PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The President must tell Congress in writing at least 90 days before starting trade talks covered by section 3803(b). That notice must give the planned start date, the U.S. goals for the talks, and say if the President wants a new deal or changes to an existing one. The President must talk with the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, other relevant committees, and the Congressional Oversight Group before and after the notice. If a majority of the Oversight Group asks, the President must meet with that group. For talks about farm products, the President must check whether U.S. tariff bindings from the Uruguay Round are lower than the other country’s and whether world-applied tariffs hurt U.S. exports, then consult House and Senate tax and farm committees about the findings and whether further tariff cuts are appropriate. The U.S. Trade Representative, as soon as practical after August 6, 2002, must identify certain import-sensitive farm products, ask the relevant committees about possible further cuts, sanitary rules, and export-subsidy issues, ask the International Trade Commission (ITC) for an economic study, and then tell those committees which products the U.S. will seek to liberalize and why. If new products are added or requested in talks, the Trade Representative must notify those committees quickly. For fish or shellfish talks and for textiles and apparel talks, the President must do similar tariff checks and consult the stated House and Senate committees and keep them informed. Before actually signing a trade agreement under section 3803(b), the President must consult the Ways and Means and Finance Committees, any other committees with affected subjects, and the Congressional Oversight Group about what the deal would be, how it meets the law’s goals, and how it would be put into U.S. law. At least 180 days before signing, the President must tell the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee what negotiation proposals might require changing certain U.S. trade-remedy laws and how they relate to negotiating goals; for agreements with Chile or Singapore that report is due at least 90 days before signing. After the President gives that report, Congress may introduce a specific kind of resolution about it, which follows set referral and consideration rules. An advisory committee report required by law must be sent to the President, Congress, and the USTR within 30 days after the President gives formal notice of intent to negotiate. The President must also give the ITC the agreement details at least 90 days before signing and keep it updated; the ITC must send a report no later than 90 days after signing that estimates the deal’s effects on GDP, trade, jobs, affected industries, and consumers and reviews other economic studies on the agreement.

Title 19, §3804

Customs Duties, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notice and consultation before negotiation

The President, with respect to any agreement that is subject to the provisions of section 3803(b) of this title, shall—

(1)provide, at least 90 calendar days before initiating negotiations, written notice to the Congress of the President’s intention to enter into the negotiations and set forth therein the date the President intends to initiate such negotiations, the specific United States objectives for the negotiations, and whether the President intends to seek an agreement, or changes to an existing agreement;

(2)before and after submission of the notice, consult regarding the negotiations with the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, such other committees of the House and Senate as the President deems appropriate, and the Congressional Oversight group convened under section 3807 of this title; and

(3)upon the request of a majority of the members of the Congressional Oversight Group under section 3807(c) of this title, meet with the Congressional Oversight Group before initiating the negotiations or at any other time concerning the negotiations.

(b)Negotiations regarding agriculture

(1)In general

Before initiating or continuing negotiations the subject matter of which is directly related to the subject matter under section 3802(b)(10)(A)(i) of this title with any country, the President shall assess whether United States tariffs on agricultural products that were bound under the Uruguay Round Agreements are lower than the tariffs bound by that country. In addition, the President shall consider whether the tariff levels bound and applied throughout the world with respect to imports from the United States are higher than United States tariffs and whether the negotiation provides an opportunity to address any such disparity. The President shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate concerning the results of the assessment, whether it is appropriate for the United States to agree to further tariff reductions based on the conclusions reached in the assessment, and how all applicable negotiating objectives will be met.

(2)Special consultations on import sensitive products

(A)Before initiating negotiations with regard to agriculture, and, with respect to the Free Trade Area for the Americas and negotiations with regard to agriculture under the auspices of the World Trade Organization, as soon as practicable after August 6, 2002, the United States Trade Representative shall—

(i)identify those agricultural products subject to tariff-rate quotas on August 6, 2002, and agricultural products subject to tariff reductions by the United States as a result of the Uruguay Round Agreements, for which the rate of duty was reduced on January 1, 1995, to a rate which was not less than 97.5 percent of the rate of duty that applied to such article on December 31, 1994;

(ii)consult with the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate concerning—

(I)whether any further tariff reductions on the products identified under clause (i) should be appropriate, taking into account the impact of any such tariff reduction on the United States industry producing the product concerned;

(II)whether the products so identified face unjustified sanitary or phytosanitary restrictions, including those not based on scientific principles in contravention of the Uruguay Round Agreements; and

(III)whether the countries participating in the negotiations maintain export subsidies or other programs, policies, or practices that distort world trade in such products and the impact of such programs, policies, and practices on United States producers of the products;

(iii)request that the International Trade Commission prepare an assessment of the probable economic effects of any such tariff reduction on the United States industry producing the product concerned and on the United States economy as a whole; and

(iv)upon complying with clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), notify the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate of those products identified under clause (i) for which the Trade Representative intends to seek tariff liberalization in the negotiations and the reasons for seeking such tariff liberalization.

(B)If, after negotiations described in subparagraph (A) are commenced—

(i)the United States Trade Representative identifies any additional agricultural product described in subparagraph (A)(i) for tariff reductions which were not the subject of a notification under subparagraph (A)(iv), or

(ii)any additional agricultural product described in subparagraph (A)(i) is the subject of a request for tariff reductions by a party to the negotiations,

the Trade Representative shall, as soon as practicable, notify the committees referred to in subparagraph (A)(iv) of those products and the reasons for seeking such tariff reductions.

(3)Negotiations regarding the fishing industry

Before initiating, or continuing, negotiations which directly relate to fish or shellfish trade with any country, the President shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and shall keep the Committees apprised of negotiations on an ongoing and timely basis.

(c)Negotiations regarding textiles

Before initiating or continuing negotiations the subject matter of which is directly related to textiles and apparel products with any country, the President shall assess whether United States tariffs on textile and apparel products that were bound under the Uruguay Round Agreements are lower than the tariffs bound by that country and whether the negotiation provides an opportunity to address any such disparity. The President shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate concerning the results of the assessment, whether it is appropriate for the United States to agree to further tariff reductions based on the conclusions reached in the assessment, and how all applicable negotiating objectives will be met.

(d)Consultation with Congress before agreements entered into

(1)Consultation

Before entering into any trade agreement under section 3803(b) of this title, the President shall consult with—

(A)the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate;

(B)each other committee of the House and the Senate, and each joint committee of the Congress, which has jurisdiction over legislation involving subject matters which would be affected by the trade agreement; and

(C)the Congressional Oversight Group convened under section 3807 of this title.

(2)Scope

The consultation described in paragraph (1) shall include consultation with respect to—

(A)the nature of the agreement;

(B)how and to what extent the agreement will achieve the applicable purposes, policies, priorities, and objectives of this chapter; and

(C)the implementation of the agreement under section 3805 of this title, including the general effect of the agreement on existing laws.

(3)Report regarding United States trade remedy laws

(A)Changes in certain trade laws

The President, at least 180 calendar days before the day on which the President enters into a trade agreement under section 3803(b) of this title, shall report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate—

(i)the range of proposals advanced in the negotiations with respect to that agreement, that may be in the final agreement, and that could require amendments to title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 [19 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.] or to chapter 1 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2251 et seq.]; and

(ii)how these proposals relate to the objectives described in section 3802(b)(14) of this title.

(B)Certain agreements

With respect to a trade agreement entered into with Chile or Singapore, the report referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be submitted by the President at least 90 calendar days before the day on which the President enters into that agreement.

(C)Resolutions

(i)At any time after the transmission of the report under subparagraph (A), if a resolution is introduced with respect to that report in either House of Congress, the procedures set forth in clauses (iii) through (vi) shall apply to that resolution if—

(I)no other resolution with respect to that report has previously been reported in that House of Congress by the Committee on Ways and Means or the Committee on Finance, as the case may be, pursuant to those procedures; and

(II)no procedural disapproval resolution under section 3805(b) of this title introduced with respect to a trade agreement entered into pursuant to the negotiations to which the report under subparagraph (A) relates has previously been reported in that House of Congress by the Committee on Ways and Means or the Committee on Finance, as the case may be.

(ii)For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “resolution” means only a resolution of either House of Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That the __ finds that the proposed changes to United States trade remedy laws contained in the report of the President transmitted to the Congress on __ under section 2104(d)(3) of the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 with respect to __, are inconsistent with the negotiating objectives described in section 2102(b)(14) of that Act.”, with the first blank space being filled with the name of the resolving House of Congress, the second blank space being filled with the appropriate date of the report, and the third blank space being filled with the name of the country or countries involved.

(iii)Resolutions in the House of Representatives—

(I)may be introduced by any Member of the House;

(II)shall be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means and, in addition, to the Committee on Rules; and

(III)may not be amended by either Committee.

(iv)Resolutions in the Senate—

(I)may be introduced by any Member of the Senate;

(II)shall be referred to the Committee on Finance; and

(III)may not be amended.

(iv)1 It is not in order for the House of Representatives to consider any resolution that is not reported by the Committee on Ways and Means and, in addition, by the Committee on Rules.

(v)It is not in order for the Senate to consider any resolution that is not reported by the Committee on Finance.

(vi)The provisions of section 152(d) and (e) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2192(d) and (e)) (relating to floor consideration of certain resolutions in the House and Senate) shall apply to resolutions.

(e)Advisory Committee reports

The report required under section 135(e)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2155(e)(1)] regarding any trade agreement entered into under section 3803(a) or (b) of this title shall be provided to the President, the Congress, and the United States Trade Representative not later than 30 days after the date on which the President notifies the Congress under section 3803(a)(1) or 3805(a)(1)(A) of this title of the President’s intention to enter into the agreement.

(f)ITC assessment

(1)In general

The President, at least 90 calendar days before the day on which the President enters into a trade agreement under section 3803(b) of this title, shall provide the International Trade Commission (referred to in this subsection as “the Commission”) with the details of the agreement as it exists at that time and request the Commission to prepare and submit an assessment of the agreement as described in paragraph (2). Between the time the President makes the request under this paragraph and the time the Commission submits the assessment, the President shall keep the Commission current with respect to the details of the agreement.

(2)ITC assessment

Not later than 90 calendar days after the President enters into the agreement, the Commission shall submit to the President and the Congress a report assessing the likely impact of the agreement on the United States economy as a whole and on specific industry sectors, including the impact the agreement will have on the gross domestic product, exports and imports, aggregate employment and employment opportunities, the production, employment, and competitive position of industries likely to be significantly affected by the agreement, and the interests of United States consumers.

(3)Review of empirical literature

In preparing the assessment, the Commission shall review available economic assessments regarding the agreement, including literature regarding any substantially equivalent proposed agreement, and shall provide in its assessment a description of the analyses used and conclusions drawn in such literature, and a discussion of areas of consensus and divergence between the various analyses and conclusions, including those of the Commission regarding the agreement.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Tariff Act of 1930, referred to in subsec. (d)(3)(A)(i), is act June 17, 1930, ch. 497, 46 Stat. 590. Title VII of the Act is classified generally to subtitle IV (§ 1671 et seq.) of chapter 4 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1654 of this title and Tables. The Trade Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (d)(3)(A)(i), is Pub. L. 93–618, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1978. Chapter 1 of title II of the Act is classified generally to part 1 (§ 2251 et seq.) of subchapter II of chapter 12 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 2101 of this title and Tables. section 2104(d)(3) and 2102(b)(14) of the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002, referred to in subsec. (d)(3)(C)(ii), are classified to subsec. (d)(3) of this section and section 3802(b)(14) of this title, respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Resources of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Natural Resources of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions For delegation of functions of President under 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.

§3804 Consultations and Assessment