White House does not expect to make concessions on cotton

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2004

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House said it did not intend to make unilateral concessions on subsidies to US cotton producers in order to comply with an interim WTO ruling.

"They have issued an interim and confidential report in a case that was brought by Brazil against the United States regarding our cotton program," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

"We believe that the United States farm programs were designed to be in all fully consistent with our WTO obligations," he added.

The content of the interim ruling was not made public.

A three-judge panel was established in March last year after Brazil complained to the World Trade Organisation that the United States paid nearly four billion dollars (3.4 billion euros) in subsidies for crops...