§4206 Treatment of certain trade agreements for which negotiations have already begun

Summary

Lets the President handle some trade talks without the usual rule that requires notice before negotiations start. That change applies to certain deals — like ones under the World Trade Organization, deals with the Trans‑Pacific Partnership countries if notices were filed by June 29, 2015, agreements with the European Union, and certain services or environmental‑goods deals with WTO members where notices were filed by June 29, 2015. For those talks, Congress can’t block implementing bills just because the pre‑negotiation notice rule wasn’t followed. The President must, as soon as possible after June 29, 2015, tell Congress about the talks, explain U.S. goals and whether a new deal or changes are sought, and consult the specified congressional committees and the House and Senate advisory groups before and after that notice. The President may also use proclamation power to put into effect an APEC agreement to cut duties on environmental goods listed in Annex C of the APEC Leaders Declaration of September 9, 2012, but only if the President notifies Congress as soon as possible after December 18, 2015 (and in a separate provision after February 24, 2016) and before issuing the proclamation.