Section 701.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) California farm sales, which are of vital importance to California agriculture and the state's economy, have been adversely affected by increasing foreign imports and a loss of export markets as a result of numerous factors including, in some cases, unfair trade practices of foreign governments and foreign business enterprises.

(b) Under the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. Sec. 2101 et seq.), an interested party may file a petition with the United States Trade Representative to negotiate for a remedy when any act, policy, or practice of a foreign government is inconsistent with international trade agreements, or otherwise unreasonable, unjustifiable, or discriminatory and is a burden or is restrictive to United States commerce, or if a foreign government fails to grant United States rights under a trade agreement.

(c) Agricultural parties at interest under the act are encountering difficulties in obtaining these remedies. They are encountering a lengthy, costly, political process which requires extensive factfinding to show significant interest and substantial damage.

(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 1358, Sec. 1.)