May 16, 2000
The Honorable Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House of Representatives
1026 Longworth Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Dear Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Lott:
The Honorable Trent Lott
Majority Leader
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The issue of U.S. trade with China is of paramount importance to the agricultural community. As Commissioners, Secretaries and Directors of agriculture of our respective states, we ask you to maintain your strong commitment to this important matter.
The agreement negotiated last year by U.S. Trade Representative Barshefsky, if fully and fairly implemented, will create enormous opportunities for U.S. agriculture. China will be subject to the rules and disciplines of the World Trade Organization (WTO) upon completion of the accession process. In order for U.S. agriculture to benefit from China's entry into the WTO, Congress must extend to China the same trade status we grant to all other WTO members. Accordingly, we urge you to provide Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status to China early in the year 2000.
The agreement with China is critically important. It will significantly improve market access for a wide variety of U.S. food and agriculture products, and provide tools for agricultural production. WTO membership will also require China to play by the same rules and disciplines of the multilateral trading system as the United States. Under that system, the U.S. could turn to the WTO and its dispute settlement mechanisms should China not live up to any of its obligations. We currently do not have this as an avenue of recourse.
The agreement plays an important role in U.S. agriculture's effort to rekindle its exports to Asia. China, our fourth largest trading partner, is broadly recognized as the most important growth market for U.S. agricultural exports. While the United States gains access to its growing market, China does not gain any greater access to the U.S. market under the negotiated agreement, making it a win-win for American agriculture.
We strongly support WTO membership for China, and we urge you to extend permanent NTR status to China. We further urge Congress to vote on this vitally important issue to a growing and open world economy. Bringing China into the WTO will contribute significantly to American agriculture's future prosperity.
Sincerely,
Sheldon Jones William J. Lyons
Director Secretary
Arizona Department of Agriculture California Department
of Food & Agriculture
Donald Ament John F. Tarburton
Commissioner Secretary
Colorado, Department of Agriculture Delaware Department of
Agriculture
Commissioner Commissioner
Florida Department of Agriculture Georgia Department of Agriculture
James J. Nakatani Patrick Takasugi
Chairperson Director
Hawaii Board of Agriculture Idaho Department of Agriculture
Joseph Hampton Patty Judge
Director Secretary
Illinois Department of Agriculture Iowa Department of Agriculture
& Land Stewardship
Jamie Clover Adams Dan Wyant
Secretary Director
Kansas Department of Agriculture Michigan Department of Agriculture
Gene Hugoson Ralph Peck
Commissioner Director
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Montana Department of Agriculture
Meryln E. Carlson Frank a. DuBois
Director Director/Secretary
Nebraska Department of Agriculture New Mexico Department of
Agriculture
Nathan Rudgers James A. Graham
Commissioner Commissioner
New York Department of Agriculture North Carolina Department of
Agriculture
Roger Johnson Fred L. Dailey
Commissioner Director
North Dakota Department of Agriculture Ohio Department of Agriculture
Phil Ward Samuel E. Hayes
Director Secretary
Oregon Department of Agriculture Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture
Dan Wheeler Susan Combs
Commissioner Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Agriculture Texas Department of Agriculture
Cary G. Peterson Jim Jesemig
Commissioner Director
Utah Department of Agriculture Washington Department of Agriculture
Ben Brancel
Secretary
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture
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