WTO | Agriculture - negotiations backgrounder

UPDATED 1 DECEMBER 2004

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This briefing document explains current agricultural issues raised before and in the current negotiations. It has been prepared by the Information and Media Relations Division of the WTO Secretariat to help public understanding about the agriculture negotiations. It is not an official record of the negotiations.

World trade in agricultural products, 2003 back to top

Value $bn	674
Annual change %
1980-85	-2
1985-90	9
1990-95	7
1995-2000	-1
2001	0
2002	6
2003	15
Share in world merchandise trade %	9.2
Share in world exports of primary products %	41.2

Source: WTO International Trade Statistics 2004, table IV.3, includes trade between EU members

Top 15 agricultural exporters and importers, 2003 back to top

	Value $bn	Share in world %		Value $bn	Share in world %
Exporters			Importers
EU members (15)	284.14	42.2	EU members (15)	308.87	42.8
EU to rest of world	73.38	10.9	EU from rest of world	98.11	13.6
United States	76.24	11.3	United States	77.27	10.7
Canada	33.69	5.0	Japan	58.46	8.1
Brazil	24.21	3.6	China	30.48	4.2
China	22.16	3.3	Canada ^c	18.02	2.5
Australia	16.34	2.4	Korea, Rep. of	15.56	2.2
Thailand ^a	15.08	2.2	Mexico	13.85	1.9
Argentina ^b	12.14	2.1	Russian Fed. ^a	13.73	1.9
Malaysia	11.06	1.6	Hong Kong, China	10.81	-
Mexico	9.98	1.5	retained imports	6.47	0.9
			Taipei, Chinese	7.96	1.1
Indonesia	9.94	1.5	Switzerland	7.12	1.0
New Zealand	9.60	1.4	Saudi Arabia	6.26	0.9
Russian Fed. ^a	9.37	1.4	Thailand ^a	5.72	0.8
Chile	7.47	1.1	Indonesia	5.44	0.8
India ^a	7.03	1.2	Turkey	5.22	0.7
Above 15	548.44	81.8	Above 15	580.44	80.4

Source: WTO International Trade Statistics 2004, table IV.8. “EU members” includes trade between EU members

^a Includes WTO Secretariat estimates.

^b 2002 instead of 2003

^c Imports are valued f.o.b.

Agricultural products’ share in trade, by region, 2003 back to top

	Exports	Imports		Exports	Imports
Share in total merchandise trade, %			Share in primary products trade, %
World	9.2	9.2	World	41.2	41.2
North America	11.0	6.2	North America	56.6	32.2
Latin America	19.8	9.7	Latin America	47.2	44.0
Western Europe	9.6	10.4	Western Europe	57.6	48.3
C./E. Europe/Baltic States/CIS	8.8	10.1	C./E. Europe/Baltic States/CIS	22.7	47.6
Africa	13.9	15.9	Africa	20.2	59.4
Middle East	3.4	12.4	Middle East	4.4	68.0
Asia	6.3	8.9	Asia	46.3	33.2

Source: WTO International Trade Statistics 2004, table IV.5, includes trade between EU members

How much do they spend? back to top

Notified domestic support, 1999, and export subsidies, 1998. US$ million

Source: member governments’ notifications to WTO

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