Release No. 0215.00
                                                                      
                                     USDA: Andy Solomon (202) 720-4623
                                                 andy.solomon@usda.gov
                                     USTR: Brendan Daly (202) 395-3230
                                                        bdaly@ustr.gov
                                                                      

GLICKMAN AND BARSHEFSKY UNVEIL U.S. AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATING PROPOSAL TO THE WTO

     WASHINGTON, June 29, 2000 Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and U.S. Trade
Representative Charlene Barshefsky unveiled the agriculture negotiating proposal the
United States will present in Geneva tomorrow as part of world agriculture trade
talks.  
     
     "Our proposal is bold and comprehensive," said Glickman.  "It opens up markets and
levels the playing field for American farmers and ranchers."  

     "This proposal is ambitious, fair, technologically progressive and bipartisan,"
said U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky.  "It is a major step forward, and
with it, we are looking ahead to an more open, stable and prosperous world in
agriculture, which offers more opportunity to farm families in America, more fairness
for farmers in the developing world, and better prices and more choice for consumers
all over the world."

     Building on earlier world trade reforms, the United States proposes to -- 

          Eliminate export subsidies
                    Reduce and strictly limit domestic supports
                    Further open global markets by lowering tariffs and raising quotas
                    Limit the use of agricultural monopolies that control imports and exports
                    Give special consideration to the needs of the least developed and
          developing countries
                    Recommit to the concept of the availability of food for all 

     The WTO's Committee on Agriculture is meeting in special session in Geneva,
starting today, to discuss further liberalization in world agricultural trade.  This
is the first opportunity for countries to present their negotiating proposals for the
talks.  

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