P.M. BRIEFING : EC Pushes Farm Subsidies Cut
The European Community made a surprise proposal today to break almost four years of deadlock in farm trade talks, challenging world trading partners to cut subsidies to farmers by 30% by 1996.
Ray MacSharry, farm commissioner for the 12-nation EC, sprung the plan at a closed-door meeting of agriculture ministers from Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States.
The United States, which has been at loggerheads with the EC over farm trade reform, appeared taken aback by MacSharry’s proposal, which would take into account any subsidy cutbacks made since 1986.
Agriculture Secretary Clayton K. Yeutter, who has called on the community to overhaul its agriculture policies, said Washington will not officially respond to the offer until it is formally made at world trade talks.
“This is not a negotiation,” Yeutter said, referring to the meeting here. It had been billed as informal, and no dramatic initiatives were expected.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
