Brazil’s Agricultural Subsidies

巴西被認為是一個發展中國家, 但已成為一個經濟大國的主要出口國和農業食品目前佔 28 佔國內生產總值的百分比. Brazil’s Ambassador to the WTO, 羅伯托·阿澤維多, is one of two candidates to become Director General of the WTO. The Brazilian government’s recent notification to the WTO of agricultural subsidies for the 2009/10 crop year has raised issues about Brazil’s positions on trade-distorting domestic support policies.

巴西政府總的農業支持由WTO定義的被重視 $10.0 十億 2009/10. Almost half of that, $4.91 十億, was in the ‘green box’ considered to be minimally trade distorting and not subject to limits. The largest category was domestic food aid at $1.72 十億. That is typical of many countries, 包括美國. Government holding of food stocks for food security purposes was reported at $653 百萬. 這包括 $386 million ‘for acquisition of agricultural products from family farming’. There is a proposal at the WTO to greatly expand this category for developing countries. Other major categories in the green box were extension and advisory services at $800 百萬, 在基礎設施建設 $622 百萬, 在土地改革 $430 億和研究 $285 百萬.

作為一個發展中國家, Brazil can have some development programs under ‘special and differential treatment’ that are also exempt from limits. These programs totaled $1.65 十億, 其中大部分是投資在改善農村結構, 採集設備和機械以及動物服務處 $1.44 十億. Other programs included production credit for low-income or resource-poor farmers, 債務重組和投入補貼.

巴西有 $3.48 支持綜合衡量的十億 (AMS) 在 2009/10 in domestic support that was classified in the ‘amber box’ as trade-distorting subsidies that must be limited and reduced over time. Non-product specific AMS totaled $2.53 十億. Debt rescheduling programs accounted for $1.53 總AMS和產銷信貸十億是另一個 $822 million in AMS. 剩餘的 $176 million was for direct outlays for a risk minimizing agribusiness program. Non-product specific support is considered ‘de minimis’ for developing countries if it is less than 10 percent of the total value of production. Non-specific product support was only 2.47 生產的總價值的百分比 $102 十億.

其餘的黃箱AMS是 $950 million of product-specific domestic support. Corn had the highest AMS at $293 百萬, 隨後期棉 $269 百萬, å’–å•¡ $137 百萬, 白飯 $126 百萬, 小麥 $75 百萬, 甘蔗 $24 億和食用豆 $23 百萬. Developing countries are allowed product-specific AMS up to 10 percent of the value of production of the product before the AMS is considered beyond the de minimis and reportable to the WTO. Cotton was the only crop beyond the limit at 11.5 生產的價值及其對AMS值百分比 $269 百萬是唯一AMS受黃箱AMS的天花板 $912 million for trade-distorting domestic support. Sugar’s AMS of $24 萬元生產成本的均衡方案, 是一個微不足道 0.15 作物值百分比表示的 $16.0 十億.

巴西報告了較低的總AMS 2009/10 was no great surprise because market prices have been relatively high since 2008. Those high prices reduce payments for crops with minimum price guarantees and the high value of the crop makes payments low as a percent of total value. 也, 巴西擁有 10 價值微量％的觸發相比 5 發達國家％的上限.

據來自中美報告. 巴西農業參贊, there are three main ongoing payment programs. The Subsidy Auction Program (PEP) 類似於中美. 貸款不足支付程序. The government pays the difference between the prevailing market price and the minimum price of the product. Payments were made for edible beans, 玉米和小麥 2009/10.

該均衡保費支付給生產者 (Prepo) 是一種優質的批給銷售其產品在公開拍賣的農民或合作社, where the government pays the difference between the reference value established by the government and the value of the premium. All the cotton payments in 2009/10, $269 百萬, were made under this program. Corn payments under the program were $38 百萬.

風險溢價為私人選項 (支柱) 是價格支持計劃的CONAB管理, 相當於美國農業部商品信貸公司, which is linked to the Ministry of Agriculture. It represents the maximum amount that CONAB will pay to cooperatives and processors in order to guarantee a certain price to producers, which is above the market price. 關於 15 大豆的百分比產於 2006 和 2007 其中參與的節目之一, 但大豆生產者還沒有從那以後收到的付款.

雖然政府直接支付, 除了棉花, 相對較小或不存在的 2009/10 從那時起, that does not mean that farmers are just relying on market conditions. Brazil has had a continuing problem of farmers with heavy debt loads from past years of borrowing to rapidly expand production and low incomes due to weather conditions. Low-cost government lending and debt rescheduling shown with an AMS of $1.53 在十億 2009/10 影響到每一個作物, including sugar and soybeans. The Brazilian government of President Dilma Rouseff is expected to announce later this month a government credit program for 2013/14 與貼息 2.5 百分, 從下 5.5 今年百分, and larger than this year’s program of $58 十億.

該 2009/10 總AMS受黃箱上限巴西不是什麼樣的AMS可能是未來一個很好的跡象, 正如中美. or any other country that has relatively low price and income guarantees at a time of high market prices. Lower prices will occur, 而巴西政府表現出 2006 和 2007 that they have the programs in place to buffer the adjustments that need to occur. Brazil could very quickly develop AMS limit problems.

羅斯Korves是貿易和經濟政策分析師真相關於貿易 & 技術 (www.truthabouttrade.org). 跟著我們: @TruthAboutTrade在Twitter | 真相關於貿易 & 技術在Facebook上.