The top trade official for the Obama Administration believes real progress is possible in the Doha Round of world trade talks by the end of this year. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk says political changes should help the talks speed up. But Kirk says Brazil, China, India and other large developing countries need to do more to open their markets to U.S. farm and manufactured goods.
WTO talks have now been going on for nine years and were started to create trade in developing countries. The negotiations have struggled over the amount countries like the U.S. should cut their farm subsidies and tariffs in order to create market access in large developing countries.
Each year there is a forum on U.S. trade with Africa, and the U.S. has a trade program called the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which allows countries in sub-Saharan Africa to export over 6,400 varieties of products to the U.S. without paying duties. Kirk believes the act will be renewed by Congress before it expires in 2015 but finds it unlikely to become permanent. Kirk says the best way to increase African trade is to complete the Doha round. He says if Doha can get done right, with an ambitious and balanced outcome encompassing more than just ag, many of the sub-Saharan African countries could benefit greatly.
On Wednesday Kirk will appear at a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee as one of the witnesses that will address U.S. agricultural trade policy and the trade title of the Farm Bill. American Soybean Association Vice President Danny Murphy and USA Rice Federation Board Member Joe Mencer are among the others that will testify. The committee will also hold a business meeting to consider the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act.
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