Remarks of Sec. Dan Glickman on  Statement of Intent' in Argentina
                                           Releases No. 0424.97
                                                               
Remarks
                                
                   of Secretary Dan Glickman
              Statement of Intent' Signing Ceremony
    for U.S./Argentine Consultative Committee on Agriculture
          Buenos Aires, Argentina -- December 2, 1997

This statement of intent is a mutual recognition that the agriculture and food
sectors are critical to the economic success of both our nations. Increased
trade between Argentina and the United States will mean more prosperity for
our people and stronger relations for our nations. 

This consultative committee that we have pledged to establish will foster
cooperation at the highest levels of government. Working together -- expert to
expert, policy leader to policy leader -- we hope to work more quickly and
fairly through trade difficulties and build an even stronger relationship and
spirit of cooperation.

This committee will address several critical issues, such as market access,
food safety, research and technology. These issues are frequently at the heart
of trade disputes, and they are important both to our food and agricultural
sectors as well as to our nations' consumers. 

By resolving our disputes with sound science, this committee will help both
our governments serve our consumers, our agriculture and our nations well in
the 21st century. Both our countries, for example, would like to see greater
market access in various fruit and vegetable categories. Hopefully, this
committee can help pick up the pace of those efforts, and smooth the path for
further expansion of our agricultural trade.

U.S.-Argentine trade today is at an all-time high. My country sold close to
$225 million in food and fiber here in the past fiscal year -- led by planting
seeds and consumer-oriented goods. Argentina also did very well -- selling
more than $800 million worth of agricultural products in the United States. 

Clearly, we are both benefitting from more open and fair agricultural trade.
But it should be equally clear that both our countries have much more to gain
from futher progress -- in our own trading relationship as well as our
multilateral efforts in the World Trade Organization and elsewhere.

It is my hope that this consultative committee can be a bridge to a new era of
cooperation and prosperity for both our nations and their agriculture. 

Thank you.
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