USC Subchapter I

7 U.S.C. § 5201 Findings

Congress finds that— (1) United States agricultural exports have declined by more than 36 percent since 1981, from $43,800,000,000 in 1981 to $27,900,000,000 in 1987; (2) the United States share of the world market for agricultural commodities and products has dropped by 20 percent during the last 6 years; (3) for the first time in 15 years, the United States incurred monthly agricultural trade deficits in 1986; (4) the loss of $1,000,000,000 in United States agricultural exports causes the loss of 35,000 agricultural jobs and the loss of 60,000 nonagricultural jobs; (5) the loss of agricultural exports threatens family farms and the economic well-being of rural communities in the United States; (6) factors contributing to the loss of United States agricultural exports include changes in world agricultural markets such as—(A) the addition of new exporting nations; (B) innovations in agricultural technology; (C) increased use of export subsidies designed to lower the price of commodities on the world market; (D) the existence of barriers to agricultural trade; (E) the slowdown in the growth of world food demand in the 1980’s due to cyclical economic factors, including currency fluctuations and a debt-related slowdown in the economic growth of agricultural markets in certain developing countries; and (F) the rapid buildup of surplus stocks as a consequence of favorable weather for agricultural production during the 1980’s; (7) increasing the volume and value of exports is important to the financial well-being of the farm sector in the United States and to increasing farm income in the United States; (8) in order to increase agricultural exports and improve prices for farmers and ranchers in the United States, it is necessary that all agricultural export programs of the United States be used in an expeditious manner, including programs established under the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.), the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.), and section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1431); (9) greater use should be made by the Secretary of Agriculture of the authorities established under section 4 11 See References in Text note below. of the Food for Peace Act of 1966 (7 U.S.C. 1707a), the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.), section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1431), and the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.) to provide intermediate credit financing and other assistance for the establishment of facilities in importing countries to—(A) improve the handling, marketing, processing, storage, and distribution of imported agricultural commodities and products; and (B) increase livestock production to enhance the demand for United States feed grains; (10) food aid and export assistance programs in developing countries stimulate economic activity which causes incomes to rise, and, as incomes rise, diets improve and the demand for and ability to purchase food increases; (11) private voluntary organizations and cooperatives are important and successful partners in our food aid and development programs; and (12) in addition to meeting humanitarian needs, food aid used in sales and barter programs by private voluntary organizations and cooperatives—(A) provides communities with health care, credit systems, and tools for development; and (B) establishes the infrastructure that is essential to the expansion of markets for United States agricultural commodities and products.

7 U.S.C. § 5202 Policy

It is the policy of the United States— (1) to provide, through all possible means, agricultural commodities and products for export at competitive prices, with full assurance of quality and reliability of supply; (2) to support the principle of free trade and the promotion of fair trade in agricultural commodities and products; (3) to support fully the negotiating objectives set forth in section 2901(b) of title 19 to eliminate or reduce substantially constraints on fair and open trade in agricultural commodities and products; (4) to use statutory authority to counter unfair foreign trade practices and to use all available means, including export promotion programs, and, if necessary, restrictions on United States imports of agricultural commodities and products, in order to encourage fair and open trade; and (5) to provide for increased representation of United States agricultural trade interests in the formulation of national fiscal and monetary policy affecting trade.

7 U.S.C. § 5203 Purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter— (1) to increase the effectiveness of the Department of Agriculture in agricultural trade policy formulation and implementation and in assisting United States agricultural producers to participate in international agricultural trade, by strengthening the operations of the Department of Agriculture; and (2) to improve the competitiveness of United States agricultural commodities and products in the world market.