Agricultural trade enforcement task force

(a) Establishment Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a joint task force, to be known as the Agricultural Trade Enforcement Task Force (referred to in this section as the Task Force). (b) Duties (1) In general The Task Force shall— (A) identify trade barriers to United States agricultural exports that are vulnerable to dispute settlement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) or other trade agreements; (B) develop and implement a strategy for enforcing violations of trade agreements related to these trade barriers; (C) identify like-minded trading partners for specific trade barriers that could act as co-complainants or primary complainants on disputes that are systemically or economically important to the United States; and (D) report quarterly to Congress on progress toward resolving cases or filing disputes. (2) Consultation In carrying out its duties under this subsection, the Task Force shall regularly consult, to the extent necessary and appropriate, with the following: (A) Relevant stakeholders in the private sector, including the agricultural trade advisory committees. (B) Federal departments and agencies that are not represented on the Task Force. (C) Like-minded trading partners that are similarly concerned with trade barriers and are potential participants in the dispute settlement process. (c) Membership (1) In general The Task Force shall be comprised of the following members: (A) One or more employees of the Foreign Agricultural Service, who shall be appointed by the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. (B) One of more employees of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, who shall be appointed jointly by the General Counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Chief Agricultural Negotiator. (C) One or more employees of other Federal agencies as needed, who shall be appointed jointly by the officials specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B). (2) Qualification Employees of the Federal agencies specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) may be appointed as members of the Task Force only if such employees have appropriate expertise in agricultural trade policy and trade enforcement. (d) Report (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report on its progress in identifying and addressing trade barriers to United States agricultural exports. (2) Matters to be included The report required by this subsection shall include the following: (A) A description of the systemic and economically significant trade barriers that have been identified. (B) A justification for including the identified trade barriers. (C) A description of the progress that has been made in developing dispute settlement cases and further information that is required. (D) The current status of ongoing disputes at the WTO and implementation of panel, arbitration, or appellate body decisions. (3) Additional matters to be included in initial report The initial report required by this subsection shall, in addition to the matters described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (2), include a plan to file a request under the WTO dispute settlement process for consultations to address India’s minimum price supports. The plan shall include— (A) an identification of like-minded trading partners that could act as co-complainants or primary complainants with respect to the request; (B) a description of specific claims the United States intends to make with respect to the request; and (C) a timeline to— (i) request consultations; and (ii) request the establishment of a panel not later than 60 days after the date of the request for consultations if India does not provide assurances that it will address its minimum price supports. (e) Congressional briefings The United States Trade Representative and the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide briefings on the Task Force to appropriate Members of Congress and congressional staff.