[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 317 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 317

To express the sense of Congress that the President, the United States 
Trade Representative, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary 
of Commerce must take all appropriate and necessary steps to eliminate, 
  through international agreements or otherwise, restrictive foreign 
shipping practices which restrain or prevent United States flag vessels 
 from fair and equitable participation in the transportation of motor 
                    vehicles into the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 7, 1994

   Mr. Lipinski (for himself and Mr. Fields of Texas) submitted the 
  following concurrent resolution; which was referred jointly to the 
Committees on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Foreign Affairs, and Ways 
                               and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
To express the sense of Congress that the President, the United States 
Trade Representative, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary 
of Commerce must take all appropriate and necessary steps to eliminate, 
  through international agreements or otherwise, restrictive foreign 
shipping practices which restrain or prevent United States flag vessels 
 from fair and equitable participation in the transportation of motor 
                    vehicles into the United States.

Whereas a strong and healthy United States-flag merchant marine has been 
        encouraged by this Nation for two hundred years in order to assist the 
        strategic defense of the United States, as well as to create jobs and 
        promote our commerce in foreign markets;
Whereas it is necessary for this Nation's defense and development of its foreign 
        and domestic commerce that the United States have a merchant marine 
        sufficient to carry its domestic waterborne export and import foreign 
        commerce and to provide shipping services essential for maintaining the 
        flow of such domestic and foreign waterborne commerce at all times;
Whereas it is necessary for the national defense and development of its foreign 
        and domestic commerce that the United States have a merchant marine 
        composed of the best-equipped, safest, and most suitable types of 
        vessels, crewed with trained and efficient personnel who are United 
        States citizens;
Whereas each year millions of motor vehicles are imported into the United States 
        from foreign nations and almost all of those imported motor vehicles 
        have been, and continue to be, transported in the foreign commerce of 
        the United States by foreign flag vessels owned, operated or controlled 
        by foreign motor vehicle manufacturers for whom they provide 
        transportation, and said vessels are crewed by foreign seafarers;
Whereas these foreign shipping practices which adversely impact the United 
        States' balance of payments and balance of trade are fostered and 
        facilitated by foreign governments which benefit therefrom;
Whereas these foreign shipping practices restrain and adversely affect the 
        ability of United States-flag carriers and United States seafarers to 
        participate fairly and equitably in the ocean transportation of imported 
        motor vehicles in the foreign commerce of the United States; and
Whereas these foreign shipping practices adversely affect the ability of the 
        United States to obtain, through the privately-owned United States-flag 
        merchant fleet, the roll-on roll-off motor vehicle carrier vessels it 
        needs to meet vitally important military sealift requirements during 
        wars and other national emergencies; Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress strongly urges the President, the United States Trade 
Representative, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of 
Commerce to take all appropriate and necessary steps to eliminate, 
through international agreements or otherwise, restrictive foreign 
shipping practices, policies and arrangements which restrain or prevent 
United States-flag carriers and seafarers from fair and equitable 
participation in the ocean transportation of imported motor vehicles 
into the United States from countries that annually export more than 
50,000 motor vehicles to the United States, and to take such other 
steps that will result in the equitable increased population of United 
States-flag vessels owned and operated by citizens of the United 
States, as defined in section 2 of the Shipping Act of 1916, (46 U.S.C. 
802), in the transportation of imported motor vehicles in the foreign 
commerce of the United States; and be it further
    Resolved, That the President, the United States Trade 
Representative, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of 
Commerce shall each submit a report to Congress no later than February 
1, 1995 setting forth the steps taken on this matter by the 
administration and the progress, if any, made in the elimination of the 
unfair foreign shipping practices described in this concurrent 
resolution.
                                 <all>