Title 19Customs DutiesRelease 119-73

§2154 Prerequisites for offers

Title 19 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - TRADE ACT OF 1974 › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - NEGOTIATING AND OTHER AUTHORITY › Part Part 3— - Hearings and Advice Concerning Negotiations › § 2154

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

During negotiations for certain trade agreements, the President can only offer to change or keep U.S. tariffs, import limits, duty-free or excise treatment, or add new duties or other trade barriers — including ones about services, foreign investment, and intellectual property — after getting a summary of the public hearings where people had a chance to speak under section 2153. For items on the list from section 2151(a), the President must also get the Commission’s advice under section 2151(b) or wait until the 6‑month or 90‑day period in that section ends, whichever comes first. When deciding whether to make offers and what to offer, the President must consider advice, information, or reports from the Commission, any advisory committee set up under section 2155, and any organization that held the public hearings under section 2153.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §2154

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In any negotiation seeking an agreement under section 2133 of this title or section 4202 of this title, the President may make a formal offer for the modification or continuance of any United States duty, import restrictions, or barriers to (or other distortions of) international trade, the continuance of United States duty-free or excise treatment, or the imposition of additional duties, import restrictions, or other barrier to (or other distortion of) international trade including trade in services, foreign direct investment and intellectual property as covered by this subchapter, with respect to any article or matter only after he has received a summary of the hearings at which an opportunity to be heard with respect to such article has been afforded under section 2153 of this title. In addition, the President may make an offer for the modification or continuance of any United States duty, the continuance of United States duty-free or excise treatment, or the imposition of additional duties, with respect to any article included in a list published and furnished under section 2151(a) of this title, only after he has received advice concerning such article from the Commission under section 2151(b) of this title, or after the expiration of the 6-month or 90-day period provided for in that section, as appropriate, whichever first occurs.
(b)In determining whether to make offers described in subsection (a) in the course of negotiating any trade agreement under section 4202 of this title, and in determining the nature and scope of such offers, the President shall take into account any advice or information provided, or reports submitted, by—
(1)the Commission;
(2)any advisory committee established under section 2155 of this title; or
(3)any organization that holds public hearings under section 2153 of this title;

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–26 substituted “section 4202 of this title” for “section 3803 of this title” in two places. 2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–210, § 2110(a)(3), substituted “section 3803 of this title,” for “section 2902 of this title,”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–210, § 2110(a)(4), substituted “section 3803 of this title” for “section 2902 of this title” in introductory provisions. 1988—Pub. L. 100–418 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “In any negotiations seeking an agreement under part 1 of this subchapter or section 2133 or 2134 of this title, the President may make an offer for the modification or continuance of any United States duty, import restrictions, or barriers to (or other distortions of) international trade, the continuance of United States duty-free or excise treatment, or the imposition of additional duties, import restriction, or other barrier to (or other distortion of) international trade, with respect to any article only after he has received a summary of the hearings at which an opportunity to be heard with respect to such article has been afforded under section 2153 of this title. In addition, the President may make an offer for the modification or continuance of any United States duty, the continuance of United States duty-free or excise treatment, or the imposition of additional duties, with respect to any article included in a list published and furnished under section 2151(a) of this title, only after he has received advice concerning such article from the International Trade Commission under section 2151(b) of this title, or after the expiration of the 6-month or 90-day period provided for in that section, as appropriate, whichever first occurs.”

Executive Documents

Delegation of Authority For delegation of functions of President under div. B of Pub. L. 107–210, amending this section, see section 1 of Ex. Ord. No. 13277, Nov. 19, 2002, 67 F.R. 70305, set out as a note under section 3801 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 2154

Title 19Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73