WTO Ag Committee Meets
China, Korea discussed at meeting.
Compiled by staff
Published: Sep 28, 2009
China is a nation in transition. During a meeting of more than 200 officials from capitals around the world a three-page document, submitted by the United States, was discussed which covered the Chinese government's role in agriculture, whether the role is increasing and involves nationalizing wholesale markets, investment restrictions in the sector, domestic support for pork, value added tax and whether this discriminates against imports and information on tariff-rate quotas.
China said its agriculture is that of a developing country, needing support. It said it has no plans to nationalize wholesale markets and argued that value added tax exemptions do not discriminate. China emphasized that farmer's production for their own use is exempt as is importing, but in both cases once the produce is traded, a value added tax is charged.
As for Korea's rice imports, the Korean delegation said the full amounts were imported each year except in 2007 when a slight shortfall was caused by a failure to fulfill a contract. Korea is at the mid-point of an obligation to allow currently about 300,000 tons of rice to be imported. The exact amount allowed will increase annually to a top of 408,700 tons at the end of the agreement in 2014.
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