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103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1511
To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to promote and expand the
export of agricultural commodities and products to foreign countries,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 29, 1993
Mr. ROBERTS (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Oregon, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. EMER-
SON, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, and Mr. BEREUTER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Agriculture
and Foreign Affairs
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to promote
and expand the export of agricultural commodities and
products to foreign countries, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That this Act may be cited as the ‘‘Agricultural Commod-
ity Export Expansion Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) agricultural commodity exports are essential
to the economic well-being of the United States
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farmers and ranchers and related industries and to
the entire United States economy;
(2) the United States exports the commodity
production from one-third of its harvested acreage,
worth over $40,000,000,000 in exports, and one mil-
lion Americans in the United States labor force de-
pend on agricultural commodity exports for their
jobs;
(3) the newly-formed Republics of the former
Soviet Union are struggling to put in place the insti-
tutions of democratic government and free market
economies and have great need to import agricul-
tural commodities and products to sustain that ef-
fort and achieve any measure of success;
(4) the former Soviet Union has been the larg-
est importer of United States grain and the new Re-
publics represent an important market in the future
for United States agricultural commodities and
products;
(5) the virtual cessation in recent months of
United States agricultural exports to the Republics
of the former Soviet Union has created an adverse
impact on the markets for the commodities held by
United States agricultural producers and is esti-
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mated to result in a $1,300,000,000 addition to the
United States deficit if not reversed;
(6) the abundant natural resources of the Re-
publics of the former Soviet Union and the capacity
to produce revenues through the development of
those resources provide assurance of their ability to
repay direct loans and loan guarantees extended by
the United States for the export of agricultural com-
modities and products within a reasonable time; and
(7) in addition to the authority to provide direct
loans and credit guarantees and in order to develop,
maintain, and expand foreign markets for United
States agricultural products under the Agricultural
Trade Act of 1978, the Secretary of Agriculture—
(A) has been provided the authority to in-
stitute a program in which agricultural com-
modities and products may be provided to im-
porting countries through barter in exchange
for foreign products from such importing coun-
tries;
(B) may initiate a variation of the Export
Enhancement Program, the Dairy Export In-
centive Program, and the Sunflower Oil Assist-
ance Program that allows sales to third-country
buyers for commodities destined to the Repub-
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lics of the former Soviet Union wherein such
buyers are also third-country purchasers of
goods exported from the Republics of the
former Soviet Union and such buyers rely on
compensatory forms of trade such as barter,
countertrade, offset arrangements and escrow
accounts to be eligible for U.S. Department of
Agriculture trade program bonuses; and
(C) may initiate a program through which
payment for United States agricultural com-
modities can be made by recipient countries
based on the future sales of their abundant nat-
ural resources.
SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS FOR DIRECT LOANS.
Section 201(f) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978
(7 U.S.C. 5621(f)) is amended to read as follows—
‘‘(f) RESTRICTIONS.—In determining whether to
make export sales financing authorized under this section
available in connection with sales of agricultural commod-
ities, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall take into
account—
‘‘(1) the credit needs of countries that are po-
tential purchasers of United States agricultural ex-
ports;
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‘‘(2) the long-term repayment ability of such
countries; and
‘‘(3) whether the availability of Commodity
Credit Corporation financing will maintain or im-
prove the competitive position of the United States
agricultural exports in world markets.’’.
SEC. 4. RESTRICTIONS FOR CREDIT GUARANTEES.
Section 202(f) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978
(7 U.S.C. 5622(f)) is amended to read as follows—
‘‘(f) RESTRICTIONS.—In determining whether to
make credit guarantees available in connection with sales
of agricultural commodities under this section, the Com-
modity Credit Corporation shall take into account—
‘‘(1) the credit needs of countries that are po-
tential purchasers of United States agricultural ex-
ports;
‘‘(2) the long-term repayment ability of such
countries; and
‘‘(3) whether the availability of Commodity
Credit Corporation guarantees will maintain or im-
prove the competitive position of the United States
agricultural exports in world markets.’’.
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