G20 agriculture ministers slam protectionism, pledge

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Agriculture ministers from the G20 countries criticized protectionism in a joint statement on Saturday, and vowed to reform World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, but did not detail what steps they would take to improve the food trade system.

In the statement, they said they were "

The ministers from countries of the United States and China, in Buenos Aires for the G20 meeting of agriculture ministers, said in the statement had affirmed their commitment to adopt "unnecessary obstacles" to trade, and affirmed their rights and obligations under WTO agreements.

The meeting came amid rising trade tensions that have rocked agricultural markets. China and other top U.S. trade partners have placed retaliatory tariffs on American farmers after the European Union, Canada and Mexico.

U.S. growers are expected to take an estimated $ 11 billion hit due to China's retaliatory tariffs. Last week, the Trump administration said it would pay $ 12 billion to help farmers weather the trade war.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the meeting that Trump's plan would include between $ 7 billion and $ 8 billion in direct cash relief that U.S. farmers could see as early as late September.

Despite the payments, the measures are "not going to make farmers," Perdue said.

Citing the Trump administration's relief measures, German Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner said farmers "do not need help, (they) need trade."

"We had a very frank discussion about the fact that we do not want unilateral protectionist measures, "Kloeckner said in a news conference after the meeting.

The ministers, whose countries represent 60 percent of the world's agricultural land and 80 percent of food and agricultural commodities trade. Asked for details, Kloeckner said the ministers did not want to "criticize a single country."

"We all know what happens if we do not have a single country. protectionism, "she said. "

In the statement, the ministers said they agreed to continue reforming the WTO's agricultural trade rules.

"Independent of all the news there was surrounding (the meeting), we managed to reach unanimous consensus," Argentina Agriculture Minister Luis Miguel Etchevehere said.

U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker struck a surprise deal on Wednesday that ended the risk of escalating trade tensions between the two powers.

After the meeting, Trump said the European Union would buy "a lot" of U.S. soybeans.

Earlier, Kloeckner told Reuters that the trade relationship between the United States and the European Union was improving, but that it was no guarantee the bloc would import the amount of soybeans that Washington expects.