There is speculation that the World Trade negotiations may
result in a modest deal ready to be signed before the end of the year.
The Doha round of negotiations began 12 years ago with high
priority on agriculture reforms that would benefit the poorest nations and
poorest farmers, compensating for failure to address their needs in the
previous “Uruguay Round” on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
That’s no longer on the agenda for the deal under
discussion.
The New York Times says in a weekend editorial that the new
deal seems possible “because it does not include politically-sensitive, big-ticket
issues like reducing tariffs on food or industrial goods.
“The agreement under discussion focuses instead on easing
the flow of all goods across borders by requiring streamlined customs
procedures and improved transportation.”
The Times says some of the poorest nations say they can’t
afford to implement these reforms, so they may be offered help.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
estimates this deal could cut costs by 10 per cent in Canada, the U.S. and
Europe, and by more than 15 per cent for developing countries such as Brazil
and South Africa.
Every one per cent reduction in global costs is worth $40
billion. It explains once again why easing trade restrictions does more to help
poor nations and people than all of the aid donors offer.
Canadians ought to be ashamed that we retain tariffs of 200 to 300 per cent against dairy and poultry imports, protecting a tiny class of millionaires in farming enclaves that are impossibly-expensive for outsiders to break into. You have to inherit quota these days to be a dairy or poultry farmer in Canada.
What's more, the supply-management system is a food tax on the poorest among Canadian consumers. It's a socialist system inside a capitalist society. And it's not working as intended.
