WASHINGTON D.C. (Hoeven news release) – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today issued the following statement after the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that China administered its tariff-rate quotas (TRQ) for wheat, corn and rice in a manner that unfairly denied U.S. farmers access to the Chinese market. The senator fully backed the U.S. Trade Representative when bringing this compliance case against China in December 2016. This is the second WTO ruling against China this year, with the organization finding last month that the nation’s price supports for wheat and other grains violated WTO rules.

“For the second time this year, the WTO has ruled against China’s unfair trade practices, another important victory for our farmers and ranchers,” Hoeven said. “Our agriculture producers can compete with anyone around the world, as long as they are given an even playing field. We’re working with the administration to do just that by securing better trade deals. We continue urging the administration to advance these negotiations as quickly as possible to give our farmers the access they need to foreign markets and to secure more commodity purchases to provide certainty to producers in the meantime.”

Hoeven continues working with the administration, including President Trump, Vice President Pence, Secretary Perdue and Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council and the president’s chief economic advisor, to help expand and open markets for agriculture producers. His efforts include:

• Developing a strategy to move the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) through both the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
• Urging the administration to reach a resolution on Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
• Pressing the administration to advance trade negotiations with China as well as trade negotiations that the administration is undertaking with Japan.
• Encouraging additional commodity sales and the opening of new markets while negotiations continue.