[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   UNFAIRLY SUBSIDIZED CANADIAN GRAIN

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I would like to mention an issue that is 
very important to me. I spoke about it on Monday here on the Senate 
floor, and I will bring it up again now.
  Tomorrow it will be somewhere close to 30 below, I am told, in the 
northern part of North Dakota up near the Peace Garden. The Peace 
Garden straddles the border that we share with Canada. At the Peace 
Garden will gather a good many North Dakota farmers tomorrow. They will 
demonstrate about an unfair trade practice that is sucking millions of 
dollars, tens of millions, in fact hundreds of millions of dollars, out 
of the pockets of our farmers.
  What is this practice? A flood of grain has come across into this 
country from Canada--a flood that is unfairly subsidized. Our farmers 
cannot compete, and therefore they lose money. Ever since the United 
States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement we have been unable to compete 
against a flood of durum wheat.
  Imports from Canada of unfairly subsidized durum wheat have rocketed 
from zero shipments into our country to one fourth of our entire 
domestic consumption. Durum wheat is ground into that flour that is in 
pasta. Eighty percent of the Durum wheat that is produced in this 
country is produced in North Dakota.
  Tomorrow in the cold up near the Peace Gardens of North Dakota there 
will be a demonstration as there was in Scoby, MT, 2 weeks ago.
  These farmers are not talking about a problem that is theoretical. 
They are protesting because they are losing money and losing big money. 
This Government has a responsibility to fix a system of trade that is 
now unfair.
  Tomorrow I will introduce legislation that calls for three things.
  First, my bill directs President Clinton to repeal the United States-
Canada Free-Trade Agreement and the requirement that a repeal be 
preceded by a 6-month notification. Second, my bill will immediately 
impose a 50-percent tariff on all grain shipped into this country from 
Canada--barley, wheat, and Durum. Third, my bill requests the President 
to negotiate with the Canadians on implementing three principles of 
fair trade. And if he succeeds in these negotiations, he may nullify 
the position of by bill that would repeal the United States-Canada 
Free-Trade Agreement.
  These three principles of fair trade are: First, requiring 
transparency on all shipments into this country; second, elimination of 
unfair Canadian subsidies specifically the subsidy of their railroads 
that works to undercut our grain prices; and third, prohibition of 
dumping, specifically the Canadian practice of selling in our market at 
prices below the full acquisition and production cost of Canadian 
grain.
  Those are the three principles of the legislation I intend to 
introduce tomorrow afternoon. Aggressive? Sure. Radical? Maybe. 
Necessary? Absolutely.
  I am flat sick and tired of seeing people sit on their hands when our 
farmers lose money. If we do not have the courage to stand up and 
demand fair trade on the part of our producers when they have to 
compete against others, then we ought not pass any more trade bills. Do 
not bring NAFTA to us. Do not bring GATT to us. I am just tired of 
trade bills that shortchange our economic interests.
  Our farmers deserve better than that. We have been fighting Canadian 
grain for 5 years. My patience has just flat gone.
  So for those who preach moderation, patience, and waiting, we have 
done all that. We are tired of all that. Our trade problem is getting 
worse not better. We are losing more money every day.
  I hope that in the coming days we will find ways to say to the 
administration, to say to Congress, to say to all those involved in 
trade and agriculture that this must change. This must be fixed.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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