in point of fact we have been losing market share and we have seen 

 some of the big important markets stagnate or decline. We have to 

 look further and broader at some of the growth markets for bulk 

 commodities also. 



A very important concept here which has emerged from many of 

 the Secretary's discussions with leaders of emerging markets and 

 emerging democracies, is the broader agricultural relationship. And 

 this is where the merger of former OICD and former FAS into a 

 new agency is extremely critical. Many of these countries are view- 

 ing their future trading partners as those that help them in their 

 other agricultural needs, research, infrastructure development, et 

 cetera, today. This is something that is extremely important. 



Equally important is what we call a multiagency approach. We 

 are looking at our export efforts not just as a FAS effort, but we 

 are looking at them as an USDA-wide effort and as a U.S. Govern- 

 ment effort. We are bringing together agencies from throughout the 

 Department that have ways of helping us in our export goals as we 

 try to reach them through our efforts. 



For example, the phytosanitary sector is one where we in this 

 country have some of the best expertise in the world, if not the 

 very best in the world, in agricultural areas. We can share this ex- 

 pertise and get other countries to develop and adopt systems that 

 are similar to our own, enormously easing the problems of access 

 for American agricultural products. And we also have ways, as I 

 testified not too long ago before this subcommittee, to use our ex- 

 port efforts in reaching the other missions of the Department, for 

 example, rural development. But this is not just a Department 

 question, it is also a U.S. Government question. 



I referred a little while ago to the TPCC process. I think there 

 are some very creative ways in which we can work together with 

 other agencies in the credit area, for example, with Eximbank and 

 OPIC, to tackle problems of joint interest. And we are going to be 

 looking at things like that. 



Let me close, if I may, by saying just a word or two about three 

 or four of the current tools that we have, and some of the things 

 that we are looking at to augment these tools, to bring them into 

 line with the demands of the current environment. Let me speak 

 first about credit and our credit programs. 



The GSM-102 and 103 programs, work very well for categories 

 of countries that are currently participating. There may be other 

 areas in the international trade environment where an infusion of 

 extra liquidity would help to grow markets for U.S. agricultural 

 products more quickly. And I am thinking in particular of two 

 groups of traders. 



I am thinking, one, of that area of trade which is not done on 

 a letter of credit basis, which is the basis of GSM-102, but which 

 is done on more of a supplier's credit basis. We are looking at ways 

 that we can augment the current supplier's credit that is being pro- 

 vided, and perhaps develop a credit program that will work either 

 directly with importers or directly with U.S. exporters, to augment 

 supplier's credit, to infuse extra liquidity into the system. 



Similarly, we are looking at a group of countries which are po- 

 tential markets which on the basis of today's rather short-term 

 payment standards, may not be creditworthy enough to qualify for 



