Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act
Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act
Plain Language Summary
# Summary of HR 5620: Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act **What the bill would do:** If passed, this bill would create a new task force focused on helping American farmers access foreign markets more easily. The task force would identify countries or trade practices that unfairly block U.S. agricultural products, develop strategies to challenge these barriers (through the World Trade Organization or other trade agreements), and find allied countries willing to file complaints alongside the United States. The task force would report back to Congress on its progress. **Who it affects:** This bill primarily impacts U.S. farmers and agricultural exporters who face restrictions selling their products overseas.
It also involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which would staff the task force. Indirectly, it could affect international trade relationships with countries that maintain barriers to American agricultural goods. **Current status:** The bill is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives. It was introduced by Representative Eric Crawford (R-AR), whose district includes significant agricultural interests in Arkansas.
CRS Official Summary
Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement ActThis bill establishes a joint task force to identify and address trade barriers to U.S. agricultural exports.Specifically, the bill directs the President to establish the Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force. Members of this task force must include employees of the Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.The bill requires the task force to (1) identify trade barriers to U.S. agricultural exports that are vulnerable to dispute settlement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) or other trade agreements, (2) develop and implement a strategy for enforcing violations of trade agreements related to those trade barriers, (3) identify like-minded trading partners for specific trade barriers that could act as complainants on disputes that are systemically or economically important to the United States, and (4) submit periodic reports to Congress.In its initial report, the task force must include a plan for filing a request under the WTO dispute settlement process for consultations to address India's minimum price supports.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.