us wheat farmers cannot compete

US action against AWB 'unfair'

Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says action taken by the United States against the Australian wheat exporter AWB is unfair.

After last month's Cole inquiry finding that AWB had paid illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime, the US Department of Agriculture began investigating whether it could take action against the Australian exporter.

It has now decided to suspend AWB and its affiliates from taking part in US Government programs, like export credits.

It has also proposed debarring AWB and a number of its former employees, which would indefinitely ban them from contracting with the US Government.

Senator Joyce wants AWB to keep its monopoly status as the nation's wheat exporter and says the action is unreasonable.

"No I think that's totally unfair and completely manipulative of the process," he said.

"The people who were being investigated under the Cole inquiry no longer work for AWB, what they have done in this process is made an attack on all Australian wheat growers, on one of Australia's major exports."