GlobalSugarAlliance.org
Title
Global Alliance for Sugar Trade Reform and Liberalisation
Description
The Global Sugar Alliance is a cohesive group of the world’s leading sugar producing nations with the objective of improving market circumstances.
In November 1999, a group of the world's major sugar producers (both exporters and importers) met in Seattle during the WTO Ministerial meeting to develop an approach that would ensure a focus on sugar in the new agricultural negotiations. They agreed to join forces and commence an effort to elevate the importance of sugar in agricultural negotiations. The Global Alliance for Sugar Trade Reform and Liberalisation was established during this meeting when members (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, India, Guatemala and Thailand) agreed and signed a communiqué calling for WTO agreement on agriculture that includes positive, progressive, and meaningful reform of the world sugar market by ensuring that sugar is included as an important element of the agricultural trade agenda. South Africa became a member of the Global Alliance shortly thereafter.
The Global Alliance is a cohesive group of sugar producing nations. The Alliance represents more than 50 percent of world sugar production and more than 85 percent of world raw sugar exports. Except for Australia and Canada, all members of the Global Alliance are developing countries.
By reaching an agreement to collaborate on trade distorting issues, agreeing on common objectives, and working closely with Trade and Agriculture Ministers in the Cairns Group and G-20, the Global Sugar Alliance has been successful in elevating the profile of sugar in the trade negotiations. Given that the member countries are major competitors in the world sugar market, agreeing on a common negotiating framework for sugar has been a significant step forward, reflecting the fact that the sugar industry in each country shares the objective of improving its market circumstances.
