[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 20 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 20

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

                           February 27, 2015

   Mr. Yoho (for himself, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Schrader, Mr. Rooney of 
  Florida, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Poe of Texas, Ms. Frankel of Florida, Mr. 
    Thornberry, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) 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 subsequently 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 indirect subsidy to support its sugar 
        growers, processors, or consumers;
Whereas virtually all of the more than 100 countries that produce sugar maintain 
        market distorting subsidy programs, 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, increased ethanol usage 
mandates, and direct subsidies to cane farmers;

    (2) the Government of India which supported its highly regulated sugar 
industry by granting WTO-illegal export subsidies for 2,000,000 metric tons 
of sugar in 2014 and has announced plans for increased export subsidy rates 
in 2015;

    (3) the Government of Thailand which has more than tripled its sugar 
exports since 2004 by providing extensive subsidies to its sugar industry 
and by maintaining domestic prices well above export prices; and

    (4) the Government of Mexico which has direct and indirect subsidies to 
keep open 9 government-owned sugar mills accounting for 22 percent of 
Mexican sugar production as well as direct payments to sugarcane growers;

Whereas the world sugar market is the most volatile commodity market in the 
        world;
Whereas the foregoing clauses provide ample evidence there is no undistorted, 
        free market in sugar in the world today; and
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, by agreements negotiated under the 
        auspices of the World Trade Organization, should seek 
        elimination of all direct and indirect subsidies benefitting 
        the production or export of sugar by the government of--
                    (A) each country that exported more than 200,000 
                metric tons of sugar during 2014; and
                    (B) any other country with which the United States 
                has in effect a free trade agreement;
            (2) if the President determines that all such subsidies by 
        all such countries have been eliminated, then the President 
        should report to Congress detailed information about how each 
        of the countries has eliminated such subsidies; and
            (3) after submitting such report, the President should 
        propose to Congress legislation to implement a ``zero for 
        zero'' sugar subsidy policy.
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