National Cotton Council (NCC) is enormously disappointed in the draft Ministerial text developed by Director General Lamy. NCC Chairman Woods Eastland said that the draft text is not consistent with the concept of a single undertaking for agriculture and establishes an unwise precedent for WTO trade negotiations.
“The draft text could be interpreted as asking the EU and the U.S. to take larger cuts quicker, to give total access to Least Developed Countries with nothing in return, and demands an end to export subsidies for cotton before the implementation period of the agreement is likely to begin. The Lamy text is not a single undertaking for agriculture. Instead, it singles out cotton.”
Eastland stated that “the text also abandons West African cotton producers by failing to seek greater access to the markets of the largest cotton purchasers in the world, proving this controversy has not been about helping African farmers, but has been a concerted attack on U.S. cotton. The text asks all of this from the U.S. cotton producer, yet contains no concrete hope for improved market access for U.S. cotton as the text implies that the largest cotton producer and purchaser in the world will receive special dispensation as a recently acceded member of the WTO.”
Eastland continued, “Organization appreciate the efforts of Ambassador Portman, Secretary Johanns and their staff, but this text offers virtually nothing for the U.S. cotton industry and expects everything in return."
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