Food Trade Alliance Urges USTR Ambassador Schwab to Focus on Market Access Commitments at Doha Talks

The Food Trade Alliance, a group of major food processors, restaurants, distributors and suppliers, today voiced support for an "ambitious outcome" to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Doha negotiations in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab. The Alliance seeks improvements in market access, particularly for agriculture, that would "allow the member companies of the Food Trade Alliance to grow their businesses, help the U.S. economy, and better serve our customers around the world."

"Government economic restrictions tie up our members' logistics in a web of red tape, impose high tariffs and other regulations that add no value, and do not serve the interests of either business or the world's consumers," wrote Bill Ehrig, Chairman of the Food Trade Alliance. "The Doha negotiations are, in our judgment, the only chance to reduce these barriers comprehensively and systematically."

"For the Food Trade Alliance, an acceptable Doha agreement must include meaningful market access commitments for essential raw materials such as sugar, dairy, seafood, poultry, beef and potatoes as well as processed foods containing these items," the letter continues. "There is ample room to reduce barriers around the world to trade in these products, which will allow our members to operate more effectively and efficiently."

"The benefits of these changes would obviously help our members, but just as important are the benefits that will flow to the world's farmers and ranchers through increased demand for their products ... elimination of barriers would allow our member companies to move products to new countries and to new outlets in countries where they already do business. This will create opportunities for U.S. and global suppliers as well as for farmers in the countries where new restaurants will mean new business opportunities. It will also create opportunities for potential franchisees ... Franchising and entrepreneurship are key elements to a workable development strategy throughout the world, including in the poorest nations."

The Food Trade Alliance was established to help increase opportunities in global food trade, benefiting U.S. farmers, food suppliers, restaurants and representatives of other sectors by expanding access to agricultural and processed food products around the world. For more information on the Food Trade Alliance, please visit http://www.foodtrade.org.