European Union, Brazil seek World Trade Organisation deal to ban agricultural subsidies

flowers harvesting, processing for export

The European Union, Brazil and four other countries are proposing the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agree an end to agricultural export subsidies at a meeting next month, a diplomat familiar with the plan has said.

The December ministerial meeting in Nairobi is at risk of having little to offer in terms of major trade agreements, and the proposal's backers, which also include Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and New Zealand, hope the WTO's 161 members will see it as a chance to chalk up a negotiating victory.