Hoeven highlights WTO ruling against China as victory for U.S. farmers

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) continued his push to open markets for U.S. agriculture producers, praising a recent ruling from the World Trade Organization (WTO) that found that China’s tariff-rate quotas for wheat, corn, and rice violated rules and put U.S. farmers at a disadvantage.

“For the second time this year, the WTO has ruled against China’s unfair trade practices, another important victory for our farmers and ranchers,” said Sen. Hoeven, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.

The WTO also ruled last month that China’s price supports for wheat and other grains violated WTO rules.

Hoeven was a strong supporter of the U.S. Trade Representative bringing a compliance case against China in the WTO back in 2016 for its failure to meet market access obligations for U.S. wheat, corn, and rice, the senator’s office said in a statement.

“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,” Sen. Hoeven said.

The senator is working closely with the Trump Administration to develop a strategy to advance the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement through Congress, according to Hoeven’s office. And the senator continues to press the administration to resolve Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico, while also encouraging additional commodity sales and more open markets throughout the negotiations.

“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,” the senator said.