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is no longer there, all you have is the language that is in the agree- 

 ment. And there is no specificity in the agreement, nor in the side 

 agreements on labor and environment, nor the two-page document 

 that supposedly is supposed to address import surges. 



As a microbiologist and an agriculturalist in food science, you 

 just cannot rely on border inspections to prevent problems in food 

 safety, phytosanitary issues, and sanitary standards. Right now 

 Customs 



Senator Conrad. And why not? Why not? 



Ms. Roberts. To give you some statistics with current resources, 

 FDA, USDA, Customs indicate to us that less than 2 percent of the 

 shipments coming through are inspected. The inspections that they 

 do are oftentimes not very thorough because the trucks are backed 

 up waiting to come in. It is very 



Senator Conrad. So they just wave them through. As a practical 

 matter, they check two loads out of a hundred. 



Ms. Roberts. Oh, they are very wonderful people with a lot of 

 professional expertise. They just cannot do what they have been as- 

 signed to do. 



It will require some strong enforcement by all our trading part- 

 ners involved in the agreement. Mexico will have to have their own 

 governmental enforcement provisions. 



We in the States are going to have to pick up a greater share 

 of attempting to be partners with the Federal Government in this. 

 The Federal Government cannot do this. Both USDA and FDA 

 have indicated in various documents that the number of inspec- 

 tions will actually be decreasing per the volume being imported. 



Senator Conrad. Given the fact there will be more volume, same 

 number of inspectors, the actual rate of inspection will decline. 



Ms. Roberts. Actual rate. And we can't push aside, even though 

 we have had assurances, we can't push aside the food safety ques- 

 tion. We have up to 81 million people ill each year from foodborne 

 disease. It is a real statistic now with the foods we consume. We 

 must do a better job of protecting the safety of the foods we 

 consume and the standards that apply to those, whether imported 

 or domestic. 



Senator Conrad. Thank you very much. 



Mr. Stuber, Roger, you know the sensitivity in the State of North 

 Dakota on the wheat and barley questions. I assume that you 

 would not object and probably would support attempts to get these 

 problems addressed with respect to Canada. Am I correct on that? 



Mr. Stuber. I want to agree, but if I can give you the cattlemen's 

 perspective on it, what we want is market access and to get rid of 

 export subsidies. They often send the wrong signals or create some 

 signals that cause price disparity. I think we have too much going 

 with this agreement. And I raise wheat. I have two or three bins 

 of Durum sitting there I would like to sell. So I understand the 

 issue. 



I personally have no opposition to that. As a member of our 

 group, we just don't get into those things, Senator. 



Senator Conrad. I understand. 



Well, let me again thank this panel. We have been advised there 

 is a vote about to be called, so I am going to excuse this panel. 



