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Statement by Christopher Goldthwait 



Acting General Sales Manager 



Foreign Agricultural Service 



Before the House Committee on Agriculture 



Subcommittee on Foreign Agriculture and Hunger and 



House Committee on Government Operations 



Subcommittee on Information, Justice, 



Transportation and Agriculture 



November 10, 1993 



Thank you. Chairmen Penny and Condit, for the opportunity to testify before these 

 subcommittees. I am more than grateful for the opportunity to appear before you at what is 

 undoubtedly a critical juncture for the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). I want first to 

 spend a few minutes talking about overall Department direction and policy in the 

 international area, and export policy specifically, and then offer some comments on the 

 questions posed in your letter of invitation. : :, 



A Time To Review Fundamental Direction 



All of the factors that make today's world vitally different from that in which we 

 crafted the 1990 Farm Bill are well known. A few of these affecting FAS in particular, are: 



~ Dramatic changes in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe ~ countries that 

 happen to be major U.S. agricultural markets. 



~ The prospect for major gains on the international trade front with the successful 

 passage of NAFTA and conclusion of the Uruguay Round. On this, Messrs. Chairmen, let 

 me offer an aside - NAFTA is absolutely vital to America's future economic growth ~ most 

 of what the agreement is criticized for will occur without it; passage of NAFTA offers the 

 prospect for progress on jobs, environment, competitive conditions, in short a level playing 

 field. 



