[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H1291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            UNFAIR TREATMENT OF U.S. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

  Mr. CANADY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the 
House's attention a very serious matter faced by fruit and vegetable 
growers not only in my district, but also throughout the country.
  When NAFTA was enacted 3 years ago, its leading proponents promised 
the new golden age of expanding trade opportunities with vast new 
markets for U.S. businesses to tap into, creating new jobs and capital 
and investment in our economy. When I and many other members of the 
Florida congressional delegation raised concerns with the 
administration regarding the potentially adverse impact that NAFTA 
would have on our State's fruit and winter vegetable growers, we were 
told not to worry, our farmers would be protected.
  Here are two examples of the protection promised to our farmers 
during the debate over NAFTA's enactment: First, Mexican tomato imports 
were placed under a tariff rate quota, which would be phased out 10 
years after enactment. Under this provision, if imports exceeded a 
certain amount during a fixed period of time, a tariff of 25 cents per 
25-pound container would be imposed.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the drastic devaluation of the 
peso this tariff has been rendered entirely useless. Given the 
devaluation of the peso, Mexican growers have enormous incentive to 
sell as much of their product in America as they possibly can, and the 
so-called safeguard tariff provisions have done absolutely nothing to 
stop the flood of Mexican produce into the United States market.
  Second, protection for U.S. growers was promised through a clause 
placed in the NAFTA implementation bill which allowed U.S. vegetable 
growers to seek provisional relief from suspected dumping actions 
through adjudication from the International Trade Commission. 
Unfortunately, as we all know, the ITC not only refused to consider 
Florida growers' concerns, but it also failed to conduct the monitoring 
of trade conditions that it was mandated to do.
  Once again the promise of a mechanism to ensure equitable treatment 
of U.S. growers proved to be nothing but an illusion. This unfair 
treatment of U.S. agricultural producers is very troubling, but the 
problems with NAFTA go beyond the injustices done to America's farmers.
  The problems with NAFTA pose a direct threat to the health and well-
being of Americans who consume products imported from Mexico. Mexican 
agricultural products are grown in circumstances that fall far below 
the standards that American growers are required to meet under Federal 
and State laws. The production and harvesting of much Mexican produce 
takes place under conditions that can only be described as unsanitary 
and unsafe.
  Last week the news was filled with stories about the schoolchildren 
around the country who apparently contracted hepatitis A because they 
consumed strawberries grown in Mexico. Given the disgustingly filthy 
conditions on many Mexican farms, this sort of incident should come as 
no surprise to anyone. Daily, thousands of trucks enter our country 
from Mexico and our customs agents, border guards, and Food and Drug 
Administration officials make only token efforts to inspect the produce 
flooding in from Mexico.
  So under NAFTA as it is now being implemented, American consumers are 
being exposed to unsafe produce and American farmers are denied the 
protection against unfair competition they were promised.
  To add insult to injury, the Mexican Government has been blocking the 
importation of American agricultural products into Mexico. Presently, 
the Mexican Government has in place so-called sanitary and 
phytosanitary restrictions on the importation of our fruits and 
vegetables. It has taken 3 years for the cherry producers in Oregon and 
northern California to get these restrictions lifted on their crop, but 
despite our best efforts we have seen no movement on Florida fruit and 
vegetable imports into Mexico.
  Why can Mexican agricultural products enter the United States with 
great ease while citrus produced in Florida cannot be sold in Mexico? 
It makes no sense. It cannot be justified, and it is time for it to 
end.
  Mr. Speaker, the deal we are getting under NAFTA is not the deal that 
we were promised in 1993. This is not a level playing field. NAFTA must 
be made to work for everyone, for all of our industries, not just a 
select few, and in this fight we need the support of Congress and the 
administration. As Congress begins the debate over fast-track 
negotiations and the accession of Chile to NAFTA, we must ensure that 
the interest of all Americans are protected.

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