Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after his legislation, the bipartisan E-Warranty Act of 2015 (H.R. 3154), was signed into law by President Obama. The legislation gives manufacturers the option of fulfilling their warranty notice requirements by posting the information on their website. Loebsack was the lead Democratic cosponsor and joined with Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) to introduce the bill.

"I am pleased this bipartisan legislation, which includes a commonsense update to our nation's decades old warranty requirements, is now law," said Loebsack. "This bill allows manufacturers to post warranty information online and give consumers easy access to written warranties."

If manufacturers choose to meet their warranty notification requirements by posting the information on their website, it must be in an accessible, conspicuous digital format. Manufacturers must also provide consumers with information on how to access the online warranty and obtain a paper copy, either by including instructions on the product packaging or in the product manual. The bill makes no changes to the rules regarding the content of warranty information.

President Xi will be meeting with President Obama yet this week.  The U.S. is also hosting China in the inaugural U.S.-China Strategic Agricultural Innovation Dialogue, during which it's expected agricultural biotech issues will be discussed.

The senators wrote, "It is our understanding that there is a growing queue of biotechnology-derived crops under review within China's Ministry of Agriculture, creating additional regulatory uncertainty, and undermining commitments made last year to bolster science-based agricultural innovation and trade...We ask that you seek a commitment from President Xi to move forward with the queue of biotechnology products, including those awaiting final import approvals."

Iowa is a leader in agricultural biotechnology.  From innovative approaches to biofuels and agriculture technology to seed genetics and biosciences, the industry is seeing a high rate of growth in the state and is an important component of the state's economy.

Grassley joined the letter led by Senators John Thune and Debbie Stabenow along with Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Robert Casey (D-Pa.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Christopher Coons (R-Del.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.), David Vitter (R-La.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Purchasing contracts to be signed on Thursday in Iowa

(SEATTLE, Wash.) - Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad yesterday met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese governors from the provinces of Sichuan, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shaanxi in Seattle, Wash.  Their conversations were during the Third Annual U.S.-China Governors Forum and Dialogue, which was arranged by the Chinese Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the state of Washington.   In addition to Iowa, the states of California, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington also participated.

During the forum, Branstad highlighted Iowa's leadership in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and financial services, and stressed the importance in finding stability and predictability in regulations related to trait approval for products and services.  As a leading agriculture state in the nation, Iowa farmers produce food, fiber and fuel that are exported to China.

Last year, the United States shipped $24 billion worth of agriculture products to China, and $14 billion of that were soy exports.  That same year, China was Iowa's 4^th largest export market with exports of manufactured and valued goods exceeding $946.4 million.  Overall exports to China for the first six months of this year are up more than 63% over that same period in 2014, moving China to Iowa's third largest export market.

"The state of Iowa has enjoyed a long lasting friendship with our sister state Hebei and with President Xi.  We are proud of this relationship and the quality of our goods and services that are exported to China," said Branstad.

SEE A PICTURE FROM LAST EVENING OF GOV. BRANSTAD AND PRESIDENT XI HERE

SEE THE PICTURE FROM 1985 THAT GOV. BRANSTAD PRESENTED TO PRESIDENT XI

As a follow up to these meetings in Seattle, a large Chinese commercial delegation will travel to Iowa on Thursday to sign more than a dozen contracts to purchase soybeans and health products.

Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds expressed her appreciation for the Chinese delegation's visit to Iowa.  "We are excited to welcome the Chinese commercial delegation to Iowa.  The signing of these contracts will highlight our world-class agricultural commodities throughout Iowa while delivering quality products to the Chinese people," said Reynolds.

The contract signing event will occur on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 12:15PM at The Embassy Club?Downtown (666 Grand Avenue-34^th Floor, Des Moines, IA).  Lt. Gov. Reynolds will be present for the contract signing ceremony and the event is open to the press.