The current "Doha Development Agenda" of multilateral trade negotiations under the WTO was launched during the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference at Doha, Qatar in November 2001 and is scheduled to conclude no later than January 1, 2005. The Doha negotiations incorporated already existing negotiations on agriculture and services. Agriculture and services were the only areas where negotiations on further trade liberalization had been mandated in the Uruguay Round WTO Agreements (see AoA general issues).

The Doha Declaration states, in part, that the objectives for agriculture are "substantial improvements in market access; reductions of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies; and substantial reductions in trade distorting domestic support." Members also agreed that "special and differential treatment for developing countries shall be an integral part of all elements of the negotiations." (see Doha Ministerial Declaration)

The Doha Declaration set a deadline of March 31, 2003 for producing formulas, numerical targets, and other modalities for countries' commitments. Countries agreed to a September 2003 deadline—at the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico—to submit comprehensive draft commitments based on these modalities.

During the 12-month period of work to produce modalities (March 2002 to March 2003), many member countries submitted proposals, some of which contained formulas and numerical targets for reducing tariffs, export subsidies, and domestic support. These proposals were utilized by the chairperson of the agriculture negotiations committee to produce two sucessive draft modalities documents aimed at reaching a compromise between the varied positions of members. However, the March and September 2003 deadlines passed with no agreement on modalities.

The Doha Declaration also committed members to "take note of the non-trade concerns reflected in the negotiating proposals submitted by members and confirm that non-trade concerns will be taken into account in the negotiations as provided for in the Agreement on Agriculture." Another widely discussed issue involves a proposal to impose new disciplines to regulate the trade and pricing practices of agricultural state trading enterprises (STEs). The accession of new WTO members is also an issue.

• Market access
• Domestic support
• Export subsidies
• Non-trade concerns
• State trading
• WTO accession

The reading below addresses issues related to the Doha Development Agenda. New readings will be posted as they become available.

• The Current WTO Agricultural Negotiations: Options for Progress (Synthesis), Commissioned Paper No. 18, International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium, November 2001

for more information, contact: John Wainio
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page updated: October 6, 2003