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May 21, 2003 The Honorable Robert Zoellick U.S. Trade Representative Executive Office of the President Washington, D.C. 20508 Dear Mr. Ambassador: The undersigned organizations believe bilateral and regional trade agreements offer excellent opportunities to expand foreign understanding and acceptance of U.S. regulations and standards, particularly with respect to agricultural biotechnology. We urge you to take full advantage of these opportunities and seek inclusion of language that commits countries that are parties to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Trade and Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs) with the United States to the following key principles: 1. Decisions regarding approval of products of agricultural biotechnology must be based on objective risk analyses, not political pressures, and must be consistent with the requirements in the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS); 2. Government mandated product labeling regimes for health and safety purposes must be science-based and consistent with the WTO SPS Agreement. Other product labeling, for informational or marketing purposes, must be truthful and not misleading to consumers, based on product attributes rather than methods of production, no more trade restrictive than necessary, and consistent with the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT); and 3. Patents must be made available for products of agricultural biotechnology and such patents must be protected, and enforceable, according to the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. We believe that these basic principles should be advanced in all bilateral and regional free trade negotiations. We recognize that the specific text to be included in such trade agreements will need to be developed. We are prepared to work closely with U.S. negotiators to assist in that process, as well as in the negotiations themselves. Free trade agreements can serve as an important vehicle for advancing U.S. global interests in the field of agricultural biotechnology. Such agreements would expand the number of countries that recognize the importance of adopting domestic regulations based on science and WTO rules. They would also help to promote a more positive dialogue in the various international forums that deal with these issues including Codex Alimentarius. Countries that have adopted clear science-based regulatory systems for approvals and labeling of biotech products are generally those with the highest level of consumer acceptance of the technology. We believe that raising these issues with foreign governments in the context of free trade negotiations will expand the number of countries adopting such systems, and we urge you to make this a priority in all ongoing and forthcoming FTAs/TIFAs. Sincerely, American Farm Bureau Federation American Meat Institute American Soybean Association Corn Refiners Association Grocery Manufacturers Association National Corn Growers Association National Turkey Federation USA Rice Federation Wheat Export Trade Education Committee For more information on the corn refining industry, visit the Corn Capsules newsletter page. 
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