Brazil Caves
Notwithstanding the efforts of four brave congressmen, the belated concession to reality by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, and the misgivings of trade analysts including myself, it appears that the "temporary" deal struck by Brazil and the United States in April to ward off Brazil's retaliation for WTO-illegal U.S. cotton supports is here to stay:
The government said a deal agreed between the two countries in April to head off up to $829 million in World Trade Organization-sanctioned retaliation against U.S. goods would stay in place until a new U.S. farm bill is passed [in 2012]...
"Brazil doesn't rule out taking countermeasures at any moment," Roberto Azevedo, Brazil's envoy to the World Trade Organization, told reporters in Brasilia. "It is just a suspension of this right".
He said Brazil could retaliate at any time if the United States did not uphold the agreement, but added that Brazil had no interest in retaliating.
"This process of negotiation and reform is better than retaliation that doesn't bring benefits to anyone in Brazil's private sector." [Reuters]
You will recall that the deal includes about $147 million worth of taxpayers' money given to Brazilian cotton farmers in the form of "technical assistance," just so we can continue our own insane cotton support programs without fear of U.S. exporters (including holders of patents and copyrights) being hit by retaliatory trade barriers and unpunished piracy.
Brazil in some senses has the right idea, of course. They recognize, correctly, that retaliation in the form of increased tariffs on American imports only hurts their own consumers, hence their stated desire for "negotiation and reform" instead of santions. But they sure do have a lot of faith in the willingness of Congress to enact reform without serious pressure from, among others, aggrieved trade partners.
I hope their faith and saint-like patience is rewarded. In the meantime, we have (at least) two more years of subsidizing Brazilan farmers in addition to our own.
