G20 Ag Leaders Looking To Reform WTO

G20 Ag Leaders Want to Reform WTO.  When President Trump and EU President Jean-Claude Juncker met in Washington, Trump said among the things they agreed to do, "we will work closely together to reform the WTO," said President Trump.

And this past weekend in Buenos Aires, Agriculture Ministers from the G-20 countries agreed the World Trade Organization rules, particularly those for trading in food and farm products, do need reform.  Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue was at that meeting.

"Most of the conversation had to do with the enforcement of things like the OIE and the standards that we have agreed upon, based on sound science," said Perdue.  "Many countries follow those, and some choose to ignore them. What were trying to determine is how we can make the WTO more of an organization that truly guides international trade the way it was intended."

In a statement, the G-20 Ag Ministers said they were concerned about an increased  use of non-tariff protectionist trade barriers but did not lay out a plan on what to do about them.