[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. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 1996

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that 
will put American livestock producers on an equal footing with their 
European counterparts when it comes to illegal trade barriers. The 
European Union currently blocks United States beef imports simply 
because U.S. producers use hormones in the production of the beef. The 
E.U. also continues to block U.S. pork imports under their so called 
Third Country Meat Directive claiming that U.S. processing plants do 
not meet European standards.
  These non-tariff trade barriers are in clear violation of the 
phytosanitary agreements which are part of the GATT. Scientists from 
around the world have determined that the use of these hormones poses 
no risk to human health. In 1992, through an exchange of letters, the 
Europeans agreed that U.S. and E.U. slaughter and processing procedures 
were essentially identical. The only reason for these bans is to keep 
U.S. meat out of European markets.
  Since 1989, when the hormone ban went into effect, the Europeans have 
sent over $2 billion worth of meat products to the United States. 
During the same period. U.S. exports to the E.U. totaled only $342 
million. Clearly the Europeans have little incentive to expedite the 
negotiations to end this unreasonable trade barrier.
  The GATT agreement should be an effective tool to remove the hormone 
ban, but the Europeans have shown little commitment to working out 
these issues. On January 26 of this year, U.S. Trade Representative 
Kantor initiated formal action in the World Trade Organization against 
the E.U. on this issue. The European Parliament responded by voting to 
keep the ban in place. WTO action may take up to 18 months and the only 
beneficiaries of this delay are the Europeans.
  The USDA has estimated that the loss of these markets costs our 
cattle producers $100 million per year and our hog producers $60 
million. Clearly at a time when U.S. cattle producers are facing rising 
feed costs and the lowest prices in recent memory these unfair and 
trade barriers cannot be tolerated.
  Just last week North Dakota hog farmers told me that access to the 
Asian markets following GATT has helped keep the price of pork stable 
over the last year. Clearly GATT can work to the benefit of American 
farmers. However, we need to send a strong message to the Europeans 
that further delay in opening their markets will not be tolerated.
  This legislation is simple. It says that as long as the Europeans 
keep our meat from their markets they will not have access to U.S. 
markets. They are taking the resolve of their Parliament to the 
negotiations. The United States should be taking the resolve of 
Congress to those same meetings. This legislation sends the message 
that the U.S. Congress is serious about GATT working to open European 
markets. I urge my colleagues to join me in giving our trade 
representatives a valuable tool to meet the Europeans on equal footing.

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