Saskatoon is playing host to a group of ministers from a large collection of agricultural exporting nations starting tomorrow.
The Cairns Group is gathering in the city for three days of meetings designed in part to come up with a common stance heading into the World Trade Organization’s eighth ministerial conference in December.
Members of the Cairns Group represent about 25 percent of world agricultural trade and can have an influential voice at the WTO table, according to a senior Agriculture Canada official who provided reporters with background information on the meeting.
Another focus of the meeting will be the growing threat of non-tariff trade barriers. Canada is pushing for an increased reliance on international standard setting bodies to resolve such disputes.
Cairns members will also be discussing Russia’s accession to the WTO. Russia is a huge importer and potentially a leading exporter of agricultural products.
Canada’s agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and Australia’s trade minister Craig Emerson will hold a news conference on Sept. 9 to share with reporters what has been discussed at the meeting.
The meeting is expected to attract over 150 participants from more than 25 countries.
Cairns Group countries are: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Uruguay.
