Compromise reflects great leap forward and comes about through show of unity Developing countries led by Brazil and India have accepted a compromise to end agricultural export subsidies in 2013 in a move aimed at maintaining the momentum of global trade talks post-Hong Kong. The loose grouping of developing nations comprising members of the G-20, G33 and G90 had been pushing for a 2010 end to subsidies that are regarded as some of the most distorting to global trade. But Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorin said the compromise reflected a 'significant step forward' in an area of most concern to farmers in the developing world. 'Not only do we have an end-date for the subsidies but we have an agreement on all forms of export subsidisation, the substantial part of which will be completed by 2010,' Mr Amorin said. Likewise, Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath said the significant gains for the developing world had come about through a show of unity throughout the Hong Kong ministerial conference. 'We are not trying to create a North-South confrontation but this unity between developing nations is necessary for engagement in the multilateral system,' Mr Nath said. 'We have been able to convey to the developed countries that ... they can no longer continue their tactic of inducing competitiveness [in agriculture] through trade-distorting subsidies.' Heads of delegations were meeting to approve the new text as the South China Morning Post went to press last night. There was speculation that some members would reject the draft out of dissatisfaction with the wording on services. Yesterday's draft text also included a compromise on quota-free, duty-free access to developed country markets for 97 per cent of products from the 50 least developed nations. The text offered little for West African farmers in their demand that the United States remove its domestic cotton subsidies, suggesting a shift in favour of the US position. That did not stop one US official from saying: 'We gave up a lot [on the cotton issue] and we're going to hurt politically but I think it's a good deal.' The Brazil-India double act has been a feature of the Hong Kong conference but there has also been speculation that fault lines would appear between the two relatively wealthy developing nations and their less-privileged partners. Asked yesterday why the G-20 grouping had not been prepared to hold out for 100 per cent market access for least developed countries and an agreement on cotton, Mr Nath merely reiterated his view that the present text represented a substantial improvement. But not all countries shared Mr Nath's and Mr Amorin's support for the conference's achievements. 'We would prefer to have seen more advancement in the agricultural negotiations, particularly in market access,' Argentina's trade minister Jorge Taiana said. Chile's foreign minister Ignacio Walker lamented the continued unwillingness of the European Union and the US to move on agricultural subsidies and further market access.