Sharon Bomer Lauritsen introduces the many interconnected issues, such as asynchronous authorization, trade disruption, liability, boycotts, and policies, affecting global agricultural and international trade of GE crops. The sheer magnitude of US exports of GE-derived commodities, along with the increasing number of countries producing GE crops, is significantly impacting this global trade. Current global trade issues being addressed by the US government include the lack of science-based regulation that is often encountered in developing countries; asynchronous authorizations; low-level presence; labeling; legal liability in a country so severe that the approval process is not pursued there; and new opt-out provisions for EU member states