§1736m. Expansion of international markets for United States agricultural commodities and products; purposes; implementation authorities

(a) It is the sense of Congress that, in order to further assist in the development, maintenance, and expansion of international markets for United States agricultural commodities and the products thereof, the Secretary of Agriculture should and is requested to-

(1) use the intermediate credit program authorized under section 1707a¹ of this title to improve the capability of importing nations to purchase and use United States agricultural commodities and the products thereof on a long-term basis;

(2) ask Congress, at the earliest practicable date, for funds for the agricultural export credit revolving fund in an amount sufficient to meet the demand for short-term credit authorized to be made available under section 1707a¹ of this title;

(3) establish, insofar as practicable, the maximum number of United States Agricultural Trade Offices in other nations authorized by section 1765a of this title;

(4) use, to the maximum extent practicable, existing authority to ensure full utilization of the levy-free quota, established during the Tokyo round of the multilateral trade negotiations, for the export sale of United States high quality beef to the European Economic Community;

(5) expand, to the fullest extent possible, the market development activities of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the Department of Agriculture in developed, developing, market, and nonmarket foreign countries with particular emphasis on (A) continuation of the cooperator programs at the same funding level (adjusted for inflation) as provided during fiscal year 1970; (B) funding an export market development program for value-added farm products and processed foods at a higher funding level than that provided during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1985; and (C) the implementation of a full-scale program for forestry products, including commodity information, trade policy, and market development for such products;

(6) ensure that the European Economic Community observes its commitments under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade regarding the tariff-free binding on imports of soybeans and corn gluten feed;

(7) consult with the appropriate officials of the Government of Japan with the objective of increasing the export sales of citrus fruits and high quality beef to Japan and to develop mutually acceptable standards for the certification of lettuce and other specialty crops for export to Japan; and

(8) use the authority under section 612c of this title, to establish a special standby export subsidy program for United States agricultural commodities and the products thereof, the export of which has been restricted by foreign government subsidies.

(b) It is further declared to be the sense of Congress that any special standby export subsidy program established by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to subsection (a)(8) of this section should be (1) consistent with United States international obligations, and (2) designed to neutralize the effects of those foreign agricultural commodity subsidy programs that-

(A) the President has determined, pursuant to section 2411 of title 19, are acts, policies, or practices described in section 2411(a) of title 19 that should be eliminated by appropriate action of the United States; and

(B) have, as the result of the appropriate dispute settlement procedures, been found to be in violation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or the Agreement on Interpretation and Application of Articles VI, XVI and XXIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (relating to subsidies and countervailing measures), if applicable.

(Pub. L. 97 98, title XII, §1207, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1278; Pub. L. 99 198, title XI, §1126(c), Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1482.)

References in Text

Section 1707a of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), (2), was repealed by Pub. L. 101 624, title XV, §1574, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3702.

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981, and not as part of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

1985-Subsec. (a)(5)(B). Pub. L. 99 198 substituted "funding an export market development program for value-added farm products and processed foods at a higher funding level than that provided during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1985" for "a more active export market development program for value added farm products and processed foods".

Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97 98, set out as a note under section 4301 of this title.

¹See References in Text note below.