. To press down. 4. To lessen the activity or force of something. world markets for cotton. Today's action highlights the difference between the promise of free trade and the reality. Brazil is also very concerned about the protectionist distortions created by the United States' sugar program. While the focus of Brazil's action today is on the WTO and the European Union with regard to sugar, Brazil is looking forward to upcoming negotiations of a Free Trade Area of the Americas -- including the ministerial level negotiations at the beginning of November in Quito -- to focus on the sugar policies of the United States. Without serious reform of these protectionist policies, Brazil will be unable to reach agreement on a hemispheric free trade agreement. |
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