BUSH PROPOSES BUDGET HIKES FOR TRADE-RELATED DEPARTMENTS

BUSH PROPOSES BUDGET HIKES FOR TRADE-RELATED DEPARTMENTS    The Bush administration’s proposed fiscal 2002 budget offers slight increases to the operations budgets of the trade-related agencies of the Agriculture, Interior, Commerce and Health and Human Services Departments.
   The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service would receive about $703 million for fiscal 2002, up from about $531 million this year. The Food Safety and Inspection Service would receive about $716 million, up from about $697 million this year. The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration would receive about $33 million, up from about $31 million in fiscal 2001, and the Agricultural Marketing Service would receive about $71 million, up from about $65 million this year.
   Commerce’s Census Bureau, which is responsible for collecting the country’s international trade statistics, would receive about $169 million in fiscal 2002, compared to about $157 million this year. The Export Administration would receive about $69 million next fiscal year, compared to $65 million in fiscal 2001.
   Under the proposed budget, Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration would also receive about $1.34 billion, compared to $1.22 billion in fiscal 2001. Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service would receive about $807 million, compared to about $777 million this year.