Trade-distorting subsidies may rise so much, Europeans fear, that America will break its Uruguay-round commitments.
America's trade-distorting support was already well below its permitted ceiling and had seemed likely to fall further.
Contrary to received wisdom, slashing the rich world's trade-distorting subsidies has a relatively small effect on poor countries.
In the Uruguay round, pushed by America, countries agreed to cut and set ceilings on their trade-distorting agricultural subsidies.
This angered the British government, which has been pushing for a shake-up of the hugely expensive and trade-distorting policy.
Over five years, the Americans propose to eliminate export subsidies for farm products, and to slash both tariffs on farm goods and trade-distorting subsidies for farmers.
Mr Portman's proposal includes a 60% reduction in the levels of farm supports and a 53% reduction in trade-distorting subsidies, as well as steep cuts to tariffs.
The divide over agriculture threatens to undermine Doha because the developing countries, which object most strongly to the trade-distorting subsidies provided to farmers in the industrial world, were such reluctant participants in the first place.
The document calls for reductions in farm subsidies elsewhere in the developed world that are even steeper than those proposed for America: an 83% reduction in aggregate support levels in Japan and the EU, and a reduction in trade-distorting support of 75% (53% for Japan).
The draft says countries must reduce trade barriers and "market-distorting policies" to help farmers -- particularly those in developing countries -- sell their products and increase production.
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