February 29, 2024

 

Vietnam calls for level playing field in agricultural trade

Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyen Hong Dien, has called upon all members of the Cairns Group to commit to fostering an open, market-oriented, and equitable agricultural trading landscape, The Star reported.

 

Comprising 20 agricultural fair-trade nations, including Thailand, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and others, the Cairns Group collectively represents nearly 30% of the world's agricultural exports.

 

Leading a delegation to the Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the Cairns Group within the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Minister Dien highlighted agriculture's pivotal role in ensuring global welfare, food security, and socio-economic progress.

 

In his address, Dien underscored the significance of robust agricultural growth and fair-trade development for stabilising the world economy, particularly amidst ongoing recovery efforts post the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

He noted that recent WTO member efforts in agricultural regulation reform had yielded modest results with several limitations, including distorted domestic supports, limited market access, and unfair export competition.

 

Vietnam, while welcoming new initiatives for negotiation, emphasised the need for feasible approaches that align with diverse economic capacities and do not impose undue burdens.

 

The country pledged continued collaboration with Cairns Group members to achieve tangible outcomes in priority areas, thereby supporting multilateral trading system development.

 

Minister Dien expressed optimism that MC13 of the Cairns Group would yield substantive results, fostering equitable trade in agricultural products.

 

During the conference, countries acknowledged the pivotal role of agricultural negotiations within the WTO, recognising agricultural trade reform as essential for the system's vitality and future global trade rule development.

 

Member nations committed to close coordination with industry associations to advance these reforms, particularly focusing on domestic support, market access, and export competition to ensure balanced progress and enhance fair agricultural trade.

 

Established in 1986 in Cairns, Australia, the Cairns Group advocates for agricultural trade liberalisation. Vietnam joined the Cairns Group officially in 2013, marking its commitment to fostering fair and open global agricultural trade.

 

-      The Star