1/3 of the working population. (5) Since the 1940s, the annual mean air temperature in Mongolia has risen at 3 times the global rate. Average precipitation is declining and extreme weather disasters are more frequent, posing acute challenges for livestock herding in the country. In 2017, an estimated 700,000 animals of the country’s livestock population were killed due to the post-drought extreme winter phenomenon known as dzud . This phenomenon is unique to Mongolia and has increased in frequency and severity in recent years, causing a rise in livestock mortality and diminishing livelihoods for herders, which has led to widespread rural poverty and a contraction in the national economy. (6) Mongolia would greatly benefit from preferential treatment for imports into the United States of certain Mongolian products. Such preferential treatment would help address some of the economic impacts of the dzuds. (7) The cashmere trade is particularly important to the economy of Mongolia, but while Mongolia produces more than 1/3 of the world’s raw cashmere, it produces few finished cashmere products. Most Mongolian raw cashmere is exported to the People's Republic of China, and the United States buys nearly all of its cashmere products from the People's Republic of China. Preferential treatment for imports into the United States of certain Mongolian products, including cashmere products, would benefit the United States by facilitating increased trade with Mongolia. (8) The development of the garment industry in Mongolia would also promote women’s employment and empowerment. Women have historically participated in the garment industry in Mongolia at high rates, and that industry has historically provided safe and stable employment for women in Mongolia. (9) In developing and expanding the cashmere industry in Mongolia, it is critical for Mongolia to take steps to ensure the protection of its grasslands and prevent overgrazing of cashmere goats. (10) Preferential treatment for imports into the United States of Mongolian