Buenos Aires, Argentina – U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today issued the following statement following the signing of a joint statement on agriculture Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) at the 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organization (WTO):
“The United States is pleased to work with WTO Members to solve important trade problems affecting American farmers. The signing of this WTO joint statement demonstrates our commitment to farmers to fix missing and misaligned pesticide maximum residue levels for agriculture exports. For too long, unjustified sanitary and phytosanitary barriers have impeded access to safe tools and technologies that enhance food security, lower risks to health and the environment, and increase exports and farmer incomes. Going forward, we intend to build on our work in the WTO SPS Committee to address missing and misaligned MRLs. Our continuous goal is to improve farm productivity, facilitate safer food trade, and give farmers greater access to export markets around the world.”
Text of Joint Statement on Maximum Residue Levels at MC11
###
