02/19/07 Skepticism on Doha and TPA

Farm and Ranch February 19, 2007 While there are those who are still trying to get something going in the Doha round of world trade talks, Tim Galvin, an agricultural and trade policy consultant from Bend, Oregon is skeptical about seeing much happen this year. Galvin: "I would be surprised if we see much movement this year. The two sides, and by the two sides I mean the kind of the U.S. versus the European and others. We are far about right now on the next step. So I think it is going to be tough to get the talks back on schedule. Then keep in mind that the President's so-called Trade Promotion Authority is due to expire this summer. It has to be renewed. This is the Fast Track Authority. And I, right now I think it will be tough to get Congress to renew that authority. So that would really bring the negotiations to a near halt if they are not there already." Galvin, a former USDA official, was a speaker at the recent Pacific Northwest Farm Forum in Spokane. One aim of the Doha round of trade talks is to further reduce barriers to agricultural trade around the world. As to Trade Promotion Authority, there has been some discussion of giving a short term extension of TPA to the President. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab says that's not good enough. Schwab: "Really this is a matter of the conversation we are going to be having with the Hill to look at the parameters, but I think the broader the better. The longer the better." I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Netwo