CRS: Brazil's and Canada's WTO Cases Against U.S. Agricultural Support, February 1, 2008
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: Brazil's and Canada's WTO Cases Against U.S. Agricultural Support
CRS report number: RL34351
Author(s): Randy Schnepf, Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Date: February 1, 2008
- On December 17, 2007, the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) established a single panel to consider charges against U.S. farm programs brought in two separate but similar cases: DS357, brought by Canada, and DS365, brought by Brazil. Both cases make two charges against U.S. farm programs - first, that the United States has exceeded its annual WTO commitment levels for total aggregate measurement of support (AMS) for agriculture in each of the years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005, and second, that the U.S. export credit guarantee program for agricultural commodities operates as a WTO-illegal export subsidy. This report begins with background on the evolution of the Canadian and Brazilian WTO cases. This is followed by a section that describes in detail the nature of the two major charges made against U.S. farm programs in the two cases and the U.S. response to those charges. Finally, the report briefly discusses the implications of the case and the potential role of Congress.