GATT OFFICIAL MEETS WITH U.S. FARM LEADERS
The official in charge of
agricultural matters in the new round of global trade talks is
in Washington today and tomorrow to meet with congressional and
Reagan administration officials.
    Aart de Zeeuw, chairman of the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade's negotiating group on agriculture, met this morning
with members of the House Agriculture Committee.
    Committee sources said De Zeeuw expressed concern over
protectionism and high farm price supports. House lawmakers
noted that in 1985 the United States took steps to reduce loan
rates, committee staff said.
    "Members told him (De Zeeuw) that we lowered our (U.S.) loan
rates and can't eliminate subsidies unilaterally," one source
said.
    De Zeeuw was told of the U.S. lawmakers' frustration with
Japan's restrictive rice import policy, and members defended
the U.S. dairy policy, which aims to cut surplus production by
subsidizing producers to trim herds, sources said.
    Later today De Zeeuw will meet the Senate Agriculture
members and Undersecretary of State Affairs Allen Wallis.
    Tomorrow, De Zeeuw is to meet the House Ways and Means
Trade Subcommittee and the Senate Finance Committee, before
visiting Agriculture Secretary Richard Lyng.
    De Zeeuw goes to Canada later this week. His trip to North
America is part of his attempt to meet farm policy leaders in
the key GATT member states.
    The negotiating group on agriculture held its first meeting
in February and is expected to meet again in May.
 Reuter
