19 USC 2212 - Transmission of agreements to Congress

Collapse to view only § 2212. Transmission of agreements to Congress

§ 2211. Congressional advisers for trade policy and negotiations
§ 2212. Transmission of agreements to Congress
§ 2213. Reports

§ 2211. Congressional advisers for trade policy and negotiations

(a) Selection

(1) At the beginning of each regular session of Congress, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, upon the recommendation of the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, shall select 5 members (not more than 3 of whom are members of the same political party) of such committee, and the President pro tempore of the Senate, upon the recommendation of the chairman of the Committee on Finance, shall select 5 members (not more than 3 of whom are members of the same political party) of such committee, who shall be designated congressional advisers on trade policy and negotiations. They shall provide advice on the development of trade policy and priorities for the implementation thereof. They shall also be accredited by the United States Trade Representative on behalf of the President as official advisers to the United States delegations to international conferences, meetings, and negotiating sessions relating to trade agreements.

(2)

(A) In addition to the advisers designated under paragraph (1) from the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Finance—

(i) the Speaker of the House may select additional members of the House, for designation as congressional advisers regarding specific trade policy matters or negotiations, from any other committee of the House or joint committee of Congress that has jurisdiction over legislation likely to be affected by such matters or negotiations; and

(ii) the President pro tempore of the Senate may select additional members of the Senate, for designation as congressional advisers regarding specific trade policy matters or negotiations, from any other committee of the Senate or joint committee of Congress that has jurisdiction over legislation likely to be affected by such matters or negotiations.

Members of the House and Senate selected as congressional advisers under this subparagraph shall be accredited by the United States Trade Representative.

(B) Before designating any member under subparagraph (A), the Speaker or the President pro tempore shall consult with—

(i) the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means or the Committee on Finance, as appropriate; and

(ii) the chairman and ranking minority member of the committee from which the member will be selected.

(C) Not more than 3 members (not more than 2 of whom are members of the same political party) may be selected under this paragraph as advisers from any committee of Congress.

(b) Briefing

(1) The United States Trade Representative shall keep each official adviser designated under subsection (a)(1) currently informed on matters affecting the trade policy of the United States and, with respect to possible agreements, negotiating objectives, the status of negotiations in progress, and the nature of any changes in domestic law or the administration thereof which may be recommended to Congress to carry out any trade agreement or any requirement of, amendment to, or recommendation under, such agreement.

(2) The United States Trade Representative shall keep each official adviser designated under subsection (a)(2) currently informed regarding the trade policy matters and negotiations with respect to which the adviser is designated.

(3)

(A) The chairmen of the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Finance may designate members (in addition to the official advisers under subsection (a)(1)) and staff members of their respective committees who shall have access to the information provided to official advisers under paragraph (1).

(B) The Chairman 1

1 So in original. Probably should not be capitalized.

of any committee of the House or Senate or any joint committee of Congress from which official advisers are selected under subsection (a)(2) may designate other members of such committee, and staff members of such committee, who shall have access to the information provided to official advisers under paragraph (2).

(c) Committee consultationThe United States Trade Representative shall consult on a continuing basis with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Finance of the Senate, and the other appropriate committees of the House and Senate on the development, implementation, and administration of overall trade policy of the United States. Such consultations shall include, but are not limited to, the following elements of such policy:

(1) The principal multilateral and bilateral negotiating objectives and the progress being made toward their achievement.

(2) The implementation, administration, and effectiveness of recently concluded multilateral and bilateral trade agreements and resolution of trade disputes.

(3) The actions taken, and proposed to be taken, under the trade laws of the United States and the effectiveness, or anticipated effectiveness, of such actions in achieving trade policy objectives.

(4) The important developments and issues in other areas of trade for which there must be developed proper policy response.

When necessary, meetings shall be held with each Committee 1 in executive session to review matters under negotiation.

(Pub. L. 93–618, title I, § 161, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2008; Pub. L. 96–39, § 3(e), July 26, 1979, 93 Stat. 150; Pub. L. 100–418, title I, § 1632, Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1269.)

§ 2212. Transmission of agreements to Congress

(a) Submission of copy and reasons

(b) Submission to each member

(Pub. L. 93–618, title I, § 162, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2008; Pub. L. 100–647, title IX, § 9001(a)(10), Nov. 10, 1988, 102 Stat. 3807; Pub. L. 107–210, div. B, title XXI, § 2110(a)(6), Aug. 6, 2002, 116 Stat. 1020; Pub. L. 114–26, title I, § 110(a)(7), June 29, 2015, 129 Stat. 358.)

§ 2213. Reports

(a) Annual report on trade agreements program and national trade policy agenda

(1) The President shall submit to the Congress during each calendar year (but not later than March 1 of that year) a report on—

(A) the operation of the trade agreements program, and the provision of import relief and adjustment assistance to workers and firms, under this chapter during the preceding calendar year; and

(B) the national trade policy agenda for the year in which the report is submitted.

(2) The report shall include, with respect to the matters referred to in paragraph (1)(A), information regarding—

(A) new trade negotiations;

(B) changes made in duties and nontariff barriers and other distortions of trade of the United States;

(D) changes in trade agreements (including the incorporation therein of actions taken for import relief and compensation provided therefor);

(E) the extension or withdrawal of nondiscriminatory treatment by the United States with respect to the products of foreign countries;

(F) the extension, modification, withdrawal, suspension, or limitation of preferential treatment to exports of developing countries;

(G) the results of actions to obtain the removal of foreign trade restrictions (including discriminatory restrictions) against United States exports and the removal of foreign practices which discriminate against United States service industries (including transportation and tourism) and investment;

(H) the measures being taken to seek the removal of other significant foreign import restrictions;

(I) each of the referrals made under section 2171(d)(1)(B) of this title and any action taken with respect to such referral;

(J) other information relating to the trade agreements program and to the agreements entered into thereunder;

(K) the number of applications filed for adjustment assistance for workers and firms, the number of such applications which were approved, and the extent to which adjustment assistance has been provided under such approved applications; and

(L) the operation of the Interagency Center on Trade Implementation, Monitoring, and Enforcement established under section 2171(h) of this title, including—

(i) information relating to the personnel of the Center, including a description of any employees detailed or assigned to the Center by a Federal agency under paragraph (3)(B) of such section;

(ii) information relating to the functions of the Center; and

(iii) an assessment of the operating costs of the Center.

(3)

(A) The national trade policy agenda required under paragraph (1)(B) for the year in which a report is submitted shall be in the form of a statement of—

(i) the trade policy objectives and priorities of the United States for the year, and the reasons therefor;

(ii) the actions proposed, or anticipated, to be undertaken during the year to achieve such objectives and priorities, including, but not limited to, actions authorized under the trade laws and negotiations with foreign countries;

(iii) any proposed legislation necessary or appropriate to achieve any of such objectives or priorities; and

(iv) the progress that was made during the preceding year in achieving the trade policy objectives and priorities included in the statement provided for that year under this paragraph.

(B) The President may separately submit any information referred to in subparagraph (A) to the Congress in confidence if the President considers confidentiality appropriate.

(C) Before submitting the national trade policy agenda for any year, the President shall seek advice from the appropriate advisory committees established under section 2155 of this title and shall consult with the appropriate committees of the Congress.

(D) The United States Trade Representative (hereafter referred to in this section as the “Trade Representative”) and other appropriate officials of the United States Government shall consult periodically with the appropriate committees of the Congress regarding the annual objectives and priorities set forth in each national trade policy agenda with respect to—

(i) the status and results of the actions that have been undertaken to achieve the objectives and priorities; and

(ii) any development which may require, or result in, changes to any of such objectives or priorities.

(b) Annual trade projection report

(1) In order for the Congress to be informed of the impact of foreign trade barriers and macroeconomic factors on the balance of trade of the United States, the Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury shall jointly prepare and submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives (hereafter referred to in this subsection as the “Committees”) on or before March 1 of each year a report which consists of—

(A) a review and analysis of—

(i) the merchandise balance of trade,

(ii) the goods and services balance of trade,

(iii) the balance on the current account,

(iv) the external debt position,

(v) the exchange rates,

(vi) the economic growth rates,

(vii) the deficit or surplus in the fiscal budget, and

(viii) the impact on United States trade of market barriers and other unfair practices,

of countries that are major trading partners of the United States, including, as appropriate, groupings of such countries;

(B) projections for each of the economic factors described in subparagraph (A) (except those described in clauses (v) and (viii)) for each of the countries and groups of countries referred to in subparagraph (A) for the year in which the report is submitted and for the succeeding year; and

(C) conclusions and recommendations, based upon the projections referred to in subparagraph (B), for policy changes, including trade policy, exchange rate policy, fiscal policy, and other policies that should be implemented to improve the outlook.

(2) To the extent that subjects referred to in paragraph (1)(A), (B), or (C) are covered in the national trade policy agenda required under subsection (a)(1)(B) or in other reports required by this chapter or other law, the Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury may, as appropriate, draw on the information, analysis, and conclusions, if any, in those reports for the purposes of preparing the report required by this subsection.

(3) The Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the preparation of each report required under this subsection.

(4) The Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury may separately submit any information, analysis, or conclusion referred to in paragraph (1) to the Committees in confidence if the Trade Representative and the Secretary consider confidentiality appropriate.

(5) After submission of each report required under paragraph (1), the Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with each of the Committees with respect to the report.

(d) Quadrennial plan and report

(1) Quadrennial planPursuant to the goals and objectives of the strategic plan of the Office of the United States Trade Representative as required under section 306 of title 5, the Trade Representative shall, every 4 years, develop a plan—

(A) to analyze internal quality controls and record management of the Office;

(B) to identify existing staff of the Office and new staff that will be necessary to support the trade negotiation and enforcement functions and powers of the Office (including those functions and powers of the Trade Policy Staff Committee) as described in section 2171 of this title and section 2411 of this title;

(C) to identify existing staff of the Office and staff in other Federal agencies who will be required to be detailed or assigned to support interagency programs led by the Trade Representative, including any associated expenses;

(D) to provide an outline of budget justifications, including salaries and expenses as well as nonpersonnel administrative expenses, for the fiscal years required under the strategic plan; and

(E) to provide an outline of budget justifications, including salaries and expenses as well as nonpersonnel administrative expenses, for interagency programs led by the Trade Representative for the fiscal years required under the strategic plan.

(2) Report

(A) In general

(B) Exception

(C) Appropriate congressional committees definedIn this paragraph, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(i) the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and

(ii) the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

(Pub. L. 93–618, title I, § 163, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2009; Pub. L. 100–418, title I, § 1641, Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1271; Pub. L. 114–125, title VI, § 604(c), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 186.)