USC Part 1

USC Part 1
in effect

19 U.S.C. § 2111 Basic authority for trade agreements

(a) Presidential authority to enter into agreement; modification or continuance of existing dutiesWhenever the President determines that any existing duties or other import restrictions of any foreign country or the United States are unduly burdening and restricting the foreign trade of the United States and that the purposes of this chapter will be promoted thereby, the President—(1) during the 5-year period beginning on January 3, 1975, may enter into trade agreements with foreign countries or instrumentalities thereof; and (2) may proclaim such modification or continuance of any existing duty, such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as he determines to be required or appropriate to carry out any such trade agreement. (b) Limitation on authority to decrease duty(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no proclamation pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall be made decreasing a rate of duty to a rate below 40 percent of the rate existing on January 1, 1975. (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of any article for which the rate of duty existing on January 1, 1975, is not more than 5 percent ad valorem. (c) Limitation on authority to increase dutyNo proclamation shall be made pursuant to subsection (a)(2) increasing any rate of duty to, or imposing a rate above, the higher of the following:(1) the rate which is 50 percent above the rate set forth in rate column numbered 2 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States as in effect on January 1, 1975, or (2) the rate which is 20 percent ad valorem above the rate existing on January 1, 1975.

19 U.S.C. § 2112 Barriers to and other distortions of trade

(a) Congressional findings; directives; disavowal of prior approval of legislationThe Congress finds that barriers to (and other distortions of) international trade are reducing the growth of foreign markets for the products of United States agriculture, industry, mining, and commerce, diminishing the intended mutual benefits of reciprocal trade concessions, adversely affecting the United States economy, preventing fair and equitable access to supplies, and preventing the development of open and nondiscriminatory trade among nations. The President is urged to take all appropriate and feasible steps within his power (including the full exercise of the rights of the United States under international agreements) to harmonize, reduce, or eliminate such barriers to (and other distortions of) international trade. The President is further urged to utilize the authority granted by subsection (b) to negotiate trade agreements with other countries and instrumentalities providing on a basis of mutuality for the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of such barriers to (and other distortions of) international trade. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prior approval of any legislation which may be necessary to implement an agreement concerning barriers to (or other distortions of) international trade. (b) Presidential determinations prerequisite to entry into trade agreements; trade with Israel(1) Whenever the President determines that any barriers to (or other distortions of) international trade of any foreign country or the United States unduly burden and restrict the foreign trade of the United States or adversely affect the United States economy, or that the imposition of such barriers is likely to result in such a burden, restriction, or effect, and that the purposes of this chapter will be promoted thereby, the President, during the 13-year period beginning on January 3, 1975, may enter into trade agreements with foreign countries or instrumentalities providing for the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of such barriers (or other distortions) or providing for the prohibition of or limitations on the imposition of such barriers (or other distortions). (2)(A) Trade agreements that provide for the elimination or reduction of any duty imposed by the United States may be entered into under paragraph (1) only with Israel. (B) The negotiation of any trade agreement entered into under paragraph (1) with Israel that provides for the elimination or reduction of any duty imposed by the United States shall take fully into account any product that benefits from a discriminatory preferential tariff arrangement between Israel and a third country if the tariff preference on such product has been the subject of a challenge by the United States Government under the authority of section 2411 of this title and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. (C) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the requirements of subsections (c) and (e)(1) shall not apply to any trade agreement entered into under paragraph (1) with Israel that provides for the elimination or reduction of any duty imposed by the United States. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no trade benefit shall be extended to any country by reason of the extension of any trade benefit to another country under a trade agreement entered into under paragraph (1) with such other country that provides for the elimination or reduction of any duty imposed by the United States. (4)(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), a trade agreement that provides for the elimination or reduction of any duty imposed by the United States may be entered into under paragraph (1) with any country other than Israel if—(i) such country requested the negotiation of such an agreement, and (ii) the President, at least 60 days prior to the date notice is provided under subsection (e)(1)—(I) provides written notice of such negotiations to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and (II) consults with such committees regarding the negotiation of such agreement. (B) The provisions of section 2191 of this title shall not apply to an implementing bill (within the meaning of section 2191(b) of this title) if—(i) such implementing bill contains a provision approving of any trade agreement which—(I) is entered into under this section with any country other than Israel, and (II) provides for the elimination or reduction of any duty imposed by the United States, and (ii) either—(I) the requirements of subparagraph (A) were not met with respect to the negotiation of such agreement, or (II) the Committee on Finance of the Senate or the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives disapproved of the negotiation of such agreement before the close of the 60-day period which begins on the date notice is provided under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) with respect to the negotiation of such agreement. (C) The 60-day period described in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (B)(ii)(II) shall be computed without regard to—(i) the days on which either House of Congress is not in session because of an adjournment of more than 3 days to a day certain or an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and (ii) any Saturday and Sunday, not excluded under clause (i), when either House of Congress is not in session. (c) Presidential consultation with Congress prior to entry into trade agreementsBefore the President enters into any trade agreement under this section providing for the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of a barrier to (or other distortion of) international trade, he shall consult with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and with each 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 such trade agreement. Such consultation shall include all matters relating to the implementation of such trade agreement as provided in subsections (d) and (e). If it is proposed to implement such trade agreement, together with one or more other trade agreements entered into under this section, in a single implementing bill, such consultation shall include the desirability and feasibility of such proposed implementation. (d) Submission to Congress of agreements, drafts of implementing bills, and statements of proposed administrative actionWhenever the President enters into a trade agreement under this section providing for the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of a barrier to (or other distortion of) international trade, he shall submit such agreement, together with a draft of an implementing bill (described in section 2191(b) of this title) and a statement of any administrative action proposed to implement such agreement, to the Congress as provided in subsection (e), and such agreement shall enter into force with respect to the United States only if the provisions of subsection (e) are complied with and the implementing bill submitted by the President is enacted into law. (e) Steps prerequisite to entry into force of trade agreementsEach trade agreement submitted to the Congress under this subsection shall enter into force with respect to the United States if (and only if)—(1) the President, not less than 90 days before the day on which he enters into such trade agreement, notifies the House of Representatives and the Senate of his intention to enter into such an agreement, and promptly thereafter publishes notice of such intention in the Federal Register; (2) after entering into the agreement, the President transmits a document to the House of Representatives and to the Senate containing a copy of the final legal text of such agreement together with—(A) a draft of an implementing bill and a statement of any administrative action proposed to implement such agreement, and an explanation as to how the implementing bill and proposed administrative action change or affect existing law, and (B) a statement of his reasons as to how the agreement serves the interests of United States commerce and as to why the implementing bill and proposed administrative action is required or appropriate to carry out the agreement; and (3) the implementing bill is enacted into law. (f) Obligations imposed upon foreign countries or instrumentalities receiving benefits under trade agreementsTo insure that a foreign country or instrumentality which receives benefits under a trade agreement entered into under this section is subject to the obligations imposed by such agreement, the President may recommend to Congress in the implementing bill and statement of administrative action submitted with respect to such agreement that the benefits and obligations of such agreement apply solely to the parties to such agreement, if such application is consistent with the terms of such agreement. The President may also recommend with respect to any such agreement that the benefits and obligations of such agreement not apply uniformly to all parties to such agreement, if such application is consistent with the terms of such agreement. (g) DefinitionsFor purposes of this section—(1) the term “barrier” includes—(A) the American selling price basis of customs evaluation as defined in section 1401a or 1402 of this title, as appropriate, and (B) any duty or other import restriction; (2) the term “distortion” includes a subsidy; and (3) the term “international trade” includes—(A) trade in both goods and services, and (B) foreign direct investment by United States persons, especially if such investment has implications for trade in goods and services.

19 U.S.C. § 2113 Overall negotiating objective

The overall United States negotiating objective under sections 2111 and 2112 of this title shall be to obtain more open and equitable market access and the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of devices which distort trade or commerce. To the maximum extent feasible, the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of agricultural trade barriers and distortions shall be undertaken in conjunction with the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of industrial trade barriers and distortions.

19 U.S.C. § 2114 Sector negotiating objective

(a) Obtaining equivalent competitive opportunitiesA principal United States negotiating objective under sections 2111 and 2112 of this title shall be to obtain, to the maximum extent feasible, with respect to appropriate product sectors of manufacturing, and with respect to the agricultural sector, competitive opportunities for United States exports to the developed countries of the world equivalent to the competitive opportunities afforded in United States markets to the importation of like or similar products, taking into account all barriers (including tariffs) to and other distortions of international trade affecting that sector. (b) Conduct of negotiations on basis of appropriate product sectors of manufacturingAs a means of achieving the negotiating objective set forth in subsection (a), to the extent consistent with the objective of maximizing overall economic benefit to the United States (through maintaining and enlarging foreign markets for products of United States agriculture, industry, mining, and commerce, through the development of fair and equitable market opportunities, and through open and nondiscriminatory world trade), negotiations shall, to the extent feasible be conducted on the basis of appropriate product sectors of manufacturing. (c) Identification of appropriate product sectors of manufacturingFor the purposes of this section and section 2155 of this title, the United States Trade Representative together with the Secretary of Commerce, Agriculture, or Labor, as appropriate, shall, after consultation with the Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations established under section 2155 of this title and after consultation with interested private or non-Federal governmental organizations, identify appropriate product sectors of manufacturing. (d) Presidential analysis of how negotiating objectives are achieved in each product sector by trade agreementsIf the President determines that competitive opportunities in one or more product sectors will be significantly affected by a trade agreement concluded under section 2111 or 2112 of this title, he shall submit to the Congress with each such agreement an analysis of the extent to which the negotiating objective set forth in subsection (a) is achieved by such agreement in each product sector or product sectors.

19 U.S.C. § 2114a Negotiating objectives with respect to trade in services, foreign direct investment, and high technology products

(a) Trade in services(1) In generalPrincipal United States negotiating objectives under section 2112 of this title shall be—(A) to reduce or to eliminate barriers to, or other distortions of, international trade in services (particularly United States service sector trade in foreign markets), including barriers that deny national treatment and restrictions on the establishment and operation in such markets; and (B) to develop internationally agreed rules, including dispute settlement procedures, which—(i) are consistent with the commercial policies of the United States, and (ii) will reduce or eliminate such barriers or distortions and help ensure open international trade in services. (2) Domestic objectivesIn pursuing the objectives described in paragraph (1), United States negotiators shall take into account legitimate United States domestic objectives including, but not limited to, the protection of legitimate health or safety, essential security, environmental, consumer or employment opportunity interests and the laws and regulations related thereto. (b) Foreign direct investment(1) In generalPrincipal United States negotiating objectives under section 2112 of this title shall be—(A) to reduce or to eliminate artificial or trade-distorting barriers to foreign direct investment, to expand the principle of national treatment, and to reduce unreasonable barriers to establishment; and (B) to develop internationally agreed rules, including dispute settlement procedures, which—(i) will help ensure a free flow of foreign direct investment, and (ii) will reduce or eliminate the trade distortive effects of certain investment related measures. (2) Domestic objectivesIn pursuing the objectives described in paragraph (1), United States negotiators shall take into account legitimate United States domestic objectives including, but not limited to, the protection of legitimate health or safety, essential security, environmental, consumer or employment opportunity interests and the laws and regulations related thereto. (c) High technology productsPrincipal United States negotiating objectives shall be—(1) to obtain and preserve the maximum openness with respect to international trade and investment in high technology products and related services; (2) to obtain the elimination or reduction of, or compensation for, the significantly distorting effects of foreign government acts, policies, or practices identified in section 2241 of this title, with particular consideration given to the nature and extent of foreign government intervention affecting United States exports of high technology products or investments in high technology industries, including—(A) foreign industrial policies which distort international trade or investment; (B) measures which deny national treatment or otherwise discriminate in favor of domestic high technology industries; (C) measures which fail to provide adequate and effective means for foreign nationals to secure, exercise, and enforce exclusive rights in intellectual property (including trademarks, patents, and copyrights); (D) measures which impair access to domestic markets for key commodity products; and (E) measures which facilitate or encourage anticompetitive market practices or structures; (3) to obtain commitments that official policy of foreign countries or instrumentalities will not discourage government or private procurement of foreign high technology products and related services; (4) to obtain the reduction or elimination of all tariffs on, and other barriers to, United States exports of high technology products and related services; (5) to obtain commitments to foster national treatment; (6) to obtain commitments to—(A) foster the pursuit of joint scientific cooperation between companies, institutions or governmental entities of the United States and those of the trading partners of the United States in areas of mutual interest through such measures as financial participation and technical and personnel exchanges, and (B) ensure that access by all participants to the results of any such cooperative efforts should not be impaired; and (7) to provide effective minimum safeguards for the acquisition and enforcement of intellectual property rights and the property value of proprietary data. (d) Definition of barriers and other distortionsFor purposes of subsection (a), the term “barriers to, or other distortions of, international trade in services” includes, but is not limited to—(1) barriers to establishment in foreign markets, and (2) restrictions on the operation of enterprises in foreign markets, including—(A) direct or indirect restrictions on the transfer of information into, or out of, the country or instrumentality concerned, and (B) restrictions on the use of data processing facilities within or outside of such country or instrumentality.

19 U.S.C. § 2114b Provisions relating to international trade in services

(1) The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a service industries development program designed to—(A) develop, in consultation with other Federal agencies as appropriate, policies regarding services that are designed to increase the competitiveness of United States service industries in foreign commerce; (B) develop a data base for assessing the adequacy of Government policies and actions pertaining to services, including, but not limited to, data on trade, both aggregate and pertaining to individual service industries; (C) collect and analyze, in consultation with appropriate agencies, information pertaining to the international operations and competitiveness of United States service industries, including information with respect to—(i) policies of foreign governments toward foreign and United States service industries; (ii) Federal, State, and local regulation of both foreign and United States suppliers of services, and the effect of such regulation on trade; (iii) the adequacy of current United States policies to strengthen the competitiveness of United States service industries in foreign commerce, including export promotion activities in the service sector; (iv) tax treatment of services, with particular emphasis on the effect of United States taxation on the international competitiveness of United States firms and exports; (v) treatment of services under international agreements of the United States; (vi) antitrust policies as such policies affect the competitiveness of United States firms; and (vii) treatment of services in international agreements of the United States; (D) conduct a program of research and analysis of service-related issues and problems, including forecasts and industrial strategies; and (E) conduct sectoral studies of domestic service industries. (2) For purposes of the collection and analysis required by paragraph (1), and for the purpose of any reporting the Department of Commerce makes under paragraph (3), such collection and reporting shall distinguish between income from investment and income from noninvestment services. (3) On not less than a biennial basis beginning in 1986, the Secretary shall prepare a report which analyzes the information collected under paragraph (1). Such report shall be submitted to the Congress and to the President by not later than the date that is 120 days after the close of the period covered by the report. (4) The Secretary of Commerce shall carry out the provisions of this subsection from funds otherwise made available to him which may be used for such purposes. (5) For purposes of this section, the term “services” means economic activities whose outputs are other than tangible goods. Such term includes, but is not limited to, banking, insurance, transportation, postal and delivery services, communications and data processing, retail and wholesale trade, advertising, accounting, construction, design and engineering, management consulting, real estate, professional services, entertainment, education, health care, and tourism.

19 U.S.C. § 2114c Trade in services: development, coordination, and implementation of Federal policies; staff support and other assistance; specific service sector authorities unaffected; executive functions

(1)(A) The United States Trade Representative, through the interagency trade organization established pursuant to section 1872(a) of this title or any subcommittee thereof, shall, in conformance with this Act and other provisions of law, develop (and coordinate the implementation of) United States policies concerning trade in services. (B) In order to encourage effective development, coordination, and implementation of United States policies on trade in services—(i) each department or agency of the United States responsible for the regulation of any service sector industry shall, as appropriate, advise and work with the United States Trade Representative concerning matters that have come to the department’s or agency’s attention with respect to—(I) the treatment afforded United States service sector interest in foreign markets; or (II) allegations of unfair practices by foreign governments or companies in a service sector; and (ii) the Department of Commerce, together with other appropriate agencies as requested by the United States Trade Representative, shall provide staff support and other assistance for negotiations on service-related issues by the United States Trade Representatives 11 So in original. Probably should be “Representative”. and the domestic implementation of service-related agreements. (C) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to alter any existing authority or responsibility with respect to any specific service sector. (2)(A) 22 See Codification note below. The President shall, as he deems appropriate—(i) consult with State governments on issues of trade policy, including negotiating objectives and implementation of trade agreements, affecting the regulatory authority of non-Federal governments, or their procurement of goods and services; (ii) establish one or more intergovernmental policy advisory committees on trade which shall serve as a principal forum in which State and local governments may consult with the Federal Government with respect to the matters described in clause (i); and (iii) provide to State and local governments and to United States service industries, upon their request, advice, assistance, and (except as may be otherwise prohibited by law) data, analyses, and information concerning United States policies on international trade in services.

19 U.S.C. § 2114d Foreign export requirements; consultations and negotiations for reduction and elimination; restrictions on and exclusion from entry of products or services; savings provision; compensation authority applicable

(1) If the United States Trade Representative, with the advice of the committee established by section 1872 of this title, determines that action by the United States is appropriate to respond to any export performance requirements of any foreign country or instrumentality that adversely affect the economic interests of the United States, then the United States Trade Representative shall seek to obtain the reduction and elimination of such export performance requirements through consultations and negotiations with the foreign country or instrumentality concerned. (2) In addition to the action referred to in subsection (1), the United States Trade Representative may impose duties or other import restrictions on the products or services of such foreign country or instrumentality for such time as he determines appropriate, including the exclusion from entry into the United States of products subject to such requirements. (3) Nothing in paragraph (2) shall apply to any products or services with respect to which—(A) any foreign direct investment (including a purchase of land or facilities) has been made directly or indirectly by any United States person before October 30, 1984, or (B) any written commitment relating to a foreign direct investment that is binding on October 30, 1984, has been made directly or indirectly by any United States person. (4) Whenever the international obligations of the United States and actions taken under paragraph (2) make compensation necessary or appropriate, compensation may be provided by the United States Trade Representative subject to the limitations and conditions contained in section 2133 of this title for providing compensation for actions taken under section 2253 of this title.

19 U.S.C. § 2114e Negotiation of agreements concerning high technology industries

The President may enter into such bilateral or multilateral agreements as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the objectives of this section and the negotiating objectives under section 2114a(c) of this title.

19 U.S.C. § 2115 Bilateral trade agreements

If the President determines that bilateral trade agreements will more effectively promote the economic growth of, and full employment in, the United States, then, in such cases, a negotiating objective under sections 2111 and 2112 of this title shall be to enter into bilateral trade agreements. Each such trade agreement shall provide for mutually advantageous economic benefits.

19 U.S.C. § 2116 Agreements with developing countries

A United States negotiating objective under sections 2111 and 2112 of this title shall be to enter into trade agreements which promote the economic growth of both developing countries and the United States and the mutual expansion of market opportunities.

19 U.S.C. § 2117 International safeguard procedures

(a) Harmonization, reduction, or elimination of barriers and distortions affecting international trade; use of temporary measuresA principal United States negotiating objective under section 2112 of this title shall be to obtain internationally agreed upon rules and procedures, in the context of the harmonization, reduction, or elimination of barriers to, and other distortions of, international trade, which permit the use of temporary measures to ease adjustment to changes occurring in competitive conditions in the domestic markets of the parties to an agreement resulting from such negotiations due to the expansion of international trade. (b) Permissible provisionsAny agreement entered into under section 2112 of this title may include provisions establishing procedures for—(1) notification of affected exporting countries, (2) international consultations, (3) international review of changes in trade flows, (4) making adjustments in trade flows as the result of such changes, and (5) international mediation. Such agreements may also include provisions which— (A) exclude, under specified conditions, the parties thereto from compensation obligations and retaliation, and (B) permit domestic public procedures through which interested parties have the right to participate.

19 U.S.C. § 2118 Access to supplies

(a) Fair and equitable accessA principal United States negotiating objective under section 2112 of this title shall be to enter into trade agreements with foreign countries and instrumentalities to assure the United States of fair and equitable access at reasonable prices to supplies of articles of commerce which are important to the economic requirements of the United States and for which the United States does not have, or cannot easily develop, the necessary domestic productive capacity to supply its own requirements. (b) Continued availability; reciprocal concessions; comparable trade obligationsAny agreement entered into under section 2112 of this title may include provisions which—(1) assure to the United States the continued availability of important articles at reasonable prices, and (2) provide reciprocal concessions or comparable trade obligations, or both, by the United States.

19 U.S.C. § 2119 Staging requirements and rounding authority

(a) Maximum aggregate reductions in rates of dutyExcept as otherwise provided in this section, the aggregate reduction in the rate of duty on any article which is in effect on any day pursuant to a trade agreement under section 2111 of this title shall not exceed the aggregate reduction which would have been in effect on such day if—(1) a reduction of 3 percent ad valorem or a reduction of one-tenth of the total reduction, whichever is greater, had taken effect on the effective date of the first reduction proclaimed pursuant to section 2111(a)(2) of this title to carry out such agreement with respect to such article, and (2) a reduction equal to the amount applicable under paragraph (1) had taken effect at 1-year intervals after the effective date of such first reduction. This subsection shall not apply in any case where the total reduction in the rate of duty does not exceed 10 percent of the rate before the reduction. (b) Simplification of computationIf the President determines that such action will simplify the computation of the amount of duty imposed with respect to an article, he may exceed the limitation provided by section 2111(b) of this title or subsection (a) of this section by not more than whichever of the following is lesser:(1) the difference between the limitation and the next lower whole number, or (2) one-half of 1 percent ad valorem. (c) Ten-year period for commencement of reductions in rates of duty(1) No reduction in the rate of duty on any article pursuant to a trade agreement under section 2111 of this title shall take effect more than 10 years after the effective date of the first reduction proclaimed to carry out such trade agreement with respect to such article. (2) If any part of a reduction takes effect, then any time thereafter during which any part of the reduction is not in effect by reason of legislation of the United States or action thereunder, the effect of which is to maintain or increase the rate of duty on an article, shall be excluded in determining—(A) the 1-year intervals referred to in subsection (a)(2), and (B) the expiration of the 10-year period referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

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