The World Trade Organization
(WTO) circulated to its members on Tuesday compromise proposals on agriculture
trade and industrial market access as a last attempt to save the long-stalled
Doha Round free trade talks.
According to the proposals, the United States must substantially cut its
trade-distorting farm subsidies by 66 percent to 73 percent to a level between
13 billion U.S. dollars and 16.4 billion U.S. dollars.
The United States currently insists that its annual cap for farm subsidies
should be as high as 17 billion U.S. dollars.
The proposals also demand that the European Union reduce its agricultural
tariffs by up to 73 percent, while major developing countries like Brazil and
India should also offer greater market access for industrial
products.