Which organization expands and maintains access to foreign markets for US agricultural products by removing trade barriers and enforcing rights under existing trade agreements?

• A. Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
• B. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• C. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
• D. International Trade Administration (ITA)

Answer: (A)

Expanding and maintaining access to foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products by removing trade barriers and enforcing rights under existing trade agreements is the work of the Foreign Agricultural Service. As USDA’s international arm, FAS focuses on opening markets for American agriculture by engaging with foreign governments to reduce tariffs and other barriers, providing market intelligence to exporters, and ensuring that the terms of trade agreements affecting agriculture are carried out. This role is distinct from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, which primarily negotiates and enforces trade agreements at the policy level; the International Trade Administration, which assists U.S. businesses broadly with export promotion; and the USDA as a whole, which oversees domestic agricultural policy and production. So, the agency best aligned with expanding and maintaining foreign market access for agricultural products is the Foreign Agricultural Service.