May 21, 1999

The American Farm Bureau Federation believes that the freedom to compete in international markets is a "must" for U.S. agricultural producers. The goal can begin to be met in Seattle later this year with "strong leadership" from U.S. trade negotiators.

"The ability of U.S. agriculture to gain and maintain a share of global markets depends on many factors, including obtaining strong trade agreements that are properly enforced," New Jersey Farm Bureau President John Rigolizzo told a U.S. trade representative's public hearing Thursday. "The United States, along with agriculture, must be at the negotiating table in the next World Trade Organization round in a meaningful way."

Rigolizzo, a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors, noted that, despite a consistent trade surplus for agricultural trade, lost markets and market share must take much of the blame for parts of the agricultural economy that are in an economy slump.

The next round should focus on high tariffs, trade distorting subsidies and other restrictive trade practices; eliminating export subsidies by all WTO member countries; remaining committed to binding agreements to resolve sanitary and phytosanitary issues based on sound science; eliminating tariff barriers to trade within specified time frames and eliminating all nontariff trade barriers; imposing disciplines on state trading enterprises; ensuring market access for biotechnology products from genetically modified organisms, and making changes to trading practices to facilitate and shorten the dispute resolution process.