[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 30 (Thursday, March 7, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




LEGISLATION TO PROHIBIT IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES OF MEAT PRODUCTS 
FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION UNTIL CERTAIN UNFAIR TRADE BARRIERS ARE REMOVED

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                            HON. TIM JOHNSON

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 1996

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to 
introduce legislation that will prohibit all meat imports from the 
European Union [EU] unless and until the EU lifts its ban on American 
beef and eliminates the nontariff trade barrier imposed by their 
``Third Country Meat Directive [TCD]. The EU ban on beef from cattle 
treated with hormones was put in place on January 1, 1989. Scientists 
throughout Europe and the world have repeatedly concluded there is no 
scientific basis for this ban. In fact, after legal challenges by the 
British Government in 1987 and the European animal health industry 
association in 1990, the EU admitted that the ban was introduced for 
political and economic reasons--to curb the growth of Europe's beef 
supply rather than to protect public health. The EU ban has resulted in 
lost American beef sales of nearly $1 billion.
  The TCD imposes meat inspection standards on U.S. meat exporting 
facilities that a wide majority of EU plants do not themselves meet. 
The United States has the most comprehensive and effective system of 
food safety management in the world. The TCD is designed and 
administered strictly to function as trade protection for higher cost, 
less competitive EU pork production.
  The failure of the EU to live up to the 1992 bilateral meat agreement 
and re-list U.S. beef and pork plants is deeply disturbing. Prior to 
1988, over 400 beef and pork plants were certified to export to the EU. 
Because of the TCD, only a handful of beef and pork plants are 
currently able to export to the EU. In 1985, the EU was the destination 
of over 20 percent of U.S. pork exports. Today, U.S. exports to the EU 
are negligible. The U.S. pork industry conservatively estimates that 
U.S. producers will lose $60 million in export revenues during 1996 
with losses jumping to approximately $157 million per year by the year 
2000 as EU tariff rate quotas on pork are phased in. Since January 1, 
1989, America has allowed meat imports of $2.1 billion from the EU 
while U.S. meat exports to the EU totaled only $342 million. At a time 
when our cattle producers are struggling with the lowest cattle prices 
in recent memory and beef and pork producers are becoming more reliant 
on export markets, it is unconscionable to allow stubborn European 
bureaucrats to insult our cattle and hog producers with these barriers 
to American beef and pork.
  We applaud Secretary Glickman and U.S.T.R. Kantor for initiating 
action against the EU hormone ban under WTO dispute settlement 
provisions and for their efforts to open export markets around the 
world for U.S. meat. However, EU Agriculture Commissioner Fischler has 
clearly indicated that even if the EU loses the WTO case, which might 
not be resolved until late 1997, the hormone ban will remain in place.
  Although reasonable and prudent negotiation would clearly be 
preferred to address these trade disputes, our Nation's livestock 
producers need access to EU markets now. They are demanding a much 
stronger negotiating tool. My bill will provide a clear and unequivocal 
message to the EU that further delay will no longer be tolerated. 
Unless the EU eliminates these unscientific sanitary trade barriers, 
this legislation will prohibit the entry of all EU meat within 15 days 
of enactment. Please join me in providing a simple, but very effective 
negotiating tool to Secretary Glickman and U.S.T.R. Kantor.

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