A senior Australian official this week criticized a European Union move to reinstate wheat export subsidies, saying it could hurt the current round of World Trade Organization talks aimed at liberalizing word commerce.
David Spencer, Australias WTO Ambassador, said the EU decision to subsidize wheat exports was a sad development. He was speaking on behalf of the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting countries.
Any increased levels of protectionism would be a bad signal for all of us as we try to move forward to progress these negotiations, Spencer said.