WTO Agriculture Negotiations Chair Plans to Submit Text Ahead of MC12

Costa Rica Ambassador Gloria Abraham Peralta, who chairs the World Trade Organization's agriculture negotiations, plans to release "as soon as possible" a revised draft negotiation text for an agriculture package ahead of the Nov. 30-Dec. 3 12th Ministerial Conference, the WTO said. Peralta also said she aims to submit her report to the Trade Negotiations Committee Nov. 19 to capitalize on this "critical time" ahead of MC12. The first draft negotiation text for an MC12 agriculture package was introduced July 29. The main negotiation topics were "domestic support, market access, export restrictions, export competition, cotton, public stockholding for food security purposes (PSH) and a special safeguard mechanism (SSM) as well as cross-cutting transparency issues," the WTO said.

Along with the update on the draft negotiation text, Peralta also submitted a report on the state of negotiations. The most recent discussions were rooted in finding solutions on three main issues: "domestic support, public stockholding for food security purposes and to a lesser extent market access," the WTO said. With no major advances, Peralta said members need to "urgently bridge differences and adjust their ambitions in these key issues."