The federal government will appoint a seasoned trade negotiator and son of a Quebec dairy farmer as the next agricultural trade negotiator at the World Trade Organization.
M. Gilles Gauthier will assume the position as chief agriculture negotiator June 29, replacing Steve Verheul, who has been appointed lead Canadian negotiator in Canada-European Union free trade negotiations.
Gauthier is currently director general of multilateral trade policy at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with experience as lead negotiator for non-agricultural market access (NAMA) issues at the WTO.
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International trade stakeholders said securing markets in the face of increasing protectionism should be the key priority for Canada’s agriculture ministers.
“Mr. Gauthier brings extensive experience in the international arena, in WTO, NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) negotiations and serving on several WTO dispute settlement panels,” Agriculture Canada assistant deputy minister Steve Tierney said in a message to industry announcing the appointment.
“He also brings personal experience in agriculture, having grown up on his family’s dairy farm in Quebec.”
The decision on the new agricultural trade negotiator came as agriculture minister Gerry Ritz downplayed hope that there will be fast movement at the WTO this year.
Director general Pascal Lamy continues to call for a re-launch of trade liberalization talks as a solution to the world economic recession.
He is calling a meeting of ministers for late November in Geneva, although he says it will not be a negotiating session but a “taking stock” session.
Formal negotiations in the Doha Development Round started in 2001 but broke down in July 2008 far from agreement. Agricultural issues were among reasons for the breakdown.
“I don’t see (any sign of movement),” Ritz said in an interview June 4.
“I don’t see the Americans doing any more than entrenching. My bilateral discussions that I’ve had with China and India don’t give me reassurance that they are moving on the NAMA side. I don’t see anything happening (this year) that will move the earth.”
Last week during a meeting of Cairns Group ministers in Indonesia, there were reports that India and the United States made progress on issues that had divided them. The new U.S. administration has been reassessing its role in WTO talks.
Ritz was supposed to be at the meeting, and then on a trade mission to China, but says he had to cancel because Liberals would not agree to “pair” by sending someone along to compensate during House of Commons votes during Ritz’s absence.
The Liberals deny they are responsible.
