Sugar millers support further liberalisation
The sugar-milling industry backed the Global Sugar Alliance's push for further liberalisation in the global sugar trade at the Doha Round in December, hoping to boost exports and global prices.
“For more than a decade, Thai sugar millers have been calling for opening up of the market, lower subsidies and greater support for exports. The Thai government should help support this movement at the World Trade Organisation’s ministerial meeting from December 15-17 in Geneva,” Prakit Pradipasen, a spokesman for Thai millers, said yesterday.
Thailand is a member of the Global Sugar Alliance, which is a gathering of major sugar exporting countries.
Prakit said further liberalisation was necessary as several countries are subsidising exports and practising price distortion, which lessen the effectiveness of the market mechanism.
Thailand, Brazil and Australia are monitoring the European Council’s decision to boost sugar exports from Europe by more than 700,000 tonnes, which is above the WTO’s quota.
Influential WTO members have proposed the early-harvest approach involving liberalisation of only non-sensitive products in the industry, which exclude sugar and ethanol.
However, Thailand and some other countries prefer the single-undertaking approach for endorsement in all involved products.
