The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the export assistance programs contained in the FAIR Act, except for Titles II and III of the revised P.L. 480, which are assigned by law to the Agency for International Development. Within USDA, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the leader in developing and executing these programs and initiatives.

Food Aid Programs

The FAIR Act reauthorized and added activities to one of the oldest U.S. export assistance programs--P.L. 480, also known as Food for Peace. Fiscal year 1999 commodity programming for food aid under P.L. 480 is estimated at $1.4 billion, including $844 million for Title I (including Title I-funded Food for Progress), $581 million for Title II (including Title II/World Food Program), and $19 million for Title III. The $1.4 billion in P.L. 480 food assistance will support the shipment of approximately 6 million metric tons of commodities.

U.S. food assistance currently programmed under P.L. 480 (including Title I-funded Food for Progress), the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)-funded Food for Progress program, and Section 416(b) is estimated at about 12 million metric tons for FY 1999.

The FAIR Act reauthorized Title I government-to-government concessional sales and included the authority to sign agreements with private entities. It also modified the repayment terms for Title I credit, eliminating the minimum repayment period of 10 years and reducing the maximum grace period from 7 to 5 years. An agricultural trade organization will be allowed to carry out projects or programs in developing countries using funds from the sale of Title I commodities if the organization has a market development plan approved by the Secretary of Agriculture.

For FY 1999, concessional sales and donations of about 3.0 million metric tons of commodities valued at $844 million will be made to 17 countries under Title I and the Food for Progress program using Title I funds. This includes Title I concessional sales and Title I-funded Food for Progress donations of about $646 million as part of the assistance package to Russia announced by the Secretary of Agriculture on November 6, 1998. Ocean freight financing and ocean freight grants totaling $84.5 million will be provided to ship the Title I and Food for Progress commodities. As of June 23, agreements were being developed for 2.6 million tons of commodities valued at about $750 million.

The FAIR Act reauthorized the Title II emergency and private assistance donations program. It increased the maximum level of funding that can be provided as overseas administrative support from $13.5 million to $28 million and added intergovernmental organizations such as the World Food Program to the list of organizations eligible to receive these funds. For FY 1999, donations of about 2.7 million metric tons of commodities valued at an estimated $581 million are currently programmed under Title II, including Title II donations through the World Food Program.

As of June 23, FY 1999 Food for Progress bilateral agreements using the Title I authority were planned with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Russia totaling 302,664 metric tons valued at about $188 million. In addition, a Food for Progress agreement with a private entity using the Title I authority was planned in Russia totaling 26,500 tons valued at about $12.5 million. Dollar totals exclude transportation. Food for Progress programs using CCC funds were planned with U.S. private voluntary organizations for projects in 23 countries totaling 146,672 tons of commodities valued at about $72 million. The Food for Progress program is limited by a global 500,000-metric-ton legislative ceiling and by a cap of $35 million on noncommodity costs paid directly by CCC (primarily transportation).

The FAIR Act reauthorized the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, which can include middle-income countries and emerging markets. FAIR also increased the minimum percentage of P.L. 480 funding for the Farmer-to-Farmer Program from 0.2 to 0.4 percent.

Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949 provides for the donation to needy countries of eligible commodities held by the CCC. For FY 1999, donations of 5.8 million metric tons of commodities valued at about $814 million are planned under the Section 416(b) program. On July 18, 1998, President Clinton announced a Food Aid Initiative providing for the purchase of wheat by the U.S. Government from the domestic market. Two authorities are being used to carry out the initiative. The wheat is purchased under the authority of the CCC Charter Act and is donated under the authority of Section 416(b) of the Agricultural Act of 1949. As of June 3, donations of 5.2 million tons of wheat and wheat flour valued at about $692 million were planned under this initiative during FY 1999. In addition, 29,500 tons of nonfortified, nonfat dry milk and 400,000 tons of corn have been determined available for 416(b) programming in  FY 1999.

Commercial Export Credit Guarantee Programs

A minimum annual program level of $5.7 billion is available for the Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) and the Intermediate Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-103). The FAIR Act mandates a minimum annual program level of $5.5 billion for GSM-102 and GSM-103, but it allows flexibility in how much is made available for each program. Provisions of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade (FACT) Act of 1990 mandate that a minimum of $1.0 billion be made available for direct credits or export credit guarantees to emerging markets during fiscal years 1996-2002. Under this mandate, $200 million is made available annually, increasing the minimum annual program level for GSM-102 and GSM-103 from $5.5 billion to $5.7 billion.

Guarantees issued under the GSM-103 program can cover financing periods of more than 3 and up to 10 years. This program is designed to help developing nations make the transition from concessional financing to cash purchases. As of June 25, $377 million in intermediate credit guarantees were made available for sales to 12 countries and two regions – the Central America and Southern Africa regions. Under this availability, GSM-103 registrations totaled about $16.8 million for four countries.

As of June 25, 1999, SCGP allocations totaled $361 million in coverage for sales to 12 countries and eight regions, including the Andean, Baltic, Central America, Central Europe, East African, East Carribean, Southeast Asia, and Southeast Europe regions. Under the announced FY 1999 availability, registrations totaled about $29.2 million.

The Facility Guarantee Program was implemented in December 1997 to extend credit guarantees for export sales of U.S. capital goods and services to improve agriculture-related facilities in emerging markets. No sales have been registered under this program in FY 1999.

Export Assistance Programs

The Export Enhancement Program (EEP), announced by USDA on May 15, 1985, operates under the authority of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 as amended, the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, and the FAIR Act. The EEP permits USDA to provide bonuses to make U.S. commodities more competitive in the world marketplace and to offset the adverse effects of unfair trade practices or subsidies. The FAIR Act sets maximum funding levels for CCC to make available for the EEP each fiscal year through 2002 as follows: FY 1996, $350 million; FY 1997, $250 million; FY 1998, $500 million; FY 1999, $550 million; FY 2000, $579 million; FY 2001, $478 million; and FY 2002, $478 million.

On June 30, 1998, one-year allocations under the EEP were announced for wheat, wheat flour, barley, barley malt, rice, vegetable oils, frozen poultry, and eggs that coincide with the quantity limitations of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture. However, the EEP was operational only for frozen poultry under a 20,210-metric-ton allocation announced July 1, 1998, to six Middle Eastern countries. As of June 25, 1999, EEP bonuses had been awarded for sales of 3,546 metric tons of frozen poultry.

Section 148 of the FAIR Act extended the Dairy Export Incentive Program (DEIP) through FY 2002. Section 148 focuses the DEIP on market development, providing full authority and funding to reach the volume or spending limits consistent with U.S. obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization. The DEIP operates on a bid bonus system similar to EEP, with cash bonus payments. The DEIP program helps exporters of U.S. dairy products meet prevailing world prices and helps develop foreign markets for the targeted products.

Allocations under the current DEIP program for July 1, 1998, through June 30, 1999, were announced on June 30 last year. The major markets being assisted include Africa, Asia, the Former Soviet Union, Latin America, and the Middle East. As of June 25, bonus values totaling around $144 million were awarded for 129,810 metric tons of nonfat dry milk, 5,344 tons of whole milk powder, 3,122 tons of cheese, and 395 tons of butterfat.