IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 40 
Expressing the sense of Congress that all direct and indirect subsidies that 
benefit the production or export of sugar by all major sugar producing 
and consuming countries should be eliminated. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 23, 2017 
Mr. YOHO (for himself, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. JONES, Mr. 
SCHRADER, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. HASTINGS, 
Mr. THOMAS J. ROONEY of Florida, Ms. FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. KIL-
DEE, Mr. CRAMER, and Mr. GIBBS) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and 
in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that all direct and indirect 
subsidies that benefit the production or export of sugar 
by all major sugar producing and consuming countries 
should be eliminated. 
Whereas every major sugar-producing and sugar-consuming 
country in the world maintains some form of direct or in-
direct subsidy to support its sugar growers, processors, or 
consumers; 
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•HCON 40 IH 
Whereas virtually all of the more than 100 countries that 
produce sugar maintain market distorting subsidy pro-
grams, including— 
(1) the Government of Brazil which provides direct 
and indirect subsidies of at least $2,500,000,000 per year 
for programs to promote its sugar and ethanol industry 
and has increased subsidies in recent years in the form 
of preferential loans, debt forgiveness, and increased eth-
anol usage mandates; 
(2) the Government of India which provides at least 
$1,700,000,000 in subsidy supports to prop up its ineffi-
cient sugar industry, including WTO-illegal export sub-
sidies in 2014 and 2015; 
(3) the Government of Thailand which has more 
than tripled its sugar exports since 2004 by providing at 
least $1,300,000,000 in subsidies and government pro-
grams to its sugar industry and by maintaining domestic 
prices well above export prices; 
(4) the Government of the European Union which 
will be sending $665,000,000 in subsidy checks a year to 
sugar farmers by 2019; and 
(5) the Government of Mexico which has used direct 
and indirect subsidies to keep open sugar mills owned by 
private industry and the government has sent direct pay-
ments to sugarcane growers, and has been found guilty 
of injuring United States sugar producers by dumping 
subsidized sugar into the United States market; 
Whereas the world sugar market is the most volatile com-
modity market in the world; 
Whereas the foregoing clauses provide ample evidence there 
is no undistorted, free market in sugar in the world 
today; and 
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•HCON 40 IH 
Whereas if such a free market did exist, United States sugar 
farmers and processors could compete effectively in that 
market: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the President should seek elimination of all 
direct and indirect subsidies benefiting the produc-
tion or export of sugar by the government of— 
(A) each country that exported more than 
200,000 metric tons of sugar in 2014, 2015, or 
2016; and 
(B) by any other country with which the 
United States has in effect a free trade agree-
ment; 
(2) if the President determines that all such 
subsidies by all such countries have been eliminated, 
the President should submit a report to Congress 
providing detailed information about how each of the 
countries has eliminated such subsidies; and 
(3) after submitting such a report, the Presi-
dent should propose to Congress legislation to imple-
ment United States sugar policy reforms. 
Æ 
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