WTO出口競爭規範與東亞緊急儲備機制之研究

Abstract

稻米為東亞地區最具敏感性和重要性的糧食作物，攸關各國的民生需求及社會安定，米價的波動涉及的不僅是民生需求，更是整個區域能夠和平穩定發展的重要因素。2007-2008年糧價爆漲引發世界各國對糧食安全的關注，而出口限制措施被認為在這些糧價上漲現象中扮演重要角色，引發WTO糧食淨進口國會員對要求正視出口限制所造成之問題，並採取必要之規範，但在WTO談判場域，出口限制議題一向因出口國與進口國之基本立場互異，反對出口限制者的主張是基於自由貿易，對於生產者提供進入市場之保障，故基本上是保護生產者。但贊成出口限制者則比較複雜，但主要還是基於穩定國內糧價與保護國內消費者之立場。本研究發現東亞地區的糧食安全仍十分依賴糧食自給。儘管食品在過去十年裡，以滿足人口不斷增長一倍的進口，亞洲仍然是最不依賴糧食進口的所有地區之一。不過，由於增加了對生物燃料用途的糧食需求提高的能源成本和糧價加劇該地區的貧困家庭的營養不足。雖然大多數的政府干預著眼於短期措施，例如出口限制或價格平衡措施，面臨長期糧食不安全的風險依然存在。基稻米市場是一生產量遠大於貿易量的淺盤市場，加上政府干預與市場結構並非完全競爭，為能有效解決政府貿易措施導致的糧食不安全風險，本研究認為除強化國內生產條件外，亦應由改革國際貿易規範及建置區域糧食儲備機制著手，WTO應將建置出口限制及糧食援助規範納入「後峇裡工作計畫」中，而區域糧食儲備機制乃是避免未來再度發生價格異常風險與保障糧食安全所必須採取之手段。

The sharp increase in global food prices during 2007-2008 has triggered the awareness of food insecurity problems and their impacts on the low-income, food-deficient countries, many of which are located in East Asia. Protein and fat consumption are higher in East Asia than that of other regions, although the percentage of carbohydrates consumed is slightly lower than the world’s average. Nevertheless, the food-security situation in East Asia was good relative to other countries in the world. The food security in East Asia is largely contributed by domestic production. Despite of a doubled import of foods over the last decade to meet its ever-growing population, Asia remains the least dependent among all regions on food imports. Nevertheless, the raised energy costs and grain prices due to increasing grain demand for biofuel purposes exacerbate the undernourishment of poor households in the region. While most of the government interventions focus on short-term measures such as reducing domestic food prices through trade or price control, the risk of facing a long-term food insecurity still exists, which may render national action inadequate and require multilateral cooperation.