Title: A resolution supporting fair and equitable grading treatment for exports of United States wheat products to Canada.
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance

Summary:
Expresses the sense of the Senate that:

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 143 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 143

 Supporting fair and equitable grading treatment for exports of United 
                    States wheat products to Canada.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 25, 2017

 Mr. Tester submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                        the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting fair and equitable grading treatment for exports of United 
                    States wheat products to Canada.

Whereas Canada is the second largest goods trading partner of the United States, 
        with $575,000,000,000 in goods traded between the 2 countries in 2015, 
        as the United States exported $280,000,000,000 in goods to Canada and 
        imported $295,000,000,000 in goods from Canada in that year;
Whereas the efficient and equitable flow of agricultural goods across the border 
        is a critical component of the trade relationship between the United 
        States and Canada;
Whereas wheat is the third most widely produced field crop in the United States, 
        and approximately \1/2\ of the wheat produced in the United States is 
        exported;
Whereas Canadian law requires wheat imported from the United States to be 
        segregated from wheat produced in Canada and automatically designated as 
        feed quality, the lowest possible designation, regardless of the actual 
        quality or the variety of the wheat product;
Whereas United States Federal law allows wheat imported from Canada to be graded 
        under the same system as domestically grown wheat;
Whereas that unfair devaluation practice puts United States agricultural 
        producers at a distinct disadvantage when attempting to access Canadian 
        wheat markets;
Whereas the treatment by Canada of United States wheat products is likely a 
        violation of trade agreements and is to the detriment of United States 
        agricultural producers; and
Whereas the strong economic ties between the United States and Canada are 
        extremely important and well-served when a level playing field exists 
        across all industries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) wheat grading practices in Canada should--
                    (A) grade wheat produced in Canada in the same 
                manner as wheat produced in the United States; and
                    (B) be fair to agricultural producers in the United 
                States; and
            (2) the President should--
                    (A) examine whether the wheat grading laws of 
                Canada adhere to trade agreements; and
                    (B) insist on full access for United States 
                exporters of wheat to the Canadian market.
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