The Ag Disputes Act would create a dedicated Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force to identify and address barriers to U.S. agricultural exports that could be pursued through international dispute mechanisms (notably the World Trade Organization, or WTO). The Task Force would consist of staff from the Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA), the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), and other relevant agencies, and it would develop strategies to enforce trade agreements, identify potential co-complainants, and report progress to Congress. A key feature is a formal plan, within the first report, to pursue WTO consultations and potentially a panel against India over its agricultural price-support programs. The bill also sets a sense-of-the-Congress directive to accelerate enforcement efforts and to establish concrete timelines and leadership roles, with the USTR as the lead trade-policy agency.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of the Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force within 30 days of enactment, with members from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, USTR, and other federal agencies as appropriate.
- 2Task Force duties include identifying trade barriers vulnerable to dispute settlement, developing enforcement strategies, finding like-minded partners to participate in disputes, and regularly reporting to Congress.
- 3Quarterly (at least) progress reports to Congress, detailing identified barriers, justification, dispute-progress, and the status of ongoing WTO or other dispute decisions, with confidential information redacted as necessary and briefings for Congress provided.
- 4India-focused element: the first report must include a plan to file WTO consultations over India’s agricultural price supports, identify potential co-complainants, and lay out a timeline for requesting consultations and, if needed, establishing a WTO panel within 60 days of receiving a consultation request.
- 5Sense of Congress and leadership: Congress urges accelerated efforts to address foreign trade barriers affecting U.S. agriculture, assigns primary enforcement/strategy roles to USTR and the Secretary of Agriculture (in consultation with Congress and private sector), and designates the USTR as the lead agency for U.S. trade policy.