Tariff-Fee Quotas (TRQs) permit a specified amount of a product to be imported at a decrease tariff charge, whereas any amount exceeding that restrict is topic to larger tariffs.
Triennial evaluations of Nairobi and Bali choices
The Chair introduced that members efficiently concluded the third triennial assessment of the Nairobi Determination on Export Competitors in December 2024 by a written process. The result package deal consists of the Evaluate Report (G/AG/39 ) and a resolution on a complete export competitors notification necessities and codecs (G/AG/2/Add.2 ). This streamlines the related notification necessities adopted in 1995 (G/AG/2 ) and integrates the export competitors questionnaire (ECQ) from the Nairobi Determination. She thanked members for their constructive engagement in reaching consensus.
Members additionally adopted a key doc on enhanced transparency of TRQ administration notifications (RD/AG/134/Rev.2) as a way to implement the Bali Determination on Tariff Fee Quota administration. Members hailed the profitable adoption of the choice on TRQ notifications (G/AG/2/Add.3), recognizing it because the end result of months of laborious work and productive dialogue.
Members additionally launched discussions on the second triennial assessment of the operation of the Bali Determination and shared their expectations of the assessment.
Updates on agricultural market developments, meals safety
Members heard up to date stories from the World Meals Programme(WFP), the Worldwide Grains Council (IGC) and the World Financial institution on the newest developments in meals safety and agriculture. The organizations have been invited to the Committee to share data and experiences as a follow-up to the report and proposals of the work programme undertaken pursuant to the MC12 declaration on meals insecurity.
The WFP warned that the world is coming into a interval of excessive uncertainty, marked by a worsening world meals safety disaster and humanitarian funding cuts. It estimated that 343 million folks suffered from acute meals insecurity throughout 74 nations in 2024 — practically 200 million greater than pre-pandemic ranges.
The WFP confused that battle stays the first driver of meals insecurity in battle zones, together with Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza and Somalia. Different components, reminiscent of local weather change, financial instability, rising meals costs and forex depreciation, proceed to have an effect on meals provide in creating economies.
The WFP urged governments to seek out political options to finish conflicts, strengthen meals methods and improve help for native economies. It additionally referred to as for governments to safe funding to guard susceptible populations and construct group meals resilience.
The IGC projected report grain manufacturing and a worldwide rebound in grain commerce in 2025–26, pushed by sturdy demand from Asia and Africa, in addition to different optimistic market tendencies. The IGC additionally outlined its ongoing efforts to enhance and standardize commerce statistics for rice by higher classification of rice varieties in world commerce. It has additionally developed a dashboard for internet food-importing nations to trace market modifications and refine meals safety methods.
The World Financial institution echoed issues raised by the WFP and IGC, stating that acute meals insecurity stays at report ranges, with an estimated 713–757 million folks undernourished. It launched its World Problem Program on Meals and Vitamin Safety, which incorporates early warning methods, cross-sectoral approaches to diet, and improved entry to local weather finance for smallholders.
The World Financial institution reaffirmed its dedication to diet safety, emphasizing its alignment with world efforts such because the Vitamin for Progress Summit in Paris and its integration of diet goals throughout well being, agriculture and social safety investments.
Members thanked the worldwide organizations for his or her updates. Some highlighted issues over meals insecurity in least developed nations (LDCs) and internet food-importing creating nations (NFIDCs), citing battle, local weather change and excessive import dependency as key challenges. Others emphasised the necessity for higher monetary help for meals and local weather resilience whereas urging the WTO to handle the foundation causes of meals insecurity by additional agricultural reforms.
Members additionally mentioned follow-up to Meals Safety Work Programme suggestions (G/AG/38) from the twelfth Ministerial Convention. The Chair recommended members’ efforts in implementing a few of these suggestions throughout the Committee and the Working Group on Commerce, Debt and Finance. Some members confused the necessity to flip suggestions into concrete actions, together with casual devoted workshops to share experiences.
Evaluate of the NFIDC listing
Divergences stay on the annual assessment of the NFIDCs listing, which is undertaken yearly within the Committee’s March assembly. Some members favoured a data-based assessment train requiring NFIDCs to current up to date statistics, whereas some others noticed no foundation to submit such knowledge by NFIDCs past their inclusion within the listing.
The dialogue concluded with no frequent understanding of whether or not the annual assessment had been achieved. Some members referred to as for continued discussions in subsequent conferences, whereas others opposed extending talks past the annual March assembly. On the similar time, members agreed that the present listing (G/AG/5/Rev.12) stays legitimate until consensus dictates in any other case.
Evaluate of agricultural insurance policies
A complete of 208 questions have been raised by members regarding particular person notifications and particular implementation issues throughout the assembly. This peer assessment course of permits members to handle points associated to the implementation of commitments outlined within the Settlement on Agriculture. Of these, 31 points have been raised for the primary time, whereas 15 have been recurring issues from earlier Committee conferences.
The 31 new objects coated a spread of matters, together with Australia’s meals and fibre program, Brazil’s rural initiative, Canada’s a number of farm and dairy help applications, and the European Union’s tariffs on Russian agri-food imports. Different matters included India’s sugar help and tariff modifications on Bourbon whiskey, Indonesia’s numerous farm help insurance policies, and Japan’s help for CO₂ discount and fertilizer procurement. Members additionally reviewed Paraguay’s monetary help to farmers, Switzerland’s farm funds, Thailand’s debt reduction measures and rice help, Türkiye’s tax and pricing methods, the UK’s productivity-boosting scheme, and the United States’ utilized tariffs and a number of farm help applications.
Because the earlier assembly in November 2024, a complete of 110 particular person notifications have been submitted to the Committee, masking market entry, home help, export competitors and notifications in the context of the NFIDC Determination. The vast majority of these notifications — 45 in whole — pertain to export competitors.
The Chair urged members to submit well timed and full notifications and to answer overdue questions, stressing the important significance of enhanced transparency.
All questions submitted for the assembly can be found in G/AG/W/252. All questions and replies obtained can be found within the WTO’s Agriculture Info Administration System (AG IMS).
Expertise switch
The Chair reported productive discussions at an off-the-cuff assembly on 13 February concerning steerage on the way to pursue additional discussions on know-how switch in 2025.
Some members expressed curiosity in shifting discussions from experience-sharing to the WTO framework of guidelines and its function in selling agricultural improvements and applied sciences. Whereas they acknowledged that the Settlement on Agriculture offers a transparent coverage and authorized foundation for agricultural know-how switch — important for bettering meals safety and rural improvement — limitations stay in accessing these applied sciences, highlighting the necessity for inexpensive improvements. To handle these challenges, these members prompt future seminars to debate each coverage issues beneath the Settlement on Agriculture and sensible nation case research.
Some members additionally emphasised the necessity for the Committee to additional discover sustainable agriculture, with a give attention to sensible, expert-led discussions. One suggestion was to focus on the significance of capability constructing in creating economies, supported by strengthened collaboration with regional analysis centres.
The Chair famous the necessity to proceed discussions on this agenda merchandise on the subsequent assembly, which is able to assist the incoming Chair plan future work.
Different enterprise
The Chair stated that the election of the brand new Chair can be thought-about on the June assembly, because the session course of continues to be ongoing.
The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) briefly launched its 2025 work plan (G/AG/GEN/248). In shut cooperation with the WTO, the IICA will manage a seminar in Paraguay within the second half of the yr to coach authorities officers from the area on bettering their notification capability and negotiation abilities.
Subsequent assembly
The subsequent assembly of the Committee on Agriculture is scheduled for 23-24 June 2025.
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