U.S. Chief Ag Trade Negotiator Isi Siddiqui told a gathering in Brussels that there is no shortcut to a Doha success. He said deadlines and mandated formal processes won't do it as evidenced by the last nine years of stalled negotiations and missed deadlines. Siddiqui repeated the U.S. demand for major developing countries like China, India and Brazil to make better offers to open their markets.
With indications that the Doha negotiations might stretch into 2012, Siddiqui says current Uruguay Round commitments will serve as the guidepost for writing the next U.S. Farm Bill unless as deal is reached on the Doha Round by the fall of 2012. The Doha Round started nearly nine years ago, but countries have not been able to agree on formulas for cutting farm subsidies in rich countries in exchange for cuts in ag tariffs in developed and developing countries. While Siddiqui said negotiators have made meaningful progress in the negotiations over the past six months, he added that moving successfully from process to substance is the challenge in the months ahead.
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