One thing we are doing is reevaluating long-held positions on trade sanctions. A few weeks ago, we announced that, from now on, agricultural goods and medical equipment will be exempted from future unilateral trade sanctions. This new policy is guided by the belief that sanctions should punish governments, not people. Depriving the Iranian people of the opportunity to buy and eat American wheat does not advance our foreign policy goals. It just contributes to the deprivation of innocent people abroad, and it shuts off potentially lucrative markets for American farmers.
Food is different.
It is a human essential, and we should therefore be moving it around the world with as few restrictions as possible. While in the Congress, I fought hard to remove trade restrictions and embargoes for agricultural commodities. Insuring that the U.S. is a reliable supplier is a high priority for this administration. That same principle is guiding our aggressive food aid program. So our government steps in as the purchasing agent and helps arrange for the transportation and distribution of food to needy people around the globe.