| The Australian conference of important groups of | | | | In an interview on the Australian media, Howard said |
| agricultural exporting nations will push for the revival | | | | that nothing is dead when it comes to the sector of |
| of the faltered global trade talks, despite the idea | | | | negotiations and global trade. He added that there will |
| that the European Union (EU) has declined the said | | | | possibly be a change on the trade despite the truth |
| trade deal. The Cairns Group is an organization of | | | | that larger countries have been ignoring their offers |
| nations from Asia, South America, and South Pacific. | | | | and suggestions for the trade deals. |
| The said group embraces almost one-fourth of the | | | | The director-general of the World Trade Organization |
| farmed goods in the global trade. | | | | (WTO), Pascal Lamy, accused the selfish motives of |
| Cairns is a strong supporter and advocate of the | | | | other countries for the abeyance of the conference |
| visions and missions of the World Trade Organization | | | | series on global trade. He also gave warnings that the |
| and its Doha round of talks. The scheme created by | | | | failure of the conferences would paralyze the open |
| the said group, which is to be backed up by the | | | | market system of the WTO, and would hinder poor |
| exporting nations, will increase the burden for the EU, | | | | countries from developing. |
| United States, and other developing nations to solve | | | | Lamy also fears that the downfall of the global trade |
| the dilemma on the safety of the agricultural market | | | | rounds will make multi-country trade deals be |
| that has almost bestirred the recent global trade | | | | replaced by bilateral trade deals. This scenario, he |
| round. | | | | added, will jeopardize all the policies that were agreed |
| With regard to the said plan, the US should agree on | | | | upon by all member nations of the WTO. |
| cutting its farm subsidies by $5bn while the EU must | | | | The beauty behind having free trade in the open |
| assent to increase its offer on reducing farm tariffs | | | | market is that it will not touch the complicated |
| by five percent. It must be noted that the | | | | system concerns of the global trade like the |
| misunderstanding over the reduction of farm | | | | agricultural protection and clash settlement. Lamy also |
| subsidies among Japan, US, EU, and other | | | | stated that bilateral free trade deals can help support |
| fast-growing countries was the prime reason why | | | | multilateral concerns, though it can never be a |
| the round of talks for global trade collapsed. | | | | replacement for the multi-country free trade deals. |
| Mark Vaile, Australia's Minister for Trade, said that the | | | | Proponents of the Cairns Group said that the global |
| plan is simply a bargain proposal. On the contrary, the | | | | trade rounds must be restarted as soon as possible |
| EU Commissioner for Trade, Peter Mandelson, has | | | | before the momentum gets lost, and the changes in |
| refused to accept the proposition, and considering it | | | | the trade that can help alleviate poverty sets back |
| as not highly feasible. Meanwhile, John Howard, the | | | | for ages. Vaile seconded that the said plan of the |
| prime minister of Australia said that the organization's | | | | Cairns group is possibly the last-ditch effort of |
| proposal for the global trade should push through. He | | | | nations in reviving the postponed global trade |
| also added that their group is already acquainted to | | | | conferences. |
| European's rejection of new offers. | | | | |