By Gutierrez H.R. No. 1368 75R17532 AMB-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Lone Star State has benefited from the North 1-2 American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) through a dramatic increase 1-3 in trade with Mexico; from 1995 to 1996 alone, Texas exports to 1-4 our southern neighbor jumped by nearly 23 percent; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Texas values its prosperous economic relationship 1-6 with Mexico; however, for the mutually beneficial exchange of 1-7 goods to endure and to flourish, both parties must fully respect 1-8 the provisions of the NAFTA agreement in spirit and in practice; 1-9 and 1-10 WHEREAS, The Texas Produce Association has expressed concern 1-11 that Mexico is dumping onions into the U.S. market below production 1-12 costs, in direct violation of NAFTA; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Onion production is crucial to the economy of South 1-14 Texas, and ensuring fair play in the market is essential for Texas 1-15 trade; as a result, this possible transgression is of concern not 1-16 only to the many families in the Lower Rio Grande Valley whose 1-17 livelihoods depend on the market for locally grown onions, but to 1-18 the state as a whole, which has the sacred duty to protect the 1-19 right of Texas agriculture to fair and legal competition; and 1-20 WHEREAS, The state can fulfill its obligation to Texas and 1-21 U.S. onion growers by using available tools established for the 1-22 specific purpose of targeting and counteracting unfair and illegal 1-23 international trade practices; and 1-24 WHEREAS, NAFTA provides for emergency action, designed to 2-1 determine if a U.S. industry has been injured by Mexican imports or 2-2 if a threat of injury exists, and the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 allows 2-3 for the International Trade Commission to study the impact of 2-4 imports on domestic industry; if a determination is made that 2-5 foreign competition is harming a domestic industry, then both 2-6 provisions are grounds for imposing import restrictions or other 2-7 protections; and 2-8 WHEREAS, The time for action on this pressing issue is upon 2-9 us, and without further delay the state should move to support the 2-10 onion growers who are a long-standing pillar of the Texas 2-11 agricultural community; now, therefore, be it 2-12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-13 Legislature hereby encourage the governor of Texas to use the tools 2-14 at his disposal to seek federal emergency action in behalf of the 2-15 U.S. and Texas onion industries to establish the impact of Mexican 2-16 onion exports on the domestic market and to determine if Mexico is 2-17 violating U.S. trade law or international trade agreements; and, be 2-18 it further 2-19 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 2-20 copy of this resolution to the governor of the State of Texas.