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LAUTERMILCH DISAPPOINTED WITH WTO FAILURE - URGES ACTION BY OTTAWA

Released on September 15, 2003

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Eldon Lautermilch expressed disappointment at the recent failure of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations in Cancun, Mexico last week. The central issue in the WTO – the correction of trade distortions in the agricultural markets – offered significant hope for Saskatchewan's farmers. These hopes, at least for the foreseeable future, have been dashed by the failure at Cancun.

Lautermilch attended the WTO meetings in Cancun last week to advance Saskatchewan's agricultural interests. In particular, Lautermilch met with Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lyle Vanclief, and Canada's Minister for International Trade, Pierre Pettigrew, to convey the urgent need to open markets, lower trade barriers, dramatically reduce trade distorting domestic subsidies and eliminate export subsidies in agriculture.

"Every year the evidence mounts. Our grain farmers, the most efficient and productive in the world, are facing serious and unfair barriers in their need to compete on an equal playing-field in world markets. The billions and billions of dollars in subsidies spent by other governments every year, particularly by the U.S. and European Union (EU), distorts markets and penalizes our farmers," Lautermilch said. "I reminded our Canadian negotiators that this must end. I urged them to make every effort, to leave no stone unturned, and not to settle for any agreement that fails to deal with these trade distortions in a concrete and timely way. Anything else is unacceptable to Saskatchewan, and unacceptable to Saskatchewan's farmers."

"Now, in light of the failure at Cancun, our farmers remain at the mercy of agricultural markets distorted by subsidies. Having failed to get a better deal for farmers in these negotiations, Ottawa must immediately come to their aid. Ottawa must provide significant trade injury payments to farmers until the market distortions in agriculture are removed," Lautermilch said.

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For More Information, Contact:

Jan Carter
Government Relations and Aboriginal Affairs
Regina
Phone: (306)787-1085

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