The American Soybean Association (ASA) initiated a letter today to President Bush from 12 farm organizations urging a correction to the severe imbalance in the current agriculture text in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha negotiations. The groups expressed deep concern with the status and direction of the Doha round of WTO agricultural negotiations.

ASA President John Hoffman, CEO Steve Censky, and other agriculture groups met with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative this week to discuss their concerns with the Doha round. The meeting was timed in advance of renewed talks in Geneva next week aimed at resolving remaining differences on agriculture issues.

The letter reiterated points made by the same groups in June 2006, that the level of ambition in obtaining access to both developed and developing countries must be commensurate with the level of ambition in cutting trade distorting domestic support.

“Unfortunately, the current text for the agriculture negotiations proposes to further reduce U.S. domestic support well below the U.S. offer of October 2005, while the ranges for overall tariff cuts are set lower than those proposed by the United States,” Hoffman said. “Even more troubling, the current agriculture text does not address key measures that could seriously erode any market access gains.”

Joining ASA on the letter were the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Sugar Alliance, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Milk Producers Federation, National Sorghum Producers, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, USA Rice Federation and U.S. Canola Association.

ASA leadership will travel to Geneva in coming weeks to continue to press on the need to significantly expand market access in the Doha negotiations, which is a top priority for U.S. soybean growers.

“We continue to support an agreement that reforms trade-distorting agricultural practices and opens world markets to expanded agricultural trade,” Hoffman said.