June 16, 1999

The House approved a bill on voice vote that provides Congress an expanded role in the imposition of sanctions involving agricultural products. The bill requires the President to submit a report to Congress within five days after imposing a selective embargo on agricultural products. Congress then could approve of disapprove the embargo.

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Combest (R-TX) cited a USDA analysis that estimated sanctions reduced U.S. agricultural exports by about $500 million in 1996. The Congressional Research Service reported that in 1996 farm income was reduced by about $150 million and economic activity declined by $1.2 billion.

Rep. Tom Ewing (R-IL), who authored the sanctions bill, said sanctions "have been proven ineffective as foreign policy tools. When a sanction on agriculture products is levied against another country, they just find another supplier."

The bill also establishes the United States "as a fair and consistent food supplier in the global marketplace," said Ewing. "Our trading partners will be able to negotiate trade issues without having to fear a future sanction will be imposed on food and other agriculture exports without congressional approval."