IV
House Calendar No. 240
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 213
[Report No. 105–672]
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the European Union is unfairly
restricting the importation of United States agricultural products and
the elimination of such restrictions should be a top priority in trade
negotiations with the European Union.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 11, 1998
Mr. EWING submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Ways and Means
AUGUST 3, 1998
Additional sponsor: Mr. WATKINS
AUGUST 3, 1998
Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered to
be printed
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[Strike out the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text and preamble of introduced concurrent resolution, see copy of concurrent resolution
as introduced on February 11, 1998]
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the European
Union is unfairly restricting the importation of United
States agricultural products and the elimination of such
•HCON 213 RH
restrictions should be a top priority in trade negotiations
with the European Union.
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;
Whereas the future well-being of the United States agricul-
tural sector depends, to a large degree, on the elimi-
nation 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 ex-
ports 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 im-
position 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 con-
sequent drop in world commodity prices;
•HCON 213 RH
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 sig-
nificant 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 im-
portant opportunities to reduce and eliminate these
barriers;
Whereas the United States is currently engaged in a num-
ber of outstanding trade disputes regarding agricul-
tural trade; and
Whereas disputes with the European Union regarding ag-
riculture 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 esti-
mated $3,000,000,000 in trade in livestock prod-
ucts between the United States and the European
Union;
(2) the ruling by the World Trade Organi-
zation that the European Union has no scientific
basis for banning the importation of beef pro-
duced in the United States using growth promot-
ing hormones, and that the European Union
•HCON 213 RH
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 Sani-
tary and Phytosanitary Measures;
(4) the promulgation by the European
Union of regulations regarding the use of speci-
fied risk materials for livestock products which
have a disputed scientific basis and which serve
to impede the importation of United States live-
stock products, despite the fact that no cases of
bovine spongisorm encephalopathy (mad cow dis-
ease) have been documented in the United States;
(5) the ruling by the World Trade Organi-
zation in favor of the United States that the Eu-
ropean import regime restricting the importation
of bananas violates numerous disciplines estab-
lished 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;
•HCON 213 RH
(6) the hindering of trade in products
grown with the benefit of biogenetics through a
politicized approval process that is nontrans-
parent 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
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) many nations, including the European
Union, unfairly restrict the importation of United
States agricultural products;
(2) the restrictions imposed on United States ag-
ricultural exports are among the most vexing prob-
lems facing United States exporters;
(3) the elimination of restrictions imposed on
United States agricultural exports should be a top
priority of any current or future trade negotiation;
(4) the President should develop a trade agenda
which actively addresses agricultural trade barriers
in multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and
steadfastly pursues full compliance with dispute set-
tlement decisions of the World Trade Organization;
•HCON 213 RH
(5) in such negotiations, the United States
should seek to obtain competitive opportunities for
United States exports of agricultural products in for-
eign markets substantially equivalent to the competi-
tive opportunities afforded to foreign exports in
United States markets, and to achieve fairer and
more open conditions of trade;
(6) because of the significance of the issues con-
cerning agricultural trade with the European Union,
the United States Trade Representative should not en-
gage in any trade negotiation with the European
Union if the Trade Representative determines that
such negotiations would undermine the ability of the
United States to achieve a successful result in the
World Trade Organization negotiations on agri-
culture set to begin in December 1999; and
(7) the President should consult with the Con-
gress in a meaningful and timely manner concerning
trade negotiations in agriculture.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘Concurrent resolu-
tion expressing the sense of the Congress that the elimi-
nation of restrictions on the importation of United States
agricultural products by United States trading partners
should be a top priority in trade negotiations.’’.
House Calendar No. 240
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 213
[Report No. 105–672]
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Eu-
ropean Union is unfairly restricting the importa-
tion of United States agricultural products and
the elimination of such restrictions should be a
top priority in trade negotiations with the Euro-
pean Union.
AUGUST 3, 1998
Reported with amendments, referred to the House
Calendar, and ordered to be printed