Ag Disputes Act
Ag Disputes Act
Plain Language Summary
# Ag Disputes Act Summary **What the bill would do:** The Ag Disputes Act would create a new task force focused on helping U.S. farmers and agricultural exporters. The task force would identify countries that unfairly block American farm products from entering their markets, develop strategies to challenge these barriers through international trade agreements (particularly through the World Trade Organization), and work with other countries that face similar trade barriers to file complaints together. **Who it affects:** The bill primarily affects U.S. agricultural exporters and farmers seeking access to international markets.
It also involves the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, who would staff the task force. The bill appears to target trade barriers in multiple regions, including Asia and India specifically. **Current status:** The bill was introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act or the Ag Disputes 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 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 to which the United States is a party, (2) develop and implement a strategy for enforcing violations of trade agreements related to those trade barriers, (3) identify like-minded trading partners that could act as complainants on disputes relating to specific trade barriers that are systemically or economically important to the United States, and (4) submit periodic reports to Congress.In its first report, the task force must include a plan for filing a request for consultations under the WTO with respect to agricultural price supports implemented by the Indian government.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.