Bolsonaro asks WTO director for fertilizers for help, says minister

President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) asked the director general of the WTO (World Trade Organization), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to lead an initiative for Brazil to continue to import fertilizers from countries that are under sanctions as a result of the war in Ukraine. , said Brazilian Foreign Minister Carlos França.

“We asked Ngozi to intervene so that [a OMC] can conceive the idea of ​​leading an initiative that allows a free flow of fertilizers, so that the embargoes applied to Russia and the conflict in Ukraine itself do not prevent the arrival of these inputs in Brazil”, said França this Monday (18), in press conference at the Itamaraty Palace.

The request came, according to France, during a meeting between President Bolsonaro and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, this Monday (18), during the Nigerian’s first visit to Latin America since taking over the command of the entity, in March 2021.

Brazil is the fourth largest consumer market for fertilizers — about 85% are imported, with 23% coming from Russia.

Concerned about the prospect of an imminent food crisis around the world resulting from the disruption of production chains caused by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, both countries that supply grains, fertilizers and other commodities, the WTO director said she would take the discussion to the authorities of the United States and other member countries.

“Let’s see what can be done because we need Brazil to produce. If Brazil and Ukraine do not produce, next year we will have more problems with food shortages. Brazil’s role is very important,” he said.

This week, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will participate in the meetings of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank, in Washington.

In addition to talking to the president and the chancellor, the director-general of the WTO also met with parliamentarians from the FPA (Parliamentary Front for Agriculture) and representatives of agribusiness this Monday.

President Bolsonaro’s demand came in response to the WTO Director-General’s request for Brazil to expand the supply of food and agricultural inputs in the current global scenario. Before the war, Ukraine and Russia together accounted for 25% of global wheat exports and 15% of corn exports.

Last Tuesday (12), the WTO revised down its forecast for the growth in volume of global trade in goods, from 4.7% to 3%, due to the impacts of the war in Eastern Europe.

“We received an appeal from the director-general of the WTO for Brazil to consider exporting any regulatory stocks of food to contribute to what we believe could be a food shortage in the world,” said the chancellor.

França also highlighted that, even in the most difficult moments of the pandemic, Brazilian agribusiness kept its international commitments, such as the export of grains, poultry and beef.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s visit to Brazil is part of a preparation agenda for the 12th WTO Ministerial Meeting (MC 12), scheduled for June. According to França, Brazil is committed to advancing negotiations on the four main areas of the meeting: trade and health, agriculture, fisheries subsidies and WTO reform.

At the helm of the WTO since March 2021, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the first woman and the first African to lead the organization. The Nigerian replaced Brazilian diplomat Roberto Azevêdo, who resigned in 2020. She served for 25 years at the World Bank and was also Minister of Finance in Nigeria and Minister of Foreign Affairs.