Title 19 — Customs DutiesRelease 119-73

§2904 Termination and reservation authority; reciprocal nondiscriminatory treatment

Title 19 › Chapter CHAPTER 17— - NEGOTIATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF TRADE AGREEMENTS › § 2904

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When applying the rules in sections 2135, 2136(a), and 2137, any trade agreement made under section 2902 must be treated the same as one made under section 2111 or 2112. A proclamation or Executive order tied to a section 2902 agreement must be treated the same as if it were issued under section 2112. The President must decide by June 1, 1993 whether a major industrial country failed to give US trade the same competitive chances that the United States gave that country under section 2902 agreements. If the President finds they did not, he must recommend laws to Congress to end or deny US concessions for that country and to make any law needed to carry out the agreement not apply to that country. "Major industrial country" means Canada, the European Communities (and its member countries), Japan, and any other country the President names.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §2904

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For purposes of applying section 2135, 2136(a), and 2137 of this title—

(1)any trade agreement entered into under section 2902 of this title shall be treated as an agreement entered into under section 2111 or 2112, as appropriate, of this title; and

(2)any proclamation or Executive order issued pursuant to a trade agreement entered into under section 2902 of this title shall be treated as a proclamation or Executive order issued pursuant to a trade agreement entered into under section 2112 of this title.

(b)(1)The President shall determine, before June 1, 1993, whether any major industrial country has failed to make concessions under trade agreements entered into under section 2902(a) and (b) of this title which provide competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States in such country substantially equivalent to the competitive opportunities, provided by concessions made by the United States under trade agreements entered into under section 2902(a) and (b) of this title, for the commerce of such country in the United States.

(2)If the President determines under paragraph (1) that a major industrial country has not made concessions under trade agreements entered into under section 2902(a) and (b) of this title which provide substantially equivalent competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States, the President shall, either generally with respect to such country or by article produced by such country, in order to restore equivalence of competitive opportunities, recommend to the Congress—

(A)legislation providing for the termination or denial of the benefits of concessions of trade agreements entered into under section 2902(a) and (b) of this title that have been made with respect to rates of duty or other import restrictions imposed by the United States, and

(B)legislation providing that any law necessary to carry out any trade agreement under section 2902(a) or (b) of this title not apply to such country.

(3)For purposes of this subsection, the term “major industrial country” means Canada, the European Communities, the individual member countries of the European Communities, Japan, and any other foreign country designated by the President for purposes of this subsection.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 2904

Title 19 — Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73