From the negotiators, any closing comments?

Mr. Ambassador, Dr. Murphy.

AMBASSADOR BAAS: I guess I just want to say from the State Department point of view, as I said at the beginning, we were here to listen. And I think this has been a really excellent session. We have heard a lot of different opinions. And I think we've heard some fairly general themes too, ones that we've heard at other listening sessions as well, many times, EU export subsidies, tariffs are too high overseas, too low here, when you think about harmonization.

And obviously, one emphasis we've had here that we didn't have in some previous sessions was the emphasis on specialty crops. And I think that's very useful for us to get that perspective and I suspect that's one of the reasons California was chosen as a listening site.

Anyway, I just wanted to say it has been very useful. I think the staff of Secretary Lyons deserves a lot a credit for getting this in shape and in place and allowing it to go so smoothly.

I would also like to underline one last time that the State Department is there with our embassies overseas to help you. And when you do have problems that can't be addressed, maybe Ms. Hayward's problem will be one of those sort of problems once we figure out what's going on, we have agricultural attaches, we have ambassadors, we have economic counsellors, we have people overseas who can go to bat for you once we figure out what the problem is and if there is something that can be done.

Again, I would also say, what's been said before, this is the first step in a process. We are not near November yet. After November, there will be at least a three-year process. We will need to hear from you again in the future as proposals are made, whether it makes any sense for India to cut their tariffs on pistachios by half or whether it doesn't make sense, whether we really need three-quarters, whatever the issue is. And so we will hope to maintain this contact and continue to hear from you.

Thank you very much.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Dr. Murphy.

ASSISTANT U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE MURPHY: Thank you. And Mark's done an excellent job of summing things up here. And I would second all of that. I would underline two points.

One, that this is the beginning of the process, as Mark has said. And we certainly invite you to stay in touch to provide additional comments as we go along and tell us where we're going off path or where we're doing it right and zeroing in in more detailed proposals, what sort of tariff reductions you need, additional barriers that need to be overcome.

We're always mindful that many markets have more than one barrier. So you can get the tariff to zero, but you still don't sell anything additional, because you discover there's another barrier. And so it's important for those of you who are out there in the front lines to educate us about how many barriers and which markets. And we really do rely on the private sector to steer us in the right direction in that regard.

And lastly, I do want to, again, thank Secretary Lyons and his very able team for organizing this. We understand that a number of members for this team are fairly new to his team and despite that fact have done an absolutely superb job. This is certainly one of the very best listening sessions we have had, very well organized, presentations were superb. And we just want to thank Secretary Lyons and his team for an excellent, excellent job.

USDA DEPUTY SECRETARY ROMINGER: I want to thank all of you for being here today and for participating in this and for giving us your thoughts, because as Mark and Jim have said, we are going to need your continued participation as these negotiations go forward over the next three years. We hope it is only three years.

But thanks for taking your time to come here. We did hear about specialty crops here and definitely that's why we came to California. We want to make sure that those -- that we pay special attention in the next round with the WTO. So I want to thank both Bill and Sheldon for putting this together for us, for hosting it here in California and for Sheldon, for Arizona's participation.

And I hope there's still some folks in Hawaii who are listening and that way we'll hear their suggestions as well.

So thank you.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Patricia, did you have some cements as well?

USDA ASSISTANT DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR GARAMENDI: I'm deleted that I was able to participate today. And it makes me very pleased that so many growers, producers came such a long distance to really talk about the specialty crops. Sometimes Richard and I are always talking about it in detail back there, but it was great that you took the time to come and present it to these distinguished negotiators.

And I thank you very much, Vanessa. And Secretary Lyons, you've got an A1 team here, and we expect a lot more of this.

Thank you.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Thank you. Well, it's been a pleasure for me to moderate this afternoon and participate all day. I learned a lot and seeing what's going on in California in the farming sector. And it's been a real pleasure. Secretary, thank you very much.

CO-MODERATOR LYONS: I've just got a couple of quick closing comments.

First of all, like everyone else on the panel, I'd like to thank everyone for your insightful comments today and your attendance and your attention throughout the day. I'd also like to extend a special thanks to the panelists, Deputy Secretary Richard Rominger, Dr. Jim Murphy, Ambassador Baas, Patti Garamendi for their attentiveness throughout the day's hearing.

I'd also like to thank my staff and the USDA's staff. There's a lot of time and effort that goes into this. I'd like to thank my good friend Sheldon for co-moderating today's hearing. My staff, thank you, again. I think you did an exceptional job today, something you ought to be proud of.

Again, thank you very much. And I think that closes the session.

Thank you.

(Applause.)

(Thereupon the World Trade Organization listening session was concluded at 3:55 p.m.)