USA and Cairns Group Farmers Call for a Big Result

14 September 2003

We, the Cairns Group Farm Leaders and the USA farmer groups listed below have come together to urge Ministers here at Cancun to take a more courageous approach to reforming world agricultural trade than the proposals that are presently being considered.

We endorsed the proposals made by our governments in 2002 because they promised a better deal for farmers around the world.

At Doha, all Members of WTO agreed to bring about a substantial reduction in support and protection. Now, we want a decision at Cancun that keeps faith with that commitment and maintains momentum. This means:

• clear decision to eliminate all forms of export subsidies

• Substantial improvements to market access to be achieved by all countries in definite time-frames and including deep cuts to all tariff peaks and a significant expansion of tariff quotas

• The substantial reduction of trade-distorting domestic supports by all countries.

Both developed and developing countries should contribute to achieving a balanced outcome in this round. We recognize that the Doha decision also called for special and differential treatment for developing countries.

Our farmers were led to expect a big expansion in their trading opportunities as a result of the decisions at Doha and we now look to Ministers to deliver.

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American Soybean Association

USA Rice Federation

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

National Pork Producers’ Council

Wheat Export Trade and Education Committee

US Wheat Associates

National Cotton Council

National Barley Growers Association

US Grains Council

National Corn Growers Association

National Grain Sorghum Producers

American Farm Bureau Federation