IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 926 

Recognizing the importance of food, product safety, and U.S. trade policy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2008 

Ms. SUTTON submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on 

Energy and Commerce and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the importance of food, product safety, and U.S. 

trade policy. 

Whereas the United States imports nearly $65,000,000,000 

in food products annually, an amount nearly double the 

value imported when the North American Free Trade 

Agreement (‘‘NAFTA’’) went into effect; 

Whereas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (‘‘FDA’’) 

estimates it will only inspect 0.6 percent of the food it 

regulates at the border in 2007; 

Whereas the FDA inspected approximately 8 percent of imported food in 1992, prior to the enactment of NAFTA; 

Whereas imports of seafood increased by 65 percent in the 

decade following the enactment of NAFTA; 


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•HRES 926 IH 

Whereas today over 80 percent of seafood consumed by 

Americans is imported; 

Whereas the FDA was only able to inspect 1.93 percent of 

all seafood imports in 2006, despite a 78 percent increase 

of Vibrio, a diarrheal disease associated with seafood, following the enactment of NAFTA between 1996 and 

2006; 

Whereas the U.S. Department of Agriculture (‘‘USDA’’) has 

only inspected 11 percent of beef, pork, and chicken imported into the United States, despite the continuing 

threat of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow 

disease, and other health issues; 

Whereas many Americans have been affected by major food 

contamination or health problems in the United States, 

including recalls of spinach for Salmonella and E. coli 

contamination, the recall of tainted pet food from China 

that sickened and killed an estimated 39,000 pets, and 

the ban of Canadian cattle after cows tested positive for 

mad cow disease; 

Whereas the United States allows food to be imported 

through 360 ports, although only 13 cities have an FDA 

laboratory; 

Whereas trade deals force the United States to accept food 

imports that do not meet safety standards for food produced in the United States as long as the products meet 

a vague ‘‘equivalent’’ standard; 

Whereas vigorous inspections of imported food and products 

by Federal officials is viewed as an impediment to trade 

under many agreements and therefore are not carried out 

in an effective and efficient manner; 


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Whereas the overall value of imported products has increased 

dramatically during the NAFTA era, including an increase of 67 percent between 2000 and 2006; 

Whereas 80 percent of all toys sold in the United States 

today are imported from China; 

Whereas the number of Chinese-made products being recalled 

in the United States has doubled in the past 5 years; 

Whereas Chinese-made products now account for 60 percent 

of all consumer product recalls; and 

Whereas the Consumer Product Safety Commission has half 

the number of employees it had 3 decades ago, before 

trade deals allowed unregulated, foreign products to flood 

our markets: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the United States House of Rep2 resentatives— 

3 (1) recognizes the causal relationship between 

4 so-called ‘‘free trade agreements’’ and the increase 

5 of imports; 

6 (2) recognizes that adoption of additional trade 

7 agreements will likely significantly increase the num8 ber of products and food our Nation imports; 

9 (3) recognizes that current United States’ trade 

10 policies must be improved to adequately ensure the 

11 safety of imported food and products; 

12 (4) recognizes the link between current United 

13 States trade policies and the increase in tainted im14 ported food and unsafe products; 


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•HRES 926 IH 

1 (5) recognizes that the percentage of food im2 ports currently inspected by the United States is in3 adequate and poses a risk to American families; 

4 (6) recognizes the need to ensure the safety of 

5 imported food before additional trade agreements 

6 are ratified; 

7 (7) encourages the USDA, FDA, and other 

8 Federal agencies charged with keeping imported 

9 food safe to step up inspections of imported food; 

10 and 

11 (8) encourages greater vigilance by Federal 

12 agencies in ensuring imported products and food are 

13 safe. 

Æ 


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