Lawmakers Push Diplomacy in US Rice Sales to Iraq
The Iraqi Grain Board is discriminating against U.S. rice by choosing higher priced imports from other countries, and the State Department should intervene on behalf of U.S. industry, said a group of Senators and House members in a Jan. 22…
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letter (here), led by Mississippi lawmakers Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Rep. Bernie Thompson, D-Miss. Iraq is purchasing rice “similar” to U.S. quality from Brazil and Uruguay at far higher prices, said the lawmakers. The grain board didn’t choose any U.S. rice in November and “Iraqi authorities have provided no explanation for this type of decision,” said the letter. The board was scheduled to again ask for bids on Jan. 25, the lawmakers said. “We would greatly appreciate your assistance in ensuring that U.S. rice receives fair consideration.”