Doug Bereuter: “it is high time for the European Union to face the reality that it must eliminate its destructive agricultural export…”

“it is high time for the European Union to face the reality that it must eliminate its destructive agricultural export subsidies. This Member commends U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick for emphasizing this message during his recent visit to Geneva. As Ambassador Zoellick correctly noted, such action is one of the keys to reaching an international ag trade agreement. The EU's outrageous use of export subsidies hurts U.S. farmers, distorts international trade, and harms developing countries. If the EU would end its export subsidies, this Member is confident that the U.S. would be more than willing to eliminate its much smaller export subsidies. It should be noted that the American export subsidies are only used occasionally as a shot across the bow of the EU for the third country export markets. This Member believes the American agriculture community is willing to make certain changes in the current domestic subsidy program as well, as long as it is accompanied by meaningful subsidy reforms in the EU as well as in Japan and Korea. Mr. Speaker, real change in the European Union's agriculture export subsidy programs, and especially its elimination of their ag export subsidies, would be of great benefit to farmers and consumers around the world.”