Agricultural Trade Policies In The New Millennium

Face the challenge of change in the global agricultural trade market! This insightful book presents a comprehensive overview of the trade situation facing agriculture in the 21st century. This esteemed collection of the field?s foremost researchers evaluates anticipated changes to the agricultural trade market and the competitiveness of commodities and products resulting from existing and potential international policies. Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium provides an in-depth understanding of multilateral trade negotiations (past, present, and future) and the impact of regionalism on agricultural trade. It also analyzes trade issues specific to individual commodities, such as rice, wheat, and cotton. Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium consolidates essential trade research into a one-of-a-kind reference source for economists, academics, and agriculture professionals. The book provides a detailed overview of current and potential trade situations, divided into three concise sections: key issues influencing trade negotiations from the perspective of developed and developing countries and the environment; commodity trade and trade policy issues concerning competitiveness and the international policy environment for coarse grains, cotton, rice, sugar, and wheat; and general issues related to multilateral and regional trade agreements, including policy tools within the World Trade Organization, anti-dumping actions, regionalism, price volatility, and the macroeconomic effects of trade liberalization. Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium examines: key issues influencing trade negotiations commodity trade and trade policy issues issues and concerns related to multilateral and regional trade negotiations challenges facing trade policy prospects for the agricultural sector in the new millennium With international policy issues like the WTO’s Millennium Round and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in negotiation and a new United States farm bill pending, Agricultural Trade Policies in the New Millennium provides much-needed textbook analysis by expert researchers. This vital book will keep you in touch with current trade negotiations and policy decisions that are certain to hold major implications for the agricultural sector.

With the conclusion of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture in 1994, agriculture has for the first time been integrated into world trade rules and disciplines. WTO Members have made a commitment to continue the reform process initiated during the Uruguay Round by starting new WTO negotiations on agriculture by 2000. This book combines academic analysis with practical expertise to discuss, in an accessible and systematic way, some of the principal aspects of these agricultural negotiations, and aims to make recommendations for viable and successful negotiating positions in the new WTO talks on agricultural trade. Several expert articles outline the historical and political background of previous negotiations and policy developments in agricultural trade. Others provide an overview of the key issues for the new round of negotiations, including: the Common Agricultural Policy reform in view of the Millennium Round objectives and future enlargement of the European Union; the prospects for negotiations in the areas of market access and export subsidies; and aspects of primary importance for the future of international agricultural trade such as food safety and quality standards, environmental and animal welfare considerations, and issues under dispute in the WTO. The positions of leading actors in the new round of negotiations, including major countries (Japan and the United States), groups of countries (the European Union, the Cairns Group and net food-importing countries) and European farmers are also presented.

This book presents a descriptive analysis of the political economy of the European Community, the U.S. and Canada. It describes the structural changes and the crises in agriculture and focuses on impact of GATT on agricultural policy and trade in the post-Second World War era.

Contributed articles on economic aspects of agriculture in India.

This book presents a descriptive analysis of the political economy of the European Community, the U.S. and Canada. It describes the structural changes and the crises in agriculture and focuses on impact of GATT on agricultural policy and trade in the post-Second World War era.

The Uruguay Round trade negotiations marked a historic turning point in the reform of agricultural trade. The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) replaced nontariff barriers with bound tariffs, curbed export subsidies, and codified domestic agricultural programs. Unfortunately, the URAA bound many of the tariffs that replaced nontariff barriers too high, it legitimized export subsidies, and it left the domestic farm policies of the major industrial countries largely untouched. Fortunately, regional trade institutions have also begun to grapple with agricultural trade liberalization. Agriculture was featured in the Mercosur agreement, in recent agreements between the European Union and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and in the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA). Plans for broad supraregional trade structures, such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), have also dealt with the inclusion of agricultural trade. Meanwhile, in developing and middle-income countries, unilateral agricultural policy reforms have been part of recent economic policy changes. However, in the industrial countries, agricultural policy reform has languished in the face of much domestic opposition. But the reform of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 1992 and the 1996 Farm Bill in the United States seems to have ushered in a new era of relations between government and agricultural groups. The author points out ways that multilateral, regional, and unilateral paths could be coordinated to liberalized agricultural trade. He proposes a set of multilateral talks that would benefit from agricultural reform at all levels and complete the job begun at the Uruguay Round.

An analysis of developing countries' current trade policies and market access problems is used as a basis for recommending positions for these countries in the new round of multilateral negotiations under the World Trade Organization.Michalopoulos analyzes 61 trade policy reviews prepared for the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its predecessor, GATT - reviews that document the progress developing countries have made in integration with the world trading system over the past decade. Based on an analysis of post-Uruguay Round tariff and nontariff barriers worldwide, he then recommends developing country positions on major issues in the new round of WTO trade negotiations.His key conclusions and recommendations:middot; Agriculture. Developing countries should support the Cairns Group in its push for greater liberalization of industrial countries' agricultural trade policies; the revised Food Aid Convention is not a substitute for but a complement to worldwide liberalization of agriculture.middot; Manufactures. The existence of tariff peaks and escalation in industrial country markets and the limited bindings at relatively high levels of developing country tariffs on manufactures present opportunities for negotiations with good prospects for shared and balanced benefits.The remaining nontariff barriers in industrial countries that affect manufactures are concentrated in textiles and clothing. Developing countries should ensure that industrial countries implement their commitments to liberalize this sector and impose no new nontariff barriers in this or other sectors under the guise of other rules or arrangements.The remaining nontariff barriers in developing countries should be converted into tariffs and reduced over time as part of the negotiations.middot; Antidumping. The increased use of antidumping measures by high- and middle-income developing countries in recent periods offers an opportunity for balanced negotiations to restrict their use. Reduced use of antidumping measures would increase efficiency and benefit consumers in all countries. But it is unclear whether a supportive climate for such negotiations exists in either industrial or developing countries.This paper - a product of Trade, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to identify opportunities for developing countries in the WTO 2000 negotiations. The author may be contacted at [email protected].

In an increasingly globalized world, an understanding of the role of international trade is central to the study of agricultural economics and agribusiness. This text interweaves these two elements, explaining the theories and practices relevant to agricultural trade. Using real-life examples to explain theories and models, the text prepares readers to critically examine agricultural trade issues. In addition to its comprehensive coverage, each chapter features chapter overviews and summaries, key concepts, questions for review, and suggested readings. Explains the theories and practices relevant to agricultural trade. Uses real-life agricultural examples to convey theories and models. Offers an international perspective on an increasingly globalized market. Features extensive pedagogical material, including chapter overviews and summaries, key concepts, review questions, and suggested readings.