While the nation was fixated last week on the re-introduction of weapons inspectors into Iraq and the passage by the lame-duck Congress of a homeland security bill, wheat farmers on the Northern Plains were getting less dramatic but very important news.
The International Trade Commission decided to take the next step in its investigation of unfair trading practices by the Canadian Wheat Board. The original complaint was filed with the ITC by the North Dakota Wheat Commission. A preliminary ruling concluded Canada indeed is injuring U.S. wheat farmers by dumping and illegally subsidizing hard red spring wheat and durum, the varieties primarily grown in North Dakota, eastern Montana and northwest Minnesota.
While the ITC investigation is moving ahead, a proposed World Trade Organization action against the Canadian Wheat Board appears to be stalled because of inaction of Bush administration officials. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick made a commitment last month to Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., to immediately file a trade case against Canada with the WTO. They have not delivered, the senators said.
Last week the two senators again asked Evans and Zoellick for the immediate action that was promised weeks ago. Still no response.
What makes the delay curious is that Zoellick himself ruled months ago that the evidence against Canada is strong. He based his conclusion on the work of the ITC and the North Dakota Wheat Commission. The ITC's latest move -- to continue the investigation -- strongly suggests a filing with WTO is justified.
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Canadian Wheat Board officials have tried to characterize the Wheat Commission initiative and the ITC investigation as "political." The evidence, however, indicates otherwise. The case is about unfair trade practices and economic harm visited on U.S. farmers because of the wheat board's conduct.
The Department of Commerce and the ITC will gather more information in the next year to strengthen the U.S. case. That's fine, but there is enough evidence now to take the case to the the WTO. Secretary Evans and Trade Representative Zoellick should honor the commitment they made in October to file a WTO action.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board
