Skip to main content
H.R. 1240 98th Congress House

Fair Trade for Agriculture Act

Official title: A bill to require the President to take certain actions to obtain relief from nontariff trade barriers imposed by foreign countries against agricultural goods produced in the United States.

Introduced: February 3, 1983 See on congress.gov
Foreign Trade and International Finance Agriculture and Rural AffairsAgriculture in foreign tradeExportsForeign Trade and Investments
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Import restrictionsImportsNontariff trade barriers
This bill died when the 98th Congress ended
It never became law before the 98th Congress (1983–1984) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 9, 1983
Referred to Subcommittee on Trade.
Feb 3, 1983
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Feb 3, 1983
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action February 9, 1983

Referred to Subcommittee on Trade.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Fair Trade for Agriculture Act - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to direct the President to determine, within 90 days of enactment, the foreign countries that impose nontariff trade barriers on imports of U.S. agricultural goods. Directs the President to publish a list of such countries within 120 days of enactment. Authorizes the President to revise such list.

Authorizes any interested person to file with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) a petition alleging that a foreign country is imposing nontariff trade barriers on imports of U.S. agricultural goods that restrict U.S. commerce or impair the growth of markets in that country for such goods. Directs the USTR to determine whether the allegations are true and to inform the President of any such determination. Sets forth time limits on the actions by the USTR.

Directs the President, within 60 days after it is determined that a country is imposing such trade barriers, to impose trade restrictions on U.S. imports of that country's products that will have an economic effect equivalent to the effect of such trade barriers, notwithstanding any trade agreement between the United States and that country. Requires the trade restrictions to remain in effect until the President, acting through the USTR, determines that the foreign country has removed the nontariff trade barriers.

Sets forth the responsibilities of the USTR with respect to petitions for the imposition of reciprocal trade restrictions. Requires the President to publish in the Federal Register and report to Congress: (1) the results of all determinations of the existence of foreign nontariff trade barriers; and (2) all actions taken to impose reciprocal trade restrictions. Provides for judicial review of determinations by the USTR with respect to the existence of nontariff trade barriers.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1240: Fair Trade for Agriculture Act. 98th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1240/
MLA
"H.R. 1240: Fair Trade for Agriculture Act." 98th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1240/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1240, 98th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1240/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1240: Fair Trade for Agriculture Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-1240/)
Report a problem