Efforts to Restart WTO Negotiations Praised

WASHINGTON - Jan 13/04 - SNS -- Indications the United States is interested in restarting World Trade Organization negotiations on changing international rules for agricultural trade were welcomed by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA).

"This bold initiative is well-timed from a global perspective," said NAEGA President Gary C. Martin and NGFA President Kendell W. Keith in a joint statement.

"While significant progress is being made by the United States in achieving bilateral and regional free trade agreements, the true benefits of open agricultural trade will only be achieved by a sweeping global free trade agreement through the WTO."

The two grain trade association executives were reacting to an initiative launched by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in a Jan. 11 letter to WTO trade ministers from more than 140 countries, in which he outlined an approach for resuming WTO negotiations on trade in agriculture, goods and services and announced he would be visiting fellow trade ministers early this year to "explore every avenue to make 2004 . . . a year of accomplishment for the Doha Agenda and the WTO."

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