Illinois soybean farmer and United Soybean Board director, Dwain Ford, recently got a firsthand look at negotiations involving the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Ford visited with staff from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, met with negotiators and ambassadors from eight different countries including Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand, and U.S. trade ambassadors, and stressed the need to move forward with negotiations.
Negotiations remain stalled in the Doha Round, which was launched nearly 10 years ago in an effort to reduce international trade barriers. Some people predict little chance of an agreement this year. The talks have been stymied over differences in specific trade areas related to agriculture and manufacturing. At the WTO meeting in March, many optimistically looked to the U.S. and China for a solution to the impasse; however, the process stalled surrounding the lack of new market access for U.S. agricultural exports and other key differences.
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