Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva blasted wealthy nations for their punitive agricultural tariffs and urged them on Sunday to “stop your hypocrisy” and start buying Brazilian biofuel.
“We have said that if we want to achieve success in the Doha Round, then rich countries must lower their agricultural tariffs for poor countries’ products entering their markets,” Lula told Correio do Brasil newspaper in an interview.
“So, stop your hypocrisy and start buying biofuels,” he said.
The WTO’s Doha round of talks to reduce trade barriers was launched in the Qatari capital in 2001 with the aim of reaching a deal by 2004, but has foundered ever since, principally in disputes between developed and developing countries on agricultural subsidies and industrial tariffs.
Lula also said it was “inconceivable” that wealthy nations had tried to pin the blame on biofuels for the explosive rise in global food prices, which have led to violent riots in some poor countries.
Sugar-based fuel produced in Brazil is being fingered for causing global price surges — an accusation fiercely rejected by Lula.
Brazil is the world’s second largest ethanol producer, after the US whose ethanol is corn-based.
“The world does not produce biofuels and has 800 million people who go to sleep hungry,” he said.
“Those who criticize biofuels have never criticized the price of oil. The developed world imports oil with no tariffs, yet they place an absurd tariff on Brazilian ethanol,” Lula said.
Lula said such a situation exists because Brazil’s role in international trade has steadily transformed from minor role to major player.
“We are the largest exporter of coffee, orange juice, soy and beef,” he said. “We can no longer accept the argument that rich countries want to impose on us.”
Lula recognized that the market for sugar-based ethanol would surge if there were greater public support for the production of fuel from biological materials.
In the Brazilian biofuel industry, companies which produce agro-based fuels enjoy major tax breaks.
French lawmakers visiting Brazil last week said they were impressed with the country’s biofuel industry, but warned that Europe would have to balance that model against the need to guarantee food supplies.
Former French economy minister and trip leader Jean Arthius warned in Sao Paulo that taxes on biofuels could be one form of regulation, with the need “to ensure food security” remaining a vital concern.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
NOT IMMEDIATE: Taiwan has a chance to appeal the proposed 10 percent tariff before it starts, while other countries face a 12.5 percent tariff from the trade office Taiwan is among 60 economies determined by the US to have failed to impose or enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor, according to a notice released on Tuesday by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which proposed imposing an additional 10 percent or more tariff on them. The USTR in a statement said that following an investigation, it had determined under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that the failure of the 60 economies to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is
RSS