Competencia de las exportaciones/subvenciones a la exportación

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Marco conceptual  

La proliferación de las subvenciones a la exportación durante los años anteriores a la Ronda Uruguay fue una de las cuestiones clave que se abordaron en las negociaciones sobre la agricultura. En el marco del GATT de 1947 siempre se habían prohibido las subvenciones a las exportaciones de productos industriales, pero, en el caso de los productos agropecuarios primarios, esas subvenciones solamente estaban sujetas a un número limitado de disciplinas (artículo XVI del GATT), que además resultaron no ser operativas.

The right to use export subsidies was limited by the Agreement on Agriculture to four situations: i) subvenciones a la exportación sujetas a compromisos de reducción por productos específicos dentro de los límites especificados en la Lista del Miembro de la OMC de que se trate; ii) cualquier cuantía que sobrepase los límites especificados en la Lista para los desembolsos presupuestarios destinados a las exportaciones o para el volumen de las exportaciones subvencionadas y pueda justificarse en virtud de la disposi-ción de “flexibilidad regresiva” del párrafo 2 b) del artículo 9 del Acuerdo sobre la Agricultura; iii) las subvenciones a la exportación compatibles con la disposición relativa al trato especial y diferenciado en favor de los países en desarrollo Miembros (párrafo 4 del artículo 9 del Acuerdo); y iv) las subvenciones a la exportación aparte de las sujetas a compromisos de reducción, siempre que estén de conformidad con las disciplinas contra la elusión establecidas en el artículo 10 del Acuerdo sobre la Agricultura. In any other cases, the use of export subsidies for agricultural products is prohibited (Articles 3.3, 8 and 10 of the Agreement).

 

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Compromisos de reducción  

Definición de medidas

En el Acuerdo sobre la Agricultura se definen las subvenciones a la exportación como “subvenciones supeditadas a la actuación exportadora, con inclusión de las enumeradas en el artículo 9 del presente Acuerdo”. Como se especifica en el párrafo 1 del artículo 9 del Acuerdo, esta lista abarca la mayoría de las prácticas de subvención a las exportaciones que son frecuentes en el sector agropecuario:

• las subvenciones directas a las exportaciones supeditadas a la actuación exportadora;

• las ventas de existencias no comerciales de productos agropecuarios para la exportación a un precio inferior al precio comparable de tales mercancías en el mercado interno;

• subvenciones financiadas por los productores como son los programas gubernamentales que imponen un gravamen a toda la producción, que es utilizado posteriormente para subvencionar la exportación de una porción determinada de esa producción;

• medidas de reducción de los costos como las subvenciones otorgadas para reducir los costos de comercialización de las mercan-cías para exportación: estos costos pueden incluir, por ejemplo, los costos de manipulación y perfeccionamiento y los costos de fletes inter-nacionales;

• las subvenciones a los transportes internos aplicables únicamente a los envíos de exportación, como es el caso del transporte de un producto a un punto central para su exportación; y

• las subvenciones a los productos incorporados, es decir, las subvenciones a los productos agropecuarios como el trigo que están supeditados a su incorporación en productos de exportación como las galletas.

Todas estas subvenciones a la exportación están sujetas a compromisos de reducción, expresados en términos tanto de volumen de las exportaciones subvencionadas como de desembolsos presupuestarios destinados a esas subvenciones.

Categorías de productos

Los compromisos de reducción figuran en las Listas de los Miembros de la OMC por productos específicos. Con este fin, los productos agropecuarios se dividieron inicialmente en 23 productos o grupos de productos como el trigo, los cereales secundarios, el azúcar, la carne de bovino, la mantequilla, el queso y las semillas oleaginosas. Algunos Miembros contrajeron compromisos de forma menos global. Todos y cada uno de los compromisos sobre el volumen y los desembolsos presupuestarios para cada producto o grupo de productos consignados en la Lista de un Miembro son vinculantes. The reduction commitments on “incorporated products” (last item in the Article 9 list) are only expressed in terms of budgetary outlays. The ceilings specified in the schedules had to be respected in each year of the implementation period although limited “over-shooting” in the second to fifth year of implementation is permitted (“downstream flexibility”). By the last year of the implementation period, Members had to be within their final export subsidy ceilings.

Tipos de reducción

Developed country Members were required to reduce, in equal annual steps over a period of 6 years, the base-period volume of subsidized exports by 21 per cent and the corresponding budgetary outlays for export subsidies by 36 per cent. In the case of developing country Members, the required cuts were 14 per cent over 10 years with respect to volumes, and 24 per cent over the same period with respect to budgetary outlays.

The Agreement on Agriculture also states that developing country Members may, during the implementation period, make use of a special and differential treatment provision of the Agreement (Article 9.4) which allows them to grant marketing cost subsidies and internal transport subsidies, provided that these are not applied in a manner that would circumvent export subsidy reduction commitments.

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Productos sin compromisos de reducción específicos 

El Acuerdo sobre la Agricultura prohíbe que las subvenciones a la exportación enumeradas en el párrafo 1 del artículo 9 se apliquen a cualquier producto agropecuario que no esté sujeto a un compromiso de reducción especificado en la parte correspondiente de la Lista de un Miembro (con excepción, durante el período de aplicación, de los productos que se benefician del trato especial y diferenciado).

 

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Medidas contra la elusión 

Además de las disposiciones relacionadas directamente con los compromisos de reducción, el Acuerdo sobre la Agricultura contiene disposiciones encaminadas a impedir que las subvenciones a la exportación no enumeradas en el artículo 9 se apliquen de forma que constituyan una elusión de los compromisos de reducción de otras subvenciones a la exportación (artículo 10). Las disposiciones contra la elusión incluyen una definición de la ayuda alimentaria a fin de que las transacciones que se alegue que son ayuda alimentaria, pero no cumplan los criterios establecidos en el Acuerdo, no puedan utilizarse para menoscabar los compromisos. La ayuda alimentaria que se ajuste a los criterios especificados no se considera como una exportación subvencionada y, por tanto, no está limitada por el Acuerdo sobre la Agricultura. En el Acuerdo se pide asimismo que se elaboren disciplinas internacionalmente convenidas por las que se rijan los créditos a la exportación y las medidas similares, ya que tales medidas pueden también utilizarse para eludir los compromisos. Todo Miembro que alegue que una cantidad exportada por encima del nivel de compromiso de reducción no está subvencionada deberá demostrar que para la cantidad exportada en cuestión no se ha otorgado ninguna subvención a la exportación, esté o no enumerada en el artículo 9.

 

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Obligaciones de notificación 

All Members must notify the Committee on Agriculture annually with respect to export subsidies. For Members without reduction commitments, this involves only a statement to the effect that export subsidies on agricultural products have not been used (or a listing of those measures that may be used by developing country Members under Article 9.4 of the Agreement if this has been the case). For Members with reduction commitments in their schedules, the annual notification must contain the annual use of subsidies in terms of both volume and budgetary outlays.

Además, como parte de las disposiciones contra la elusión, los Miembros deben notificar anualmente la ayuda alimentaria que hayan concedido, si éste ha sido el caso. Igualmente, los Miembros con compromisos de reducción, así como una serie de exportadores definidos por el Comité como “exportadores importantes”, deben notificar las exportaciones totales de productos agropecuarios.

Como en las demás esferas, las notificaciones de las subvenciones a la exportación sirven de base para el examen que realiza el Comité de Agricultura sobre el progreso de la aplicación de los compromisos.

December 2015 Nairobi WTO Ministerial Decision on Export Competition

The adoption in the context of the agriculture negotiations of the WTO Ministerial Decision on Export Competition at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Nairobi in December 2015 constituted a major development on export competition.

Phasing out of export subsidies

The Nairobi decision commits WTO Members to eliminate all forms of export subsidies. The timetable for phasing out remaining export subsidy scheduled entitlements for agricultural products (see above) depended on the development status of Members. It entailed:

• immediate elimination as of the date of adoption of the Nairobi Decision for developed Members. However, there were exceptions on EU sugar quantities under existing programmes (until 30 September 2017) and processed products, dairy products, and swine meat under certain conditions (until the end of 2020).

• elimination by the end of 2018 for developing country Members, with some exceptions under certain conditions (until the end of 2022).

In addition, developing country Members retained the possibility to benefit from the provisions of Article 9.4 of the Agreement on Agriculture until the end of 2023. Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) as listed in G/AG/5/Rev.10 continue to benefit from the provisions of Article 9.4 of the Agreement on Agriculture until the end of 2030.

In addition, Members committed to not apply export subsidies in a manner that would circumvent the obligation to reduce and eliminate them. Members also agreed to seek to keep export subsidies within the average level of the past five years for each product.  Furthermore, Members committed to ensure that such subsidies have minimal trade-distorting effects and do not hinder other Members' exports, while also consulting and providing information upon request to affected Members.

Out of the 16 Members who still had export subsidy reduction commitments at the time of the adoption of the Nairobi Decision, 15 Members have taken steps to modify their schedules of commitments pursuant to the Nairobi Decision on Export Competition and 13 revised schedules were certified. On 1 April 2024, one Member had yet to take any steps for its schedules to comply with the Nairobi Decision.

Export finance

In addition to complying with all other export subsidy obligations under the Agreement on Agriculture and other covered agreements (with the exception of the second paragraph of item (k) of Annex I of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures), Members undertook not to apply export credits (not including working capital financing to the suppliers), export credit guarantees or insurance programmes comprising direct financing support, risk cover, government to government credit agreements and any other form of direct or indirect governmental support for agricultural products as listed in Annex 1 of the Agreement on Agriculture, unless such supports are in accordance with specific conditions as outlined in the Nairobi decision and described below:

• Maximum repayment term of 18 months for export financing support, effective from the end of 2017 for developed country Members, and after a four-year phase-in period for developing country Members.

Special and differential treatment is provided for importing LDCs and NFIDC countries, listed in G/AG/5/Rev.10 (and some small vulnerable Members listed in the Nairobi Decision) allowing repayment terms between 36 and 54 months for acquiring basic foodstuffs, with the possibility of extensions in exceptional circumstances.

• Export credit guarantees, insurance, and other risk cover programmes must be self-financed and cover the long-term operating costs and losses of a programme in the sense of item (j) of the Illustrative List of Annex I of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.

International food aid

In international food aid, the main objective stated in the Nairobi Decision is to ensure food aid is provided in a manner that prevents or minimizes commercial displacement, while maintaining an adequate level of assistance, taking into account the interests of food aid recipients and ensuring the disciplines do not unintentionally impede the delivery of food aid in emergency situations.

Pursuant to the Nairobi Decision, international food aid shall therefore be needs-driven, in fully grant form, not tied directly or indirectly to commercial exports of agricultural products or other goods and services, not linked to the market development objectives of donor Members and not re-exported except in some exceptional circumstances.

The provision of food aid shall consider local market conditions and Members shall refrain from providing in-kind aid if it risks adverse effects on local or regional production or established commercial markets.

Members are also encouraged to continue providing cash-based food aid and to procure food aid from local or regional sources, provided that the availability and prices of basic foodstuffs in these markets are not unduly compromised. Members also commit to allowing maximum flexibility to provide for all types of international food aid in order to maintain needed levels while making efforts to move toward more untied cash-based international food aid in accordance with the Food Assistance Convention.

The monetization of international food aid is permitted only when there is a demonstrable need for transport and delivery or to address food deficits or insufficient production which give rise to chronic hunger and malnutrition in LDCs and NFIDCs (and some small vulnerable Members listed in the Nairobi Decision).

The monetization should be preceded by a local or regional market analysis that includes consideration of the recipient country’s nutritional needs, local United Nations agencies' market data and normal import and consumption levels of the commodity to be monetized, and consistent with Food Assistance Convention reporting. Moreover, the monetization process shall be made by independent third party commercial or non-profit entities that minimize or eliminate disruption to local or regional markets. Additionally, the government of a recipient country can opt out of monetization.

The Committee on Agriculture reviews these provisions on international food aid as part of the monitoring of the implementation of the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision of April 1994 on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on LDCs and NFIDCs.

Agricultural exporting State Trading Enterprises (STEs)

For the purpose of the Nairobi Decision, agricultural exporting state trading enterprises are defined as enterprises which meet the working definition provided for in the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XVII of the GATT 1994 i.e. governmental and non-governmental enterprises, including marketing boards, which have been granted exclusive or special rights or privileges, including statutory or constitutional powers, in the exercise of which they influence through their purchases or sales the level or direction of export (as the matter of imports does not fall under the disciplines of the Nairobi Decision), and are engaged in exports of products listed in Annex 1 of the Agreement on Agriculture.

Members committed to ensure agricultural exporting STEs do not circumvent other provisions of the Nairobi Decision and to make their best efforts to minimize trade-distorting effects and avoid displacing or impeding exports of other Members when using export monopoly powers.

Cotton

The disciplines and commitments contained in the Nairobi Decision had to be immediately implemented as of the date of adoption of the Decision by developed Members and not later than 1 January 2017 by developing country Members.

Review and transparency

Building upon the Bali Decision on Export Competition adopted on 7 December 2013 at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference and in addition to annual notification requirements under the relevant provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture in the case of export subsidies, Members committed to continue providing annually information on the four areas covered by the Nairobi Decision based on the export competition questionnaire (ECQ) annexed to the Nairobi Decision. Developing country Members were exempted during the five years following the adoption of the Decision, unless in a position to do so.

The Committee on Agriculture monitors the implementation of the Nairobi Decision through an annual examination process based on the information collected through the responses to the ECQ and relevant notification requirements under the Agreement on Agriculture, compiled in background documents prepared by the WTO Secretariat.

The Committee on Agriculture is also mandated to review every three years the disciplines contained in the Nairobi Decision, with the aim of enhancing disciplines to ensure that no circumvention threatens export subsidy elimination commitments and to prevent non-commercial transactions from being used to circumvent such commitments.

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