Agricultural Chemicals to Iraq

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided more detailed information on issues raised in a previous report on agricultural trade with Iraq, focusing on: (1) what export controls are in place on agricultural chemical exports that could be used for military purposes; and (2) the role of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in assuring compliance with such export controls. GAO noted that the: (1) United States denies licenses for dual-use chemicals exported to countries that do not belong to the Australia Group; (2) USDA does not share in the responsibility of ensuring compliance with export controls, because its programs do not involve chemical exports; and (3) the Customs Service and the Department of Commerce are responsible for ensuring compliance.