May 16, 2000
The Honorable Trent Lott
Majority Leader
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
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 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,
[signed}
Sheldon Jones, Director, Arizona Dept. of Agriculture
William Lyons, Secretary, California Dept. of Food and Agriculture
Donald Ament, Commissioner, Colorado Dept. of Agriculture
John F. Tarburton, Secretary, Delaware Dept. of Agriculture
Bob Crawford, Commissioner, Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Tommy Irvin, Commissioner, Georgia Dept. of Agriculture
James J. Nakatani, Chairperson, Hawaii Board of Agriculture
Pat Takasugi, Secretary, Idaho Dept. of Agriculture
Joseph Hampton, Director, Illinois Dept. of Agriculture
Patty Judge, Secretary, Iowa Dept. of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Jamie Clover Adams, Secretary, Kansas Dept. of Agriculture
Dan Wyant, Director, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture
Gene Hugoson, Commissioner, Minnesota Dept. Agriculture
Ralph Peck, Director, Montana Dept. of Agriculture
Meryln Carlson, Director, Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture
Frank DuBois, Secretary, New Mexico Dept. of Agriculture
Nathan Rudgers, Commissioner, New York Dept. of Agriculture and Markets
James Graham, Commissioner, North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Roger Johnson, Commissioner, North Dakota Dept. of Agriculture
Fred Dailey, Director, Ohio Dept. of Agriculture
Phil Ward, Director, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
Samuel Hayes, Secretary, Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture
Dan Wheeler, Commissioner, Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture
Susan Combs, Commissioner, Texas Dept. of Agriculture
Cary Peterson, Commissioner, Utah Dept. of Agriculture
Jim Jesernig, Director, Washington Dept. of Agriculture
Ben Brancel, Secretary, Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection