[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3195 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3195
To extend normal trade relations treatment to the products of the Lao
People's Democratic Republic.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 29, 2003
Ms. McCollum (for herself and Mr. Matsui) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend normal trade relations treatment to the products of the Lao
People's Democratic Republic.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) the Lao People's Democratic Republic is pursuing a
broad policy of adopting market-based reforms to enhance its
economic competitiveness and achieve an attractive climate for
investment;
(2) extension of normal trade relations treatment would
assist the Lao People's Democratic Republic in developing its
economy based on free market principles and becoming
competitive in the global marketplace;
(3) establishing normal commercial relations on a
reciprocal basis with the Lao People's Democratic Republic will
promote United States exports to the rapidly growing Southeast
Asian region and expand opportunities for United States
business and investment in the Lao People's Democratic Republic
economy;
(4) United States and Laotian commercial interests would
benefit from the bilateral trade agreement between the United
States and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, signed in
2003, providing for market access and the protection of
intellectual property rights;
(5) the Lao People's Democratic Republic has taken
cooperative steps with the United States in the global war on
terrorism, combating the trafficking of narcotics, and the
accounting for American servicemen and civilians still missing
from the Vietnam war; and
(6) the United States is committed to a multifaceted
engagement with the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the
people of Laos by continuing to monitor, promote, and encourage
further progress by the Lao People's Democratic Republic on
human rights, religious tolerance, democratic rule of law, and
transparency, and assist that country in adopting regional and
world trading rules and principles, as well as international
labor standards.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO THE PRODUCTS OF THE
LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC.
(a) Harmonized Tariff Schedule Amendment.--General note 3(b) of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by striking
``Laos''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) applies
with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for
consumption, on or after the effective date of a notice published in
the Federal Register by the United States Trade Representative that a
trade agreement obligating reciprocal most-favored-nation treatment
between the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the United States has
entered into force.
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