Trade Title of the 2002 Farm Bill: Comparison of Final Provisions with the House and Senate Proposals, and Prior Law (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Sept. 27, 2002 |
| Report Number |
RL31581 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Geoffrey S. Becker, Resources, Science and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Exports, whether commercial or provided as food aid, are viewed by most U.S. agricultural
groups
as critical to their prosperity. Thus, the trade and food aid provisions of the omnibus farm bill, the
Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 ( H.R. 2646 ), signed into law ( P.L.
107-171 ) by the President on May 13, 2002, are of great interest to the agricultural community.
The measure includes a trade title (Title III) amending and/or extending, through 2007, the
major agricultural export and foreign food aid programs. These include
direct export subsidies (the Export Enhancement Program and Dairy Export Incentive Program);
market promotion programs (the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development
Cooperator Program); food aid (for example, P.L. 480, the Food for Peace Program; and Food for
Progress); and export credit guarantees (the so-called GSM-102 and GSM-103 programs).
The law also contains (in Title X) provisions setting new country-of-origin labeling
requirements for meat, seafood, peanuts, and fruits and vegetables. Title I, the commodity title,
significantly expands the availability of domestic U.S. farm subsidies. Both have implications for
U.S. trade relations, particularly as the United States currently is negotiating new agricultural trade
rules in the World Trade Organization. Stated U.S. goals are the elimination of all countries' export
subsidies, as well as substantial reductions in domestic farm support and import restrictions.
This report, which is not intended for future updates, provides a side-by-side comparison of the
new law's major trade provisions with prior law, and with the differing farm bills passed earlier in
the 107th Congress by the House and Senate.
