119-hres230

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 230 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 230

 Expressing the sense that Congress and the administration must work 
together, with urgency, to pursue effective food and agricultural trade 
 policies.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 18, 2025

 Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. 
 Costa, Mr. Panetta, Mr. LaHood, Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Bacon, 
Mr. Schneider, Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Gottheimer, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Miller of 
 Ohio, Mr. Newhouse, and Mr. Thanedar) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Expressing the sense that Congress and the administration must work 
together, with urgency, to pursue effective food and agricultural trade 
 policies.

Whereas the United States food and agriculture industries are critical to the 
 prosperity of the United States people and vital to global food 
 security;
Whereas United States food and agriculture production standards are among the 
 most technologically advanced, highly efficient, safe, and sustainable 
 in the world;
Whereas the United States food and agriculture industries accounted for 
 $2,800,000,000,000 in total wages and generated over $9,600,000,000,000 
 in total economic output in 2023;
Whereas, in 2023, United States food and agriculture exports totaled nearly 
 $200,000,000,000, supporting jobs and creating economic opportunity 
 throughout the supply chain in every State of the country;
Whereas, in 2023, jobs in manufacturing of agricultural products accounted for 
 almost 20 percent of all manufacturing jobs in the United States;
Whereas, in addition to its commercial exports, the United States plays an 
 indispensable role in feeding millions around the world as the largest 
 country donor of international food assistance;
Whereas, in 2023, the United States experienced a 9-percent decline in the value 
 of United States food and agricultural exports;
Whereas the latest forecast by the Department of Agriculture for the 2024 fiscal 
 year predicted a food and agriculture trade deficit of $37,000,000,000, 
 a stark contrast to the United States historical trade surplus in 
 agricultural exports, which have averaged approximately $12,500,000,000 
 over the past 10 years;
Whereas current food and agricultural trade exports are significantly below 
 prior years, and the United States is losing its hard-won global 
 agricultural trade dominance;
Whereas United States food and agriculture remains subject to unjustified, 
 nonscience-based trade barriers across Asia, the Americas, and Europe;
Whereas United States food and agricultural exports still face trade-restrictive 
 tariffs in key markets around the globe; and
Whereas United States food and agricultural exports have grown significantly in 
 the past through the proactive engagement of the United States 
 Government over multiple administrations using a myriad of tools to open 
 and expand market access for United States farmers and ranchers 
 including comprehensive trade agreements, enforcement of existing 
 bilateral and World Trade Organization agreements through dispute 
 settlement processes, trade promotion programs, and bilateral or 
 regional negotiations to address tariff and nontariff barriers: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That it is the sense of Congress that Congress and the 
administration must work together, with urgency, to pursue effective 
food and agricultural trade policies that include the following 
components:

    (1) A renewed commitment to secure new and expanded market 
 access and maintain global competitiveness for the United 
 States food and agriculture industries.

    (2) Strong support for domestic trade promotion programs 
 that benefit all sectors of United States agriculture.

    (3) Consideration of comprehensive trade agreements with 
 key trading partners, focusing on new market access through 
 lower tariffs on United States exports and resolution of 
 unwarranted trade barriers.

    (4) Enforcement of the market access commitments in our 
 existing multilateral and bilateral trade agreements and 
 improved procedures to enforce United States trade laws for 
 agricultural producers.

    (5) The elimination of longstanding unwarranted nontariff 
 trade barriers through effective and efficient dispute 
 settlement processes.

    (6) Pursuit of a global trading system in food and 
 agriculture based on sound science through bilateral and 
 regional agreements as well as the World Trade Organization and 
 other international bodies.
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