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Dead Constitution See other Dead Constitution Articles Title: US ag chief: China, US agree on free farm trade Oh, whoopeee! Can we all cry now, or should we wait for the next shoe to drop, or just wait the next bumper crop of deaths from tainted food from China? By ELAINE KURTENBACH, AP Business Writer – 59 mins ago SHANGHAI, China – The United States and China agree on the need to resist protectionist farm tariffs even in the face of the world economic crisis, the U.S. agriculture secretary said Saturday, while urging action on a world trade agreement. Ed Schafer told reporters that both countries are aware the tough economic times could lead to a protectionist backlash and are committed to guarding against one — a stance that could nudge along a seven-year effort to lower global trade barriers known as the Doha Round. "We talked ... about the tendency in times of trouble to instill protectionism in one's country," Schafer said after visiting a food products and services exhibition in Shanghai. "And we pledged as two of the world's largest agricultural producers to encourage the rest of the world to back away from protectionism." But Schafer offered no specifics, and it was hard to tell if there was a promise of real movement on the Doha agreement, which was once hailed as a formula for lifting millions out of poverty. Talks collapsed in July after countries such as India and Brazil rebuffed an offer by the U.S. and Europe to gradually reduce their farm subsidies in exchange for lower tariffs on food stuffs imported by developing countries. Yet Schafer said both the U.S. and China were confident the round can succeed. Asia-Pacific leaders meeting at their annual summit agreed to send trade ministers to Geneva this month to try to break a logjam over farm trade. While analysts say they are not optimistic, U.S. officials say they are making a strong effort to get a final agreement. The U.S. side is prepared to make "appropriate commitments" on cutting subsidies to farmers, a key sticking point, but a deal would require a reduction of trade barriers from others to help farmers and manufacturers weather the ups and downs of demand that the subsidies are meant to help counter, Schafer said. "If we lower that safety net program, we have to provide more opportunities to those farmers and ranchers," he said. Despite the global economic crisis and occasional disputes over trade issues, sales of U.S. farm and processed food products to China are thriving, with exports in 2007 totaling $9.4 billion, according to U.S. figures. Imports of such products from China totaled nearly $8 billion. Chinese consumers wary of domestic processed foods after a slew of food safety scandals are becoming more open to imports, and increasingly able to afford them. "Our food system is reliable, efficient and transparent to all," Schafer said. "This is our edge, and this is how we stand out with American products." Processed and ready-to-use foods are finding new markets among China's 1.3 billion people, with sales leaping by five and six-fold for some products as hotels, restaurants and individual consumers increasingly rely on precooked sauces, baking mixes, canned food, dried fruit and fish fillets, Schafer said. Turkeys, popcorn, cheese, sausages, ketchup — plenty of U.S. staples were on show in Shanghai. Still, the hundreds of exhibits from other countries — Italian pastas and cheeses, Greek olive oils, Belgian chocolates, and wines from around the globe — underscored the lively competition U.S. food makers face from their international rivals. The more the better, said Schafer, given concerns over food supply and population growth. "It's important that all countries in the world move toward policies that increase food production," he said. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 2.
#2. To: richard9151 (#0)
I want huge tariffs. Crippling tariffs. Tariffs that put unamerican products out of business in this country. MADE IN THE USA is what we need. Screw the rest of the world. We need to work on our own problems and the world be damned. They don't like us anyway.
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