VOA常速英语2007-Australia Urges Progress in Stalled World Trade

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
10 October 2007

Australian farmers are eager to see progress in World Trade Organization talks, they think the WTO is the best way to foster greater prosperity and open up overseas markets. Economists² say that international trade barriers cost the country's farmers billions of dollars in lost earnings³. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

This dry corner of the Outback in New South Wales has been in a severe drought for more than five years. The earth is bare and a strong wind whips up clouds of brown dust.

Even so, farmers like Bill Dunlop are able to earn a living, and they say they could do even better if trade barriers in North America and Europe ended.

"Efficiency certainly is the word for Australian farmers. From clearing land in the first place whether it be in Western Australia or here in the eastern states, the innovation, the ability for practical farming systems with direct drilling, no cultivation⁴, etc, to try and hold our soil structure together and stop it either eroding⁵ or blowing away with no subsidies⁶ whatsoever⁷ other than some assistance from government on tree planting," said Dunlop.

Australia provides almost no subsidies for its farmers and maintains low tariffs⁸ on most food imports.

Its farmers want to see other countries end export subsidies on agricultural products, which distort world prices.

They also want other countries to dismantle⁹ farm subsidy¹⁰ programs and cut other barriers to agricultural trade.

For the past decade, the World Trade Organization has tried to achieve those goals for its members. But since 2006, talks on overall trade liberalization have stalled, in large part because of disputes over how much the European Union, the United States and other developed countries will reduce agricultural subsidies.

Mick Keogh from the Australian Farm Institute says that despite its problems, the WTO offers the best chance of opening up farm trade.

"Doing it through bilateral¹¹ or regional negotiations¹² is a very slow and tedious and piecemeal¹³ approach and certainly I think the agricultural sector¹⁴ in Australia much prefers the multilateral approach and the rules-based environment that the WTO brings because it's certainly a better forum¹⁵ to resolve some of the trade disputes that occur from time-to-time than trying to sort those out bilaterally¹⁶ in those complicated sort of arrangements," said Keogh.

In the absence of WTO reforms, Australia is forging ahead with bilateral deals.

It has free trade agreements with New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and most importantly the United States.

Diplomats¹⁷ have started exploring similar treaties with China and Japan.

Sean Turnell, an economist¹ specializing in trade policy at Australia's Macquarie University, says that while bilateral agreements are not ideal, the government should pursue them.

"It's the route the United States is going down and many other countries. Many people have criticized that as leading to this 'spaghetti bowl' of deals, which just diverts rather than expands free trade but at the moment it's the only game in town," added Turnell. "And it does put pressure, I think, generally in favor of free trade and it's probably good but not best."

Australia has enjoyed a decade-and-a-half of economic growth.

But economists think that the lack of progress at the World Trade Organization is costing the country a fortune in lost earnings, especially in farm trade.

"Oh, it certainly runs into the billions of dollars a year, there's no question about that. I mean, is it in the five to ten billion range I suspect it is in terms of the direct and indirect costs as you say," said Richard Gibbs, the chief economist at Macquarie Bank in Sydney.

Under the current round of WTO talks, known as the Doha Round, the United States and the European Union have offered to substantially cut farm trade barriers over several years. However, agricultural powerhouses such as Australia and Brazil say the cuts are not enough.

On the other hand, the U.S. and EU say many emerging economies, such as India and Brazil, have not offered to significantly reduce barriers on trade in manufactured goods and services.

Among Australians, the World Trade Organization provokes both frustration¹⁸ and optimism; many farmers and economists see it as a relevant framework for increasing trade, although they are not holding their breath waiting for rapid improvements.

1 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

2 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

5 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

6 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

8 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

9 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

10 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

11 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 piecemeal   

adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块

参考例句：

• A lack of narrative drive leaves the reader with piecemeal vignettes.叙述缺乏吸引力，读者读到的只是一些支离破碎的片段。
• Let's settle the matter at one stroke,not piecemeal.把这事一气儿解决了吧，别零敲碎打了。

14 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

15 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

16 bilaterally   

[医]adv.两侧，双向地

参考例句：

• The data in the Performance Test shall be Bilaterally recorded and confirmed. 在生产线考核期间的数据应由双方共同记录并确认。
• Anatomic constraints may preclude the insertion a transarticular screw unilaterally or bilaterally. 解剖制约可能妨碍单边或双边插入关节螺钉。

17 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。