SYDNEY - Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile has warned that time to kickstart stalled talks on reducing world trade barriers is running out. Speaking ahead of an informal World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting in Montreal next week, Vaile said progress on the Doha round of trade reforms has been "disapointing".
He said the Montreal meeting from July 28-30 was probably the last chance to kickstart the reform process before the next formal WTO meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in September.
Vaile singled out agricultural market access as one of the crucial areas that needed to be reformed and said changes to the European union's Common Agricultural Policy announced earlier this year raised hope of progress.
"With this progress in Europe, hopefully we will now be able to move ahead on agricultural modalities — which are the key to progress in this round," Vaile said.
"Without such progress it will be difficult to secure benefits for Australian farmers and for the millions of people in developing countries who rely on agriculture for their livelihoods".
In the past, Vaile has accused the EU of staling over farm subsidy reform.
On the way to Montreal, Vaile will stop in Washington to meet US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick for discussions about a proposed US-Australian Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
He said they would review progress made during negotiations on that agreement in Hawaii this week with a view to meeting a deadline of signing the deal by the end of the year.
Agriculture also looms as the main sticking point on the FTA, with US negotiators seeking relaxation of Australia's strict quarantine laws and the Australians pushing for access to the lucrative US beef and dairy markets.
AFP
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