Category
Trade and investment
- We, the Ministers of the Cairns Group1, met in Paris on 2 June 2025 at a time of great pressure on international trade and reiterated our support for the rules-based non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive, predictable and transparent multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core which has served the global economy well for decades.
- The Cairns Group recognised ongoing tensions in the multilateral trading system and the challenges and uncertainties this is creating in their economies. The Cairns Group discussed the potential impact on agricultural trade caused by tariff and non-tariff measures. The Group emphasised the importance of the adherence to multilaterally agreed trade rules and principles and scheduled commitments, and called on all WTO Members to work together to strengthen the multilateral rules-based trading system.
- The WTO Secretariat 2025 Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report noted the outlook for global trade has deteriorated sharply due to a surge in tariffs and trade policy uncertainty. Some Members expressed concern about the rise in tariffs and political and economic spillovers.
- Agricultural trade remains particularly affected by trade and production distorting subsidies, tariffs, and other barriers. The Cairns Group reaffirmed its enduring commitment to achieving greater fairness and a levelling of the playing field in agriculture through ambitious and comprehensive agricultural trade reform, in line with Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). We call on all WTO Members to intensify efforts to make meaningful progress on all three pillars of the AoA – domestic support, market access and export competition. Reversing commitments made since the Uruguay Round would be unacceptable and inconsistent with the mandate of Article 20.
- The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will take place in less than 12 months. In the lead up to MC14, the Cairns Group has been exploring all options for an agricultural trade reform package, in particular through detailed negotiations with the African Group. We recognise that frank and open discussions like these provide the best possible chance of developing a reform package for MC14 and beyond.
- Within the context of members' rights and obligations under WTO provisions, we reaffirmed our view that economic development lies at the heart of the multilateral trading system and that agricultural trade reform is essential to support the individual development needs of developing and least developed WTO Members. With half the world's population engaged in agriculture, including many of the worlds' poorest and most food insecure communities, the Cairns Group acknowledged the importance of robust rules for agricultural trade to address global inequality, provide sustainable economic development opportunities, and address overall global food security.
- The Cairns Group affirmed more will need to be done in advancing agricultural trade reform to address global food insecurity and environmental challenges facing all WTO members. We emphasised that sustainable, efficient, and resilient agricultural trade and production is vital for improving food security, economic development, and environmental outcomes. In this regard, Members underline the critical role of international cooperation in agricultural innovation and technology as a catalyst to promote more sustainable agricultural systems, enhance productivity, and to strengthen the resilience of farmers facing increasingly complex challenges, including small-scale farmers. As we approach MC14, the Cairns Group calls on WTO members to seek alignment on collective action for agricultural trade reform to support sustainable agriculture, economic development and food security.
- We remain concerned about the potential impact on agriculture of unilateral trade-related environmental measures undertaken by some WTO Members. These measures must be necessary and must not be designed for protectionist purposes and not amount to unjustified trade restrictions, impose excessive compliance costs, or constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination.
- We emphasised that different Members have unique agricultural production circumstances, and there will never be a 'one-size fits all' approach for improving sustainability outcomes. Nevertheless, it is clear that high levels of domestic support and protection are harmful, and market-oriented reforms are needed to transition to a more sustainable global agrifood system.
- We again call on all WTO Members to work together over the coming months before MC14 and take concrete steps to deliver the much-needed mandated agricultural reform.
