U.S. agriculture subsidies are again threatening American leadership on free trade. The Financial Times reports:
Brazil is preparing to take action against the US over what it says are illegal subsidies and other trade barriers following the collapse of the Doha round of talks at the World Trade Organisation in Geneva last week.
…
In June the WTO upheld a complaint by Brazil that Washington had not done enough to remove illegal subsidies to its cotton farmers, opening the way for Brazil to request WTO authorization for more than $1 billion in retaliatory sanctions on US services and intellectual property.In addition to retaliatory measures on US cotton subsidies, Brazil would prepare legal action against US import tariffs on Brazilian ethanol of 54 cents a gallon … Brazil previously opted not to retaliate against US cotton subsidies in the hope that a successful conclusion to the Doha round would produce across-the-board reductions in US subsidies that affect Brazilian exports of cotton, ethanol and other farm produce.
Comments are subject to approval and moderation. We remind everyone that The Heritage Foundation promotes a civil society where ideas and debate flourish. Please be respectful of each other and the subjects of any criticism. While we may not always agree on policy, we should all agree that being appropriately informed is everyone's intention visiting this site. Profanity, lewdness, personal attacks, and other forms of incivility will not be tolerated. Please keep your thoughts brief and avoid ALL CAPS. While we respect your first amendment rights, we are obligated to our readers to maintain these standards. Thanks for joining the conversation.