Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 19 : Section 2503


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 2503. Approval of trade agreements

    (a) Approval of agreements and statements of administrative action
      In accordance with the provisions of sections 2112 and 2191 of
    this title, the Congress approves the trade agreements described in
    subsection (c) of this section submitted to the Congress on June
    19, 1979, and the statements of administrative action proposed to
    implement such trade agreements submitted to the Congress on that
    date.
    (b) Acceptance of agreements by the President
      (1) In general
        The President may accept for the United States the final legal
      instruments or texts embodying each of the trade agreements
      approved by the Congress under subsection (a) of this section.
      The President shall submit a copy of each final instrument or
      text to the Congress on the date such text or instrument is
      available, together with a notification of any changes in the
      instruments or texts, including their annexes, if any, as
      accepted and the texts of such agreements as submitted to the
      Congress under subsection (a) of this section. Such final legal
      instruments or texts shall be deemed to be the agreements
      submitted to and approved by the Congress under subsection (a) of
      this section if such changes are - 
          (A) only rectifications of a formal character or minor
        technical or clerical changes which do not affect the substance
        or meaning of the texts as submitted to the Congress on June
        19, 1979, or
          (B) changes in annexes to such agreements, and the President
        determines that the balance of United States rights and
        obligations under such agreements is maintained.
      (2) Application of agreement between the United States and other
        countries
        No agreement accepted by the President under paragraph (1)
      shall apply between the United States and any other country
      unless the President determines that such country - 
          (A) has accepted the obligations of the agreement with
        respect to the United States, and
          (B) should not otherwise be denied the benefits of the
        agreement with respect to the United States because such
        country has not accorded adequate benefits, including
        substantially equal competitive opportunities for the commerce
        of the United States to the extent required under section
        2136(c) (!1) of this title, to the United States.

      (3) Limitation on acceptance concerning major industrial
        countries
        The President may not accept an agreement described in
      paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), (10), or (11)
      of subsection (c) of this section, unless he determines that each
      major industrial country (as defined in section 2136(d) (!1) of
      this title) is also accepting the agreement. Notwithstanding the
      preceding sentence, the President may accept such an agreement,
      if he determines that only one major industrial country is not
      accepting that agreement and the acceptance of that agreement by
      that country is not essential to the effective operation of the
      agreement, and if - 
          (A) that country is not a major factor in trade in the
        products covered by that agreement,
          (B) the President has authority to deny the benefits of the
        agreement to that country and has taken steps to deny the
        benefits of the agreement to that country, or
          (C) a significant portion of United States trade would
        benefit from the agreement, notwithstanding such nonacceptance,
        and the President determines and reports to the Congress that
        it is in the national interest of the United States to accept
        the agreement.

      For purposes of this paragraph, the acceptance of an agreement by
      the European Communities on behalf of its member countries shall
      also be treated as acceptance of that agreement by each member
      country, and acceptance of an agreement by all the member
      countries of the European Communities shall also be treated as
      acceptance of that agreement by the European Communities.
    (c) Trade agreements to which this Act applies
      The trade agreements to which subsection (a) of this section
    applies are the following:
        (1) The Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the
      General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (relating to customs
      valuation).
        (2) The Agreement on Government Procurement.
        (3) The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.
        (4) The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (relating to
      product standards).
        (5) The Agreement on Interpretation and Application of Articles
      VI, XVI, and XXIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
      (relating to subsidies and countervailing measures).
        (6) The Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the
      General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (relating to antidumping
      measures).
        (7) The International Dairy Arrangement.
        (8) Certain bilateral agreements on cheese, other dairy
      products, and meat.
        (9) The Arrangement Regarding Bovine Meat.
        (10) The Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.
        (11) Texts Concerning a Framework for the Conduct of World
      Trade.
        (12) Certain Bilateral Agreements to Eliminate the Wine-Gallon
      Method of Tax and Duty Assessment.
        (13) Certain other agreements to be reflected in Schedule XX of
      the United States to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade,
      including Agreements - 
          (A) to Modify United States Watch Marking Requirements, and
        to Modify United States Tariff Nomenclature and Rates of Duty
        for Watches,
          (B) to Provide Duty-Free Treatment for Agricultural and
        Horticultural Machinery, Equipment, Implements, and Parts
        Thereof, and
          (C) to Modify United States Tariff Nomenclature and Rates of
        Duty for Ceramic Tableware.

        (14) The Agreement with the Hungarian People's Republic.



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