	cairns group said influential in  talks australian minister for  negotiations michael duffy said his country and third world commodity producers have formed an effective lobby group against farm export subsidies and market access restrictions duffy told a press conference the cairns group of major agricultural producers to which australia and thailand belong has emerged as an important third force in any multilateral  talks there s no doubt that the cairns group is being seen as a third force to be reckoned with both inside the general agreement on tariffs and  and in other international  negotiations he said duffy here on a three day visit after talks in the united states the european community ec and latin america said considerable progress has been made by the group towards fighting costly protectionist policies pursued by developed countries the minister said the ec commission s new farm  paper will recognise the heavy financial burdens imposed by its common agricultural policy and its future expansion he said the reagan administration has also displayed a determination to resist the currently strong protectionist sentiment in the u s congress reuter 
