In this paper, we provide an overview of the agricultural trade negotiations within the current World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and we show that including agriculture in the Doha Development Agenda talks is important both economically and politically, although the political resistance to reform is particularly strong in this sector. While agriculture accounts for less than 10 percent of merchandise trade, high and variable agricultural distortions appear to cause the majority of the cost of distortions to global merchandise trade. Within agriculture, most of the costs appear to arise from trade barriers levied on imports, since these barriers tend to be high, variable across time and over products, and levied by a wide range of countries. The negotiations face a need for balance between discipline in reducing tariffs—hence creating the market access gains that are central to the negotiations—and flexibility in managing political pressures. While the approach of providing flexibility on a certain percentage of tariff lines is seriously flawed, the proposed modalities still appear to provide worthwhile market access. Better ways appear to be needed to deal with developing countries’ concerns about food price volatility while reducing the collective-action problems resulting from price insulation.

The Doha Round marked its eighth birthday in November 2009, making it the longest running multilateral trade negotiation in the postwar era. Doha participants continue to disagree about prospective liberalization of agriculture and manufactures and have barely begun to consider reductions in barriers to trade in services. Negotiators have missed every deadline to conclude the talks, leading some to question the viability of the entire venture. After nearly nine years of inconclusive meetings, the trade talks are at a tipping point: A global trade deal is still possible with renewed political commitment to trade reform, but continued drift could result in the first outright failure of a multilateral trade round in the postwar era. This policy analysis shows that the Doha Round can still be successfully concluded with a concerted push by the major trading nations. Contrary to the Doha doomsayers, the potential gains from proposals now on the table are significant, albeit not sufficient to close a deal. The authors estimate the trade gains and GDP gains from a prospective Doha deal that "tops up" existing commitments to liberalize agriculture, manufactures, and services. They also suggest what each of the major trading nations needs to do to ensure the successful completion of a Doha package that is both ambitious and balanced between the interests of developed and developing countries.

Farm support is contentious in international negotiations. This in-depth assessment of the legal compliance and economic evaluation issues raised by the WTO Agreement on Agriculture presents consistent support data and forward-looking projections for eight developed and developing countries (EU, US, Japan, Norway, Brazil, China, India, Philippines), using original estimates where official notifications are not available. Variations over time in notified support in some cases reflect real policy changes; others merely reflect shifts in how countries represent their measures. The stalled Doha negotiations presage significantly tighter constraints for developed countries that provide the highest support, but loopholes will persist. Developing countries face fewer constraints and their trade-distorting farm support can rise. Pressure points and key remaining issues if a Doha agreement is reached are evaluated. Vigilant monitoring for compliance of farm support with WTO commitments will be required to lessen its negative consequences whether or not the Doha Round is concluded.

Developing countries have a major stake in the outcome of trade negotiations conducted under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). 'Agriculture and the WTO: Creating a Trading System for Development' explores the key issues and options in agricultural trade liberalization from the perspective of these developing countries. Leading experts in trade and agriculture from both developed and developing countries provide key research findings and policy analyses on a range of issues that includes market access, domestic support, export competition, quota administration methods, food security, biotechnology, intellectual property rights, and agricultural trade under the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. Material is covered in summary and in comprehensive detail with supporting data, a substantial bibliography, and listings of online resources. This book will be of interest to policymakers and analysts in the fields of development economics and commodities pricing and trade.

The Doha Round of WTO negotiations commenced in November 2001 to further liberalize international trade and to specifically seek to remove trade barriers so developing countries might compete in major markets. This book brings together an international team of leading academics and researchers to explore the main issues of the Doha Round trade negotiations, such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals and services trade. In particular, it looks at how the formation of the G20 has complicated negotiations and made it harder to balance the competing interests of developed and developing countries, despite rhetorical assertion that the outcomes of this Round would reflect the interests of developing countries. The authors examine both how developing countries form alliances (such as the G20) to negotiate in the WTO meetings and also explore specific issues affecting developing countries including: trade in services investment, competition policy, trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement TRIPS and public health agricultural tariffs and subsidies. Contributing to an understanding of the dynamics of trade negotiations and the future of multilateralism, Developing Countries and Global Trade Negotiations will appeal to students and scholars in the fields of international trade, international negotiations, IPE and international relations.

Providing the most complete and up to date analysis of the range of agricultural issues under negotiation in the multilateral trade negotiations underway in the World Trade Organization (WTO), this title is a valuable resource to policymakers, agricultural private sector, and academics in developing and assessing the negotiating options.

Agricultural trade is a major factor determining food security in Caribbean countries. In these small open economies, exports are essential, whilst imports provide a large part of the food supply. This book examines various dimensions of trade policy and related issues and suggests policies to address trade and food security and rural development linkages. It is as a guide and reference documents for agricultural trade policy analysts, trade negotiators, policy-makers and planners in both the public and private sectors.

Global Agricultural Trade And Developing Countries Explores The Outstanding Issues In Global Agricultural Trade Policy And Evolving World Production And Trade Patterns. This Book Presents Research Findings Based On A Series Of Commodity Studies Of Significant Economic Importance To Developing Countries. Setting The Stage With Background Chapters And Investigations Of Cross-Cutting Issues, The Authors Describe Trade And Domestic Policy Regimes Affecting Agricultural And Food Markets And Analyze Product Standards And Compliance Costs And Their Effects On Agricultural And Food Trade. They Then Examine The Impact And Effectiveness Of Preferences And Review The Evidence On Attempts To Decouple Agricultural Support From Agricultural Output. Finally, They Assess The Potential Gains From Global Liberalization In Agricultural And Food Markets, And Their Sensitivity To Various Assumptions. Within This Broad Context Of Global Agricultural Policies And Reforms, The Authors Then Present Detailed Studies Of Commodity Markets That Feature Distorted Policy Regimes Among Industrial And Developing Countries Or That Are Important Contributors To Exports Of Developing Countries. The Book Will Aid Policymakers And Researchers In Approaching Global Negotiations And In Evaluating Domestic Policies On Agriculture. (Published In Collaboration With World Bank )

This study reviews policy developments in recent years and, in the light of that, explores ways in which further consensus might be reached among WTO members to reduce farm trade distortions – and thereby also progress the multilateral trade reform agenda. Particular attention is given to ways that would boost well-being in developing countries, especially for those food-insecure households still suffering from poverty and hunger.

Current Issues in Global Agricultural and Trade Policy presents an authoritative perspective on matters that will contribute to the future shape of global markets for agricultural products. Written by a rare grouping of eminent and globally leading agricultural economists from a wide variety of backgrounds, the book provides an analytical overview of the academic and professional work of the late Timothy E Josling, an outstanding intellectual innovator.Areas covered in the book include farm policies of the EU and the USA, analysis of farm support and its effects, US trade policy for agricultural products, analysis of food security, implications of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and relevance of geographical indications in international trade. The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for agricultural trade policy are discussed in an endnote. This book throws light on some of the most impressive achievements of the agricultural economics profession.