Number: RL30612
Title: Agriculture in the WTO: Member Spending on Domestic Support
Authors: Randy Schnepf, Resources, Science, and Industry Division 
Abstract: This report focuses on the commitments made by WTO member countries concerning government outlays in support of domestic agricultural production. The introductory section provides a brief overview of WTO domestic policy commitments, as well as background information on WTO member requirements for reporting on domestic subsidy outlays. In the second section, WTO member outlays made to support agricultural production (as reported in member notifications to the WTO's Committee on Agriculture) are discussed. Following the WTO reporting format, domestic spending is disaggregated according to those outlays that count against spending limits (i.e., amber box) and those outlays that are exempted from spending limits (i.e., green box, blue box, de minimis, or special and differential treatment (SDT) exemptions). Special attention is paid to the spending levels and exemptions for the three major WTO members - the United States, the 15-member European Union (EU-15), and Japan. Together, these three entities account for over 90% of all domestic agricultural subsidies reported by WTO members. The third and final section describes in more detail U.S. agricultural support outlays and compares them against spending limits. In addition, it briefly discusses the implications for U.S. agricultural policy of continued adherence to existing WTO commitments.
Pages: 40
Date: June 17, 2005