A resolution supporting fair and equitable grading treatment for exports of United States wheat products to Canada.

Bill: 115-sres-143
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT]
Introduced: 2017-04-25
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Agricultural marketing and promotion

Agricultural trade

Canada

Free trade and trade barriers

Grain

Trade agreements and negotiations
Latest action: action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2535)

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-04-25
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Expresses the sense of the Senate that:</p> <ul> <li>Canada should grade Canadian produced wheat in the same manner as U.S. produced wheat and be fair to U.S. agricultural producers, and </li> <li>the President should examine whether Canadian wheat grading laws adhere to trade agreements and insist on full access for U.S. wheat exporters to the Canadian market.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: III 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 143 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 ½ 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

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.