[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             WTO NEGOTIATIONS AND TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY A. CONDIT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 29, 2001

  Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, as Congress continues to debate the Farm 
Bill, U.S. trade negotiations at the WTO Ministerial in Doha agreed 
that future trade talks would seek to limit domestic farm programs, 
including phasing out of forms of export subsidies and substantial 
reductions in trade-distorting domestic support. The decisions in Doha 
line up U.S. trade negotiators to eliminate U.S. farm programs as a 
chit in exchange for better overseas market access for U.S. banks and 
other service providers.
  The negotiating goal of significantly reducing ``trade-distorting'' 
farm programs presents a real problem for Congressionally mandated farm 
programs. While U.S. negotiators have agreed to work towards phasing 
out all forms of export subsidies and substantially reducing trade-
distorting domestic support, the House of Representatives recently 
passed H.R. 2646, the Farm Security Act. H.R. 2646 provides $409.7 
billion in market price support programs, loan deficiency programs and 
marketing loan assistance to struggling farmers for the next 10 year-
farmers who are struggling in large part due to cheap, subsidized 
foreign imports and restrictive trade laws abroad.
  If this hit on U.S. agriculture policy were not damaging enough, U.S. 
trade negotiators reopened our country's longstanding position against 
putting U.S. anti-dumping laws on the WTO negotiating table. These 
trade laws are farmers' last defense when countries dump below-cost 
commodities on the U.S. market. Yet, USTR agreed to immediate 
negotiations in this area, even though a long list of WTO countries 
including Brazil, Japan and Australia have stated clearly that their 
only purpose for seeking such talks is to weaken existing U.S. trade 
law.
  While the Administration has opened the door for reducing domestic 
assistance to U.S. farmers and weakening anti-dumping laws, it is also 
pushing for Trade Promotion Authority from Congress. If TPA is granted, 
Congress loses its ability to influence the substance of agriculture 
negotiations. Under TPA, Congress cannot remove or amend offensive 
agricultural provisions, it can only reject the entire WTO negotiated 
pact. Under these conditions, American agriculture is at risk when 
negotiators are willing to compromise U.S. producers' interests in 
exchange for new market access for U.S. telecommunications firms, banks 
and other service providers in other nations.
  While I fully appreciate the opportunities of a global marketplace 
for our farmers, it is irresponsible to oversell the benefits of free 
trade that is not fair. Agriculture remains in a precarious position 
for further WTO discussions. Congress must not relax its vigilance over 
trade deals that compromise American agriculture.

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