Transcript of Opening Comments by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns at a Press Roundtable

TRANSCRIPT OF OPENING COMMENTS BY AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Mike JOHANNS AT A PRESS ROUNDTABLE IN BERLIN, GERMANY- MARCH 14, 2006

BERLIN, Germany, March 14, 2006 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today met in Berlin with the German Minister of Economics and Labor, Michael Glos, the Chief of Staff for Chancellor Merkel; Minister Thomas de Maiziere and German Parliamentarians to discuss the importance of advancing the Doha Development Round of WTO negotiations. Johanns is scheduled to meet this afternoon with the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Consumer Protection, Horst Seehofer. Yesterday, Johanns conducted similar meetings with government leaders in Poland.

The following is an edited transcript of Johanns' opening comments during a media roundtable with German reporters today:

"Well, let me say it's great to be in Germany. I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you today.

"Let me start with the topic that really brings me to Germany and visit with you a little bit about that, and that's the Doha Round, the WTO negotiations. Prior to coming to Germany, I spent a day in Poland talking about WTO issues and some other issues, but prior to that I spent about one day and a half in London in our most recent discussions relative to the Doha Development Round with the World Trade Organization.

"I'm here to have high-level meetings with Germany. Germany is very important to the WTO process. I will be meeting with ministers -- Minister Glos, Minister Seehofer. The meeting with Minister Glos has already occurred, and I'll have an opportunity to meet with Minister Seehofer this afternoon. But we've also used this opportunity to set up some meetings with parliamentarians, we've got some meetings with industry people, we've just spent a couple of hours doing that. So, it's been very, very helpful, very fruitful discussions.

"Let me offer a perspective to you that I've been talking about as I've been meeting with my colleagues and then also meeting with people from industry. We believe in the United States that this Round is very important in the WTO process. Like other countries, we've invested a lot of time and energy and resources to bring this Round to a successful conclusion. The Round has been going on for many years, as you know. However, the agreement was, the agreement is, that the Round would come to a conclusion at the end of 2006, and we're already in the very first part of March of 2006.

"Ambassador Portman, speaking recently at the end of the London conference, said now is the time, and I could not agree with him more. We really need to see this agreement coming together here in the next six weeks or so for the work to be done to have this in shape for the end of 2006. We also have a timeline that we pay attention to in terms of Congressional action. This would be submitted to Congress and, because of some issues relating to Trade Promotion Authority, we really need to submit that agreement very soon after the end of 2006. So we are really at a time where we need to be successful.

"The Round, in my judgment, has great potential. I remain optimistic about the Round, but it also faces great challenges. We have been negotiating a long time; we have all laid out our positions. I think I can tell you exactly where Brazil is and what they are thinking about, and the European Union, and the United States, of course. What we haven't really accomplished is bringing those positions together in a way that results in an agreement.

"From the standpoint of this Round, let me talk about the three main areas. The first area is what we call NAMA, it is non-agricultural market access, and that would include manufacturing. That has the potential to be very, very beneficial for Germany. You are a leader in this area, your country has benefited from this area. It's an opportunity for advancement, it is an opportunity for job creation, it's an opportunity for economic development. And so access to markets is very important to the European Union, but it's also important to Germany. Services would be another area that I would identify as being important to Germany. I think there's an opportunity to expand the service sector. What does that require? That requires the ability to provide services in others parts of the world. Now in reference to these two issues, we also share your interests. I mean we're a part of the Doha Round because we hope to see more open markets.

"Where we have really spent time, though, over the last months, as you know, is in the area of agriculture. Now, our President has been very vocal and very specific about what he would like to see accomplished relative to agriculture. He was very blunt at Gleneagles: he said, look, I think we should be working toward the elimination of trade distorting subsidies. I agree with that. Now I appreciate, of course, that's a worldwide effort -- you do that by working through the WTO process, and we understand that.

"We tabled a proposal in October that provides for substantial reductions in our subsidies with a pathway toward eventual elimination. Now in that proposal we've also said that it was contingent on our ability to achieve market access. So much of the world still has very high tariffs and barriers to trade, and, as desperately as many in the European Union want success in NAMA and services, which we do also, I will tell you that many parts of the world, the United States included, are looking for success in this pillar of the Doha negotiations.

"So I come to Germany to talk about that, again, to have high-level meetings. We regard Germany's leadership as important, and we're anxious to work together to achieve a successful Doha Round."

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