ARLINGTON, VA – USA Rice has submitted to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) a list of key trade barriers facing U.S. rice in foreign markets. The barriers range from ongoing phytosanitary restrictions by Colombia on imports of U.S. paddy rice; a discriminatory and very complex tariff regime in the EU; the trade distorting impact of Thailand’s rice support program; government management of rice imports in Japan and Taiwan; and Korea’s new rice import regime.
USTR is mandated by law to publish annually the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE). The NTE sets out an inventory of the most important foreign barriers affecting U.S. exports of goods and services, U.S. foreign direct investment, and protection of intellectual property rights. The inventory facilitates U.S. negotiations aimed at reducing or eliminating these barriers.
“USA Rice’s submission provides an easy-to-follow road map to our trade negotiators of the most serious overseas barriers to U.S. rice exports,” said USA Rice COO Bob Cummings. “Over the past few years USA Rice has provided evidence of these trade barriers and lack of compliance by many of our competitors with the trade rules of the World Trade Organization. We’re anxious to strengthen our collaboration with the administration and other agriculture groups to remove these barriers and address WTO non-compliance.”
USA Rice’s submission was in response to a Federal Register notice and the NTE report should be published during the first quarter of 2016, and the full submission can be accessed here.