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Doha WTO Round

USW collaborates closely with United States, partner country, and World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiators to ensure the best possible outcome for U.S. wheat producers from an eventual Doha agreement. USW believes that a successful and balanced Doha agreement that provides significant new market access is the U.S. wheat industry's best opportunity to generate significant new sales of U.S.-origin wheat. USW anticipates that a successful Doha agreement would provide:
  • Improved market access for the wheat industry through lower tariffs and the removal of non-tariff barriers;
  • Reduction in export subsidies in competing wheat-exporting countries;
  • Removal of trade distorting export state trading entities (STEs).

Click here for more information on the agricultural negotiations of the WTO Doha Round.


Free Trade Agreements
The United States has free trade agreements in place with 17 countries. There are three additional bilateral trade agreements pending Congressional ratification and talks are underway to establish a new regional trade agreement with South Asian nations, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. USW works closely with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Services (FAS) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to ensure favorable terms for wheat exports in all trade negotiations. The attached file summarizes U.S. FTAs that are currently in force, signed but not ratified, or in negotiation:

More information is available from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.


U.S. Wheat Associates is working to support ratification of the U.S.-Columbia free trade agreement and other FTAs. Jaime Jimenez, executive director of FEDEMOL, the Colombian millers association (above), leading a USW-sponsored team of Colombian wheat buyers to Washington, DC, in 2009 told the media, members of Congress, and Obama Administration officials that "we have long-standing ties with the U.S. wheat industry and we prefer U.S. wheat, but the difference in price [if the agreement is not ratified] would be impossible to ignore."
Trade Agreements
The Harvest

Study Confirms Trade Agreements Lift U.S. Farm Exports; Progress is Needed

A new study shows trade agreements directly increase U.S. ag exports, cash prices, and job growth, yet the U.S. risks falling behind its more aggressive export competitors. “There is a lot of talk about trade right now and this study offers proof that existing trade agreements are working for American agriculture,” said USW Director of Policy Rebecca Bratter. “We hope this new information will finally end the delay on ratifying pending free trade agreements.”

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Biotechnology

U.S. Consumers Support Plant Biotechnology as Sustainable Production

The International Food Information Council (IFIC) 2010 “Consumer Perceptions of Food Technology” survey found that consumers support the use of food biotechnology when they consider its potential benefits for reducing environmental impact. The survey indicated that 80% of consumers would be likely to purchase food containing wheat grown using plant biotechnology if produced with sustainable practices.

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