Business groups warn Ag committee leaders about WTO farm bill issues
September 17, 2013 | 02:44 PM
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Foreign Trade Council have sent a letter to Agriculture committee leaders in the House and Senate warning them that certain provisions of the commodity title in each bill could lead to violations of World Trade Organization standards to which the United States has agreed.
“One in three manufacturing jobs depends on exports, and one in three acres on American farms is planted for consumers overseas,” the groups wrote.
“It is in this context that we urge you to consider how both the Senate Adverse Market Payments and House Price Loss Coverage counter-cyclical programs run the substantial risk of violating obligations the United States has undertaken as a signatory of the WTO agreements for the same reasons a WTO panel found the U.S. noncompliant in the U.S.-Upland Cotton dispute.”
The Chamber has also published a paper written by the law firm Case & White analyzing the trade law implications of the farm bills.
“One in three manufacturing jobs depends on exports, and one in three acres on American farms is planted for consumers overseas,” the groups wrote.
“It is in this context that we urge you to consider how both the Senate Adverse Market Payments and House Price Loss Coverage counter-cyclical programs run the substantial risk of violating obligations the United States has undertaken as a signatory of the WTO agreements for the same reasons a WTO panel found the U.S. noncompliant in the U.S.-Upland Cotton dispute.”
The Chamber has also published a paper written by the law firm Case & White analyzing the trade law implications of the farm bills.
