Page:ECONOMIC AND TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.pdf/20

 ==CHAPTER 3 TRADE IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS ==

Article 3.1: General
1. To enhance mutual trust and friendly cooperation between China and the United States on issues affecting agricultural trade, to establish a foundation for addressing long-standing concerns, and to make agriculture a strong pillar of the bilateral relationship, the Parties:

(a) recognizing the importance of their agriculture sectors, of ensuring safe and reliable supplies of food and agricultural products, and of helping to meet the demand of the two countries’ peoples for food and agricultural products, intend to intensify cooperation in agriculture, to expand each Party’s market for food and agricultural products, and to promote the growth of trade in food and agricultural products between the Parties;

(b) considering that science- and risk- based sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures play a crucial role in the protection of human, animal, and plant life and health, while the use of SPS measures for purposes of protectionism negatively impacts the welfare of consumers and producers, and recognizing the importance of ensuring that SPS measures are science-based, non-discriminatory, and account for regional differences in sanitary and phytosanitary characteristics, agree that neither Party shall apply sanitary or phytosanitary measures in a manner which would constitute a disguised restriction on international trade;

(c) considering that the benefits of an agricultural trading system are reduced when importers and exporters are unfairly impeded from taking full advantage of agricultural market access opportunities, recognize that tariff-rate quota (TRQ) administration should not be employed as a means of preventing the full utilization of agricultural TRQs;

(d) noting the ability of agricultural biotechnology to improve lives by helping to feed growing populations, by reducing the environmental impact of agriculture, and by promoting more sustainable production, intend to maintain, for products of agricultural biotechnology, science- and risk-based regulatory frameworks and efficient authorization processes, in order to facilitate increased trade in such products; and

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