19 USC 3536 - Increased transparency

Collapse to view only § 3536. Increased transparency

§ 3531. Definitions
§ 3532. Implementation of Uruguay Round Agreements
§ 3533. Dispute settlement panels and procedures
§ 3534. Annual report on WTO
§ 3535. Review of participation in WTO
§ 3536. Increased transparency
§ 3537. Access to WTO dispute settlement process
§ 3538. Administrative action following WTO panel reports
§ 3539. Fund for WTO dispute settlements

§ 3531. Definitions

For purposes of this part:

(1) Administering authority

(2) Appellate Body

(3) Appropriate congressional committees; congressional committees

(A) Appropriate congressional committees

(B) Congressional committees

(4) Dispute settlement panel; panel

(5) Dispute Settlement Body

(6) Dispute Settlement Understanding

(7) General Council

(8) Ministerial Conference

(9) Other terms

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 121, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4828.)

§ 3532. Implementation of Uruguay Round Agreements

(a) Decisionmaking

(b) Consultations with congressional committees

In furtherance of the objective set forth in subsection (a), the Trade Representative shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees before any vote is taken by the Ministerial Conference or the General Council relating to—

(1) the adoption of an interpretation of the WTO Agreement or another multilateral trade agreement,

(2) the amendment of any such agreement,

(3) the granting of a waiver of any obligation under any such agreement,

(4) the adoption of any amendment to the rules or procedures of the Ministerial Conference or the General Council,

(5) the accession of a state or separate customs territory to the WTO Agreement, or

(6) the adoption of any other decision,

if the action described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) would substantially affect the rights or obligations of the United States under the WTO Agreement or another multilateral trade agreement or potentially entails a change in Federal or State law.

(1) In general

Not later than 30 days after the end of any calendar year in which the Ministerial Conference or the General Council adopts by vote any decision to take any action described in paragraph (1), (2), (4), or (6) of subsection (b), the Trade Representative shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees describing—

(A) the nature of the decision;

(B) the efforts made by the United States to have the matter decided by consensus pursuant to paragraph 1 of article IX of the WTO Agreement, and the results of those efforts;

(D) the rights or obligations of the United States affected by the decision and any Federal or State law that would be amended or repealed, if the President after consultation with the Congress determined that such amendment or repeal was an appropriate response; and

(E) the action the President intends to take in response to the decision or, if the President does not intend to take any action, the reasons therefor.

(2) Additional reporting requirements

(A) Grant of waiver

(B) Accession

(d) Consultation on report

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 122, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4829.)

§ 3533. Dispute settlement panels and procedures

(a) Review by President

(b) Qualifications of appointees to panels

The Trade Representative shall—

(1) seek to ensure that persons appointed to the WTO panel roster are well-qualified, and that the roster includes persons with expertise in the subject areas covered by the Uruguay Round Agreements; and

(2) inform the President of persons nominated to the roster by other WTO member countries.

(d) Notification of disputes

Promptly after a dispute settlement panel is established to consider the consistency of Federal or State law with any of the Uruguay Round Agreements, the Trade Representative shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of—

(1) the nature of the dispute, including the matters set forth in the request for the establishment of the panel, the legal basis of the complaint, and the specific measures, in particular any State or Federal law cited in the request for establishment of the panel;

(2) the identity of the persons serving on the panel; and

(3) whether there was any departure from the rule of consensus with respect to the selection of persons to serve on the panel.

(e) Notice of appeals of panel reports

If an appeal is taken of a report of a panel in a proceeding described in subsection (d), the Trade Representative shall, promptly after the notice of appeal is filed, notify the appropriate congressional committees of—

(1) the issues under appeal; and

(2) the identity of the persons serving on the Appellate Body who are reviewing the report of the panel.

(f) Actions upon circulation of reports

Promptly after the circulation of a report of a panel or of the Appellate Body to WTO members in a proceeding described in subsection (d), the Trade Representative shall—

(1) notify the appropriate congressional committees of the report;

(2) in the case of a report of a panel, consult with the appropriate congressional committees concerning the nature of any appeal that may be taken of the report; and

(3) if the report is adverse to the United States, consult with the appropriate congressional committees concerning whether to implement the report’s recommendation and, if so, the manner of such implementation and the period of time needed for such implementation.

(g) Requirements for agency action

(1) Changes in agency regulations or practice

In any case in which a dispute settlement panel or the Appellate Body finds in its report that a regulation or practice of a department or agency of the United States is inconsistent with any of the Uruguay Round Agreements, that regulation or practice may not be amended, rescinded, or otherwise modified in the implementation of such report unless and until—

(A) the appropriate congressional committees have been consulted under subsection (f);

(B) the Trade Representative has sought advice regarding the modification from relevant private sector advisory committees established under section 2155 of this title;

(C) the head of the relevant department or agency has provided an opportunity for public comment by publishing in the Federal Register the proposed modification and the explanation for the modification;

(D) the Trade Representative has submitted to the appropriate congressional committees a report describing the proposed modification, the reasons for the modification, and a summary of the advice obtained under subparagraph (B) with respect to the modification;

(E) the Trade Representative and the head of the relevant department or agency have consulted with the appropriate congressional committees on the proposed contents of the final rule or other modification; and

(F) the final rule or other modification has been published in the Federal Register.

(2) Effective date of modification

(3) Vote by congressional committees

(4) Inapplicability to ITC

(h) Consultations regarding review of WTO rules and procedures

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 123, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4830.)

§ 3534. Annual report on WTO

Not later than March 1 of each year beginning in 1996, the Trade Representative shall submit to the Congress a report describing, for the preceding fiscal year of the WTO—

(1) the major activities and work programs of the WTO, including the functions and activities of the committees established under article IV of the WTO Agreement, and the expenditures made by the WTO in connection with those activities and programs;

(2) the percentage of budgetary assessments by the WTO that were accounted for by each WTO member country, including the United States;

(3) the total number of personnel employed or retained by the Secretariat of the WTO, and the number of professional, administrative, and support staff of the WTO;

(4) for each personnel category described in paragraph (3), the number of citizens of each country, and the average salary of the personnel, in that category;

(5) each report issued by a panel or the Appellate Body in a dispute settlement proceeding regarding Federal or State law, and any efforts by the Trade Representative to provide for implementation of the recommendations contained in a report that is adverse to the United States;

(6) each proceeding before a panel or the Appellate Body that was initiated during that fiscal year regarding Federal or State law, the status of the proceeding, and the matter at issue;

(7) the status of consultations with any State whose law was the subject of a report adverse to the United States that was issued by a panel or the Appellate Body; and

(8) any progress achieved in increasing the transparency of proceedings of the Ministerial Conference and the General Council, and of dispute settlement proceedings conducted pursuant to the Dispute Settlement Understanding.

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 124, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4832.)

§ 3535. Review of participation in WTO

(a) Report on operation of WTOThe first annual report submitted to the Congress under section 3534 of this title—

(1) after the end of the 5-year period beginning on the date on which the WTO Agreement enters into force with respect to the United States, and

(2) after the end of every 5-year period thereafter,

shall include an analysis of the effects of the WTO Agreement on the interests of the United States, the costs and benefits to the United States of its participation in the WTO, and the value of the continued participation of the United States in the WTO.

(b) Congressional disapproval of U.S. participation in WTO

(1) General rule

(2) Procedural provisions

(A) The requirements of this paragraph are met if the joint resolution is enacted under subsection (c), and—

(i) the Congress adopts and transmits the joint resolution to the President before the end of the 90-day period (excluding any day described in section 2194(b) of this title), beginning on the date on which the Congress receives a report referred to in subsection (a), and

(ii) if the President vetoes the joint resolution, each House of Congress votes to override that veto on or before the later of the last day of the 90-day period referred to in clause (i) or the last day of the 15-day period (excluding any day described in section 2194(b) of this title) beginning on the date on which the Congress receives the veto message from the President.

(B) A joint resolution to which this section applies may be introduced at any time on or after the date on which the President transmits to the Congress a report described in subsection (a), and before the end of the 90-day period referred to in subparagraph (A).

(1) Joint resolutions

(2) Procedures

(A) Joint resolutions may be introduced in either House of the Congress by any member of such House.

(B) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, the provisions of subsections (b), (d), (e), and (f) of section 2192 of this title apply to joint resolutions to the same extent as such provisions apply to resolutions under such section.

(C) If the committee of either House to which a joint resolution has been referred has not reported it by the close of the 45th day after its introduction (excluding any day described in section 2194(b) of this title), such committee shall be automatically discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution and it shall be placed on the appropriate calendar.

(D) It is not in order for—

(i) the Senate to consider any joint resolution unless it has been reported by the Committee on Finance or the committee has been discharged under subparagraph (C); or

(ii) the House of Representatives to consider any joint resolution unless it has been reported by the Committee on Ways and Means or the committee has been discharged under subparagraph (C).

(E) A motion in the House of Representatives to proceed to the consideration of a joint resolution may only be made on the second legislative day after the calendar day on which the Member making the motion announces to the House his or her intention to do so.

(3) Consideration of second resolution not in order

(d) Rules of House of Representatives and SenateThis section is enacted by the Congress—

(1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, and such procedures supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent with such other rules; and

(2) with the full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedures of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as any other rule of that House.

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 125, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4833.)

§ 3536. Increased transparency

The Trade Representative shall seek the adoption by the Ministerial Conference and General Council of procedures that will ensure broader application of the principle of transparency and clarification of the costs and benefits of trade policy actions, through the observance of open and equitable procedures in trade matters by the Ministerial Conference and the General Council, and by the dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body under the Dispute Settlement Understanding.

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 126, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4834.)

§ 3537. Access to WTO dispute settlement process

(a) In general

(b) Notice and public commentIn any proceeding described in subsection (a), the Trade Representative shall—

(1) promptly after requesting the establishment of a panel, or receiving a request from another WTO member country for the establishment of a panel, publish a notice in the Federal Register—

(A) identifying the initial parties to the dispute,

(B) setting forth the major issues raised by the country requesting the establishment of a panel and the legal basis of the complaint,

(C) identifying the specific measures, including any State or Federal law cited in the request for establishment of the panel, and

(D) seeking written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in the dispute; and

(2) take into account any advice received from appropriate congressional committees and relevant private sector advisory committees referred to in subsection (a), and written comments received pursuant to paragraph (1)(D), in preparing United States submissions to the panel or the Appellate Body.

(1) make written submissions by the United States referred to in subsection (b) available to the public promptly after they are submitted to the panel or Appellate Body, except that the Trade Representative is authorized to withhold from disclosure any information contained in such submissions identified by the provider of the information as proprietary information or information treated as confidential by a foreign government;

(2) request each other party to the dispute to permit the Trade Representative to make that party’s written submissions to the panel or the Appellate Body available to the public; and

(3) make each report of the panel or the Appellate Body available to the public promptly after it is circulated to WTO members, and inform the public of such availability.

(d) Requests for nonconfidential summaries

(e) Public file

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 127, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4835.)

§ 3538. Administrative action following WTO panel reports

(a) Action by United States International Trade Commission

(1) Advisory report

(2) Time limits for report

The Commission shall transmit its report under paragraph (1) to the Trade Representative—

(A) in the case of an interim report described in paragraph (1), within 30 calendar days after the Trade Representative requests the report; and

(B) in the case of a report of the Appellate Body, within 21 calendar days after the Trade Representative requests the report.

(3) Consultations on request for Commission determination

(4) Commission determination

(5) Consultations on implementation of Commission determination

(6) Revocation of order

(b) Action by administering authority

(1) Consultations with administering authority and congressional committees

(2) Determination by administering authority

(3) Consultations before implementation

(4) Implementation of determination

(1) Effects of determinations

Determinations concerning title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 [19 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.] that are implemented under this section shall apply with respect to unliquidated entries of the subject merchandise (as defined in section 771 of that Act [19 U.S.C. 1677]) that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after—

(A) in the case of a determination by the Commission under subsection (a)(4), the date on which the Trade Representative directs the administering authority under subsection (a)(6) to revoke an order pursuant to that determination, and

(B) in the case of a determination by the administering authority under subsection (b)(2), the date on which the Trade Representative directs the administering authority under subsection (b)(4) to implement that determination.

(2) Notice of implementation

(A) The administering authority shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the implementation of any determination made under this section with respect to title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 [19 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.].

(B) The Trade Representative shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the implementation of any determination made under this section with respect to title II of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2251 et seq.].

(d) Opportunity for comment by interested parties

(Pub. L. 103–465, title I, § 129, Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4836.)

§ 3539. Fund for WTO dispute settlements

(a) Establishment of fund

(b) Authority of USTR to pay settlements

Amounts in the fund established under subsection (a) shall be available, as provided in appropriations Acts, only for the payment by the United States Trade Representative of the amount of the total or partial settlement of any dispute pursuant to proceedings under the auspices of the World Trade Organization, if—

(1) in the case of a total or partial settlement in an amount of not more than $10,000,000, the Trade Representative certifies to the Secretary of the Treasury that the settlement is in the best interests of the United States; and

(2) in the case of a total or partial settlement in an amount of more than $10,000,000, the Trade Representative certifies to the Congress that the settlement is in the best interests of the United States.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the fund established under subsection (a)—

(1) $50,000,000; and

(2) amounts equivalent to amounts recovered by the United States pursuant to the settlement of disputes pursuant to proceedings under the auspices of the World Trade Organization.

Amounts appropriated to the fund are authorized to remain available until expended.

(d) Management of fund

(Pub. L. 107–210, div. E, title L, § 5201, Aug. 6, 2002, 116 Stat. 1047.)