UNITED STATES NEWS

Congress members urge Iraq to buy US rice

Feb 24, 2012, 9:47 PM

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) – Congress members from the largest rice-growing states are urging Iraq to resume buying U.S. long-grain rice, saying the country’s “unreasonable” quality standards put American farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

The Associated Press received a copy Friday of the letter signed by a bipartisan group of 12 lawmakers and sent to Iraqi Minister of Trade Khair Alla Babaker earlier this week. The letter says there was a 77 percent drop in rice sales to Iraq between 2010 and 2011, even though “not long ago, Iraq represented the largest market for U.S. rice.”

“We liberated their country for one thing,” said Congressman Ted Poe, R-Texas, one of the lawmakers who signed the letter. “We would think they would consider the United States in trade since we spent billions of dollars not only to liberate their country, but to rebuild their infrastructure, from their oil industry on.”

The Iraqi Grain Board has said it decided to buy cheaper basmati rice from India. Iraq hasn’t bought U.S. rice since late 2010.

The Iraqi move comes as U.S. farmers struggle with drought, unusual heat, rising production costs, dropping prices and a shrinking export market. But the farmers are most upset over Iraq’s decision because of the Iraq War.

The 12 legislators from Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and Virginia say the rice industry has worked closely with Iraq to develop a relationship, including conducting meetings and workshops with Iraqi Grain Board officials, and touring with them at U.S. rice fields and mills. The letter says Iraq has stringent requirements on the grain. It also requires the rice to be pre-bagged, even though nearly all foreign markets allow this to be done at the destination.

“These unreasonable quality terms increase risk to shippers, causing them to hedge uncertainty with price premiums, which creates a competitive disadvantage,” the letter says.

___

Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at
https://twitter.com//RamitMastiAP

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

FILE - Rupert Murdoch attends the WSJ. Magazine 2017 Innovator Awards at The Museum of Modern Art i...

Associated Press

Rupert Murdoch, creator of Fox News, stepping down as head of News Corp. and Fox Corp.

Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old media magnate who created Fox News, is stepping down as leader of both Fox's parent company and his News Corp. media holdings.

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Stock market today: World shares track Wall Street’s slump after Fed says rates may stay high in ’24

World shares have declined, echoing a slump on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve said it may not cut interest rates next year by as much as it earlier thought. Benchmarks fell by 1% or more in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and Hong Kong. U.S. futures slipped and oil prices also were lower. On Wednesday, the […]

8 hours ago

FILE - Deja Taylor arrives at federal court, June 12, 2023, in Virginia Beach, Va. Taylor, the moth...

Associated Press

Mother of 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia could be jailed for failing drug tests

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Virginia could be jailed Thursday for failing drug tests while awaiting sentencing on federal weapons charges that she used marijuana while possessing a firearm. A bond revocation hearing is set in federal court in Newport News for Deja Taylor. Her […]

9 hours ago

FILE - Anthony Sanchez, right, is escorted into a Cleveland County courtroom for a preliminary hear...

Associated Press

Man set to be executed for 1996 slaying of University of Oklahoma dance student

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma is set to execute an inmate Thursday morning for the 1996 slaying of a University of Oklahoma dance student, a case that went unsolved for years until DNA from the crime scene matched a man serving time for burglary. Anthony Sanchez, 44, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection at […]

9 hours ago

A Brightline train approaches the Fort Lauderdale station on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, in Fort Lauderd...

Associated Press

First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed

MIAMI (AP) — The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday when Florida’s Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph (200 kph). It’s a $5 billion bet Brightline’s owner, Fortress Investment Group, is making, believing that […]

9 hours ago

The entrance to the Las Vegas Review-Journal campus is shown in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023...

Associated Press

Outdated headline sparks vicious online hate campaign directed at Las Vegas newspaper

NEW YORK (AP) — A Las Vegas newspaper is being viciously attacked online for its coverage of an alleged murder of a retired police chief, either because of a misunderstanding or a deliberate attempt to mislead. The “firehose of hatred” has led the Las Vegas Review-Journal to sift through email directed at one of its […]

10 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Importance of AC maintenance after Arizona’s excruciating heat wave

An air conditioning unit in Phoenix is vital to living a comfortable life inside, away from triple-digit heat.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

Congress members urge Iraq to buy US rice