Expressing the sense of Congress that all direct and indirect subsidies that benefit the production or export of sugar by all major sugar-producing and -consuming countries should be eliminated.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 7 Expressing the sense of Congress that all direct and indirect subsidies that benefit the production or export of sugar by all major sugar-producing and -consuming countries should be eliminated. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 24, 2019 Mr. YOHO (for himself, Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. JONES, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, and Mr. MITCHELL) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was re- ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with- in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of Congress that all direct and indirect subsidies that benefit the production or export of sugar by all major sugar-producing and -consuming countries should be eliminated. Whereas every major sugar-producing and sugar-consuming country in the world maintains some form of direct or in- direct subsidy to support its sugar growers, processors, or consumers; Whereas virtually all of the more than 100 countries that produce sugar maintain market-distorting subsidy pro- grams, including— VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:04 Jan 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC7.IH HC7 khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HCON 7 IH (1) the Government of Brazil which provides direct and indirect subsidies of at least $2,500,000,000 per year for programs to promote its sugar and ethanol industry and has increased subsidies in recent years in the form of preferential loans, debt forgiveness, and increased eth- anol usage mandates; (2) the Government of India which provides at least $1,700,000,000 per year in subsidy supports to prop up its inefficient sugar industry, including WTO-illegal ex- port subsidies in 2014, 2015, and 2018; (3) the Government of Thailand which has more than tripled its sugar exports since 2004 by providing at least $1,300,000,000 in subsidies and government pro- grams to its sugar industry and by maintaining domestic prices well above export prices; (4) the Government of the European Union which is sending an estimated $665,000,000 per year in subsidies to sugar farmers; and (5) the Government of Mexico which has used direct and indirect subsidies to keep open sugar mills owned by private industry and the government has sent direct pay- ments to sugarcane growers, and has been found guilty of injuring United States sugar producers by dumping subsidized sugar into the United States market; Whereas the world sugar market is the most volatile com- modity market in the world; Whereas the foregoing clauses provide ample evidence there is no undistorted, free market in sugar in the world today; and Whereas if such a free market did exist, United States sugar farmers and processors could compete effectively in that market: Now, therefore, be it VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Jan 24, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC7.IH HC7 khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HCON 7 IH Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 1 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 2 (1) the President should seek elimination of all 3 direct and indirect subsidies benefiting the produc- 4 tion or export of sugar by the government of— 5 (A) each country that exported more than 6 200,000 metric tons of sugar in 2016, 2017, or 7 2018; and 8 (B) by any other country with which the 9 United States has in effect a free trade agree- 10 ment; 11 (2) if the President determines that all such 12 subsidies by all such countries have been eliminated, 13 the President should submit a report to Congress 14 providing detailed information about how each of the 15 countries has eliminated such subsidies; and 16 (3) after submitting such a report, the Presi- 17 dent should propose to Congress legislation to imple- 18 ment United States sugar policy reforms. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:54 Jan 24, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HC7.IH HC7 khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS