PRIA Logo™
Title 19, Customs DutiesRelease 119-110

§2433 United States Personnel Missing in Action in Southeast Asia

Title 19 › CHAPTER 12 — TRADE ACT OF 1974 › SUBCHAPTER IV — TRADE RELATIONS WITH COUNTRIES NOT RECEIVING NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT › Part 1 — Trade Relations With Certain Countries › § 2433

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President may punish a nonmarket economy country that he finds is not helping the United States fully account for U.S. military and civilian personnel missing in action in Southeast Asia, return any who are alive, or send home the remains of those who died. While the country is not cooperating, the President can remove equal trade treatment for its products, block it from U.S. credit or investment guarantee programs, and stop any commercial agreements under this law from taking effect. This does not apply to countries whose products were eligible for the rates in rate column 1 of the U.S. Tariff Schedules on January 3, 1975.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §2433

Customs Duties, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Penalty for noncooperating countries
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the President determines that a nonmarket economy country is not cooperating with the United States—
(1)to achieve a complete accounting of all United States military and civilian personnel who are missing in action in Southeast Asia,
(2)to repatriate such personnel who are alive, and
(3)to return the remains of such personnel who are dead to the United States,
then, during the period beginning with the date of such determination and ending on the date on which the President determines such country is cooperating with the United States, he may provide that—
(A)the products of such country may not receive nondiscriminatory treatment,
(B)such country may not participate, directly or indirectly, in any program under which the United States extends credit, credit guarantees, or investment guarantees, and
(C)no commercial agreement entered into under this subchapter between such country and the United States will take effect.
(b)Exception
This section shall not apply to any country the products of which are eligible for the rates set forth in rate column numbered 1 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States on January 3, 1975.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Tariff Schedules of the United States, referred to in subsec. (b), to be treated as a reference to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, pursuant to section 3012 of this title. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is not set out in the Code. See Publication of Harmonized Tariff Schedule note set out under section 1202 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 2433

Title 19, Customs Duties

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110