[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 9 (Tuesday, February 10, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S587-S588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 73--RELATIVE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

  Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself and Mr. Grassley) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:

                            S. Con. Res. 73

       Whereas on a level playing field, United States producers 
     are the most competitive suppliers of agricultural products 
     in the world;
       Whereas increased United States agricultural exports are 
     critical to the future of the farm, rural, and overall 
     economy of the United States;
       Whereas the opportunities for increased agricultural 
     exports are undermined by the unfair subsidies provided by 
     trading partners of the United States, and by various tariff 
     and nontariff trade barriers imposed on highly-competitive 
     United States agricultural products;
       Whereas United States agricultural exports reached a 
     record-level $60,000,000,000 in 1996 compared to a total 
     United States merchandise trade deficit of $170,000,000,000;
       Whereas the United States is currently engaged in a number 
     of outstanding trade disputes with the European Union 
     regarding agriculture matters and the disputes involve the 
     most intractable issues between the United States and the 
     European Union;
       Whereas the outstanding trade disputes include the failure 
     to finalize a veterinary equivalency program, which 
     jeopardizes an estimated $3,000,000,000 in trade in livestock 
     products between the United States and the European Union;
       Whereas the World Trade Organization has ruled that the 
     European Union must allow the importation of beef with growth 
     hormones produced in the United States;
       Whereas the European Union has yet to fulfill its 
     commitment under the Agreement on Application of Sanitary and 
     Phytosanitary Measures reached as part of the General 
     Agreement on Tariffs and Trade;
       Whereas the European Union has promulgated regulations 
     regarding the use of ``specified risk materials'' for 
     livestock products which have a disputed scientific basis and 
     which serve to impede the importation of United States 
     livestock products despite the fact that no cases of bovine 
     spongisorm encephalopathy (mad cow disease) have been 
     documented in the United States;
       Whereas the European Union has hindered trade in products 
     grown with the benefit of biogenetics based on claims that 
     also have a disputed scientific basis;
       Whereas these barriers to biogenetic trade could have a 
     profound negative impact on agricultural trade in the long 
     run; and
       Whereas there are also continuing disputes regarding 
     European Union subsidies for dairy, wheat gluten, and canned 
     fruits: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the European Union unfairly restricts the importation 
     of United States agricultural products;
       (2) the restrictions imposed on United States agricultural 
     exports to the European Union are the most vexing problems 
     facing United States exporters in Europe;
       (3) the elimination of restrictions imposed on United 
     States agricultural exports should be a top priority of any 
     current or future trade negotiations between the United 
     States and the European Union; and
       (4) the United States Trade Representative should not 
     engage in any trade negotiations with the European Union to 
     achieve sectoral liberalization unless an initiative to 
     achieve the elimination of unfair restrictions on United 
     States agricultural products is advanced on the same time 
     frame as the sectoral negotiations.

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, many of the lessons that we have 
learned regarding agricultural trade strategy, to change the subject to 
one that we have been not necessary been talking recently, have taken a 
lot of time for us to learn. I used to work in this field, the trade 
field. I worked for the Secretary of Agriculture, and I have been 
around some of these negotiations.
  It took the United States forty years of multilateral negotiations, 
but in the Uruguay Round, we finally got it right: in order to achieve 
meaningful agricultural market liberalization, we must link progress in 
agricultural liberalization to progress in other sectors critical to 
our trading partners.
  Throughout the world, agriculture is one of the most highly protected 
industries. It is also represents one of the strongest comparative 
advantages that the United States enjoys. Additionally, the U.S. 
agriculture industry is a critical building block of this economy, 
employing 22.7 million people. That is about 17 percent of the total 
domestic labor force. Agriculture also contributed $997.7 billion 
dollars to our economy in 1996. In other words, 13.1 percent of our 
country's GDP is agriculture-based. Furthermore, a large portion of 
what we produce in the U.S.--roughly 40 percent--is consumed overseas.
  Because agriculture is so critical to the U.S. economy and so reliant 
on exports, I find it exceedingly troubling, along with Senator 
Grassley, to hear the recent news reports that the office of the United 
States Trade Representative plans to pursue a trans-Atlantic trade pact 
that would not address agricultural issues. The barriers to U.S. 
agricultural exports represent some of the most significant market 
access problems that the United States currently faces in Europe. 
Furthermore, the U.S. is currently engaged in a number of outstanding 
trade disputes with the EU regarding agricultural matters, and these 
are among the most intractable issues between our two continents. It is 
incomprehensible to me that the U.S. would consider entering 
negotiations that would overlook these crucial issues.
  Today I am joining with Senator Grassley in submitting a Senate 
Concurrent Resolution, which expresses

[[Page S588]]

the sense of the Congress that the EU is unfairly restricting the 
importation of United States agriculture products and that the 
elimination of such restrictions should be a top priority in trade 
negotiations with the European Union.
  Mr. President, quite simply, it would be foolhardy for the United 
States to proceed with negotiations that avoid some of the issues that 
it has been seeking most desperately to advance. Without the leverage 
that is gained by simultaneously negotiating access in areas where the 
U.S. seeks greater access with the areas in which the EU would like 
greater access, the U.S. is positioning itself to hand over the keys to 
the bank. While leaving out the touchy issues in agriculture may allow 
the U.S. to quickly conclude an agreement, it is a strategy that would 
undermine the long-run economic interests of this country.
  I hope my colleagues will join with me in sending a message to this 
Administration that the agriculture industry is not willing to be sold 
out for the sake of an chance to culminate a quick trade deal. We will 
not support any new trade negotiations unless agriculture issues are 
advanced on the same time frame as issues involving other sectors of 
the economy.

                          ____________________