105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 213

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the

in trade negotiations.States trading partners should be a top priorityUnited States agricultural products by Unitedelimination of restrictions on the importation of
105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 213

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas on a level playing field, United States producers are

the most competitive suppliers of agricultural products in

the world;

Whereas United States agricultural exports reached a level of

$57,000,000,000 in 1997, compared to a total United

States merchandise trade deficit of $198,000,000,000;
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Whereas the future well-being of the Unites States agricultural sector depends, to a large degree, on the elimination

of trade barriers and the development of new export opportunities throughout the world;

Whereas increased United States agricultural exports are

critical to the future of the agricultural, rural, and overall

economy of the United States;

Whereas the opportunities for increased agricultural exports

are undermined by unfair subsidies provided by trading

partners of the United States, and by various tariff and

nontariff trade barriers imposed on highly competitive

United States agricultural products;

Whereas the Foreign Agricultural Service estimates that

United States agricultural exports are reduced by

$4,700,000,000 annually due to the unjustifiable imposition of sanitary and phytosanitary measures that deny or

limit market access to United States products;

Whereas Asian markets account for more than 40 percent of

United States agricultural exports worldwide, but the financial crisis in Asia has caused a severe drop in demand

for U.S. agricultural products and a consequent drop in

world commodity prices;

Whereas multilateral trade negotiations under the auspices of

the World Trade Organization and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum and trade negotiations for a

Free Trade Area of the Americas represent significant

opportunities to reduce and eliminate tariff and nontariff

trade barriers on agricultural products;

Whereas negotiations for country accessions to the World

Trade Organization, particularly China, present important opportunities to reduce and eliminate these barriers;
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Whereas the United States is currently engaged in a number

of outstanding trade disputes regarding agricultural

trade;

Whereas disputes with the European Union regarding agriculture matters involve the most intractable issues between the United States and the European Union, including—

(1) the failure to finalize a veterinary equivalency program, which jeopardizes an estimated

$3,000,000,000 in trade in livestock products between the United States and the European Union;

(2) the ruling by the World Trade Organization that the European Union has no scientific

basis for banning the importation of beef produced

in the United States using growth promoting hormones, and that the European Union must remove

by May 13, 1999, its import ban on beef produced

using growth promoting hormones;

(3) the failure to use science, as in the beef

hormone case, which raises concerns about the European Union fulfilling its obligations under the

WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary

and Phytosanitary Measures;

(4) the promulgation by the European Union

of regulations regarding the use of specified risk

materials for livestock products which have a disputed scientific basis and which serve to impede the
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importation of United States livestock products, despite the fact that no cases of bovine spongisorm

encephalopathy (mad cow disease) have been documented in the United States;

(5) the ruling by the World Trade Organization in favor of the United States that the European import regime restricting the importation of

bananas violates numerous disciplines established

by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

and the General Agreement on Trade in Services,

and that the European Union must be in full compliance with the decision of the World Trade Organization by January 1, 1999;

(6) the hindering of trade in products grown

with the benefit of biogenetics through a politicized

approval process that is nontransparent and lacks a

basis in science; and

(7) continuing disputes regarding European

Union subsidies for dairy and canned fruit, and a

number of impediments with respect to wine: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
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1 (1) many nations, including the European

2 Union, unfairly restrict the importation of United

3 States agricultural products;

4 (2) the restrictions imposed on United States

5 agricultural exports are among the most vexing

6 problems facing United States exporters;

7 (3) the elimination of restrictions imposed on

8 United States agricultural exports should be a top

9 priority of any current or future trade negotiation;

10 (4) the President should develop a trade agenda

11 which actively addresses agricultural trade barriers

12 in multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and

13 steadfastly pursues full compliance with dispute set14 tlement decisions of the World Trade Organization;

15 (5) in such negotiations, the United States

16 should seek to obtain competitive opportunities for

17 United States exports of agricultural products in

18 foreign markets substantially equivalent to the com19 petitive opportunities afforded to foreign exports in

20 United States markets, and to achieve fairer and

21 more open conditions of trade;

22 (6) because of the significance of the issues

23 concerning agricultural trade with the European

24 Union, the United States Trade Representative

25 should not engage in any trade negotiation with the
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1 European Union if the Trade Representative deter2 mines that such negotiations would undermine the

3 ability of the United States to achieve a successful

4 result in the World Trade Organization negotiations

5 on agriculture set to begin in December 1999; and

6 (7) the President should consult with the Con7 gress in a meaningful and timely manner concerning

8 trade negotiations in agriculture.

Passed the House of Representatives August 4,

1998.

Attest:

Clerk.