Bill > S743

This bill establishes the Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force to address barriers to U.S. agricultural exports, with a particular focus on trade violations by countries like India. The task force will be composed of employees from the Foreign Agricultural Service, the U.S. Trade Representative's office, and other federal agencies, and will be responsible for identifying trade barriers vulnerable to dispute settlement, developing enforcement strategies, finding potential co-complainants, and reporting quarterly to Congress. The bill specifically highlights India's agricultural price support programs as a significant issue, noting that these programs violate World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments by providing price supports far exceeding allowed limits for commodities like rice, wheat, and cotton. The task force is required to develop a specific plan for filing a WTO consultation request regarding India's price supports, including detailed claims and a timeline for potential further action. Congress believes that dispute settlement is an effective method to assess trade agreement compliance and empower internal reformers, and views agricultural trade as uniquely susceptible to barriers that can harm U.S. farmers, ranchers, and businesses. The bill emphasizes the importance of a rules-based international trading system and aims to proactively address systemic trade obstacles.

Budget and Finance

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/743/all-info