The United States and New Zealand asked the World Trade Organization to rule that Indonesia unfairly restricts imports of fruits, vegetables and animal products, based on regulations imposed in 2012. The Financial Times quoted U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman as saying, “I’m proud to take this action today standing up on behalf of farmers and ranchers across the United States who have been shouldering unfair export barriers to the fourth-largest country in the world, Indonesia.” The administration says Indonesia’s restrictions mean lower U.S. farm-export sales to Indonesia than to Asian countries with much smaller populations.
The Financial Times says the timing may be more important than the case itself. The administration has requested so-called fast-track handling by Congress of trade agreements, such as the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership, now in its final stages of negotiation. U.S. farm groups have been adamant that TPP and a proposed U.S.-EU trade agreement include substantial opening of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products