SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHJM 4005

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

   Agriculture & Rural Economic Development, March 31, 1999

Brief Description:  Urging elimination of unilateral trade sanctions.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology (originally sponsored by Representatives Schoesler, Grant, G. Chandler, Sump, Mastin, Lisk, Linville, Tokuda, Doumit, Delvin, Radcliff, Dunn and Mulliken).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Agriculture & Rural Economic Development:  3/31/99 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Rasmussen, Chair; T. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Gardner, Honeyford, Morton and Stevens.

Staff:  Bob Lee (786-7404)

Background:  The imposition of trade sanctions that prevent the sale of goods produced in the United States to specific foreign countries is a tool used by the federal government to further international policy objectives.  Trade sanctions may apply broadly or may apply to specific manufactured goods or agricultural products.

Trade sanctions may be imposed by the United States in concert with other countries or on a unilateral basis.

Summary of Bill:  The President and Congress of the United States are memorialized to eliminate unilateral trade sanctions pertaining to agricultural products, except in cases of compelling national emergency or declaration of war.  The memorial asks that, in the future, the United States refrain from using sanctions except in the case of war or for national security reasons and that legislation be approved to implement a producer and worker compensation program based on the negative impact of sanctions on the sale of agricultural products.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Testimony For:  Unilateral trade sanctions often penalize our domestic producers more than they affect foreign countries as we lose markets when they switch to an alternative source of supply.  There are a number of longstanding trade sanctions that continue to prevent the export of agricultural products which are in need of review.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Representative Mark Schoesler, prime sponsor; Ray Shindler, WA Wheat Commission; Linda Johnson, WA Farm Bureau.