[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 29 Referred in House (RFH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 29


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 17, 1993

  Referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Relating to the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation organization.

Whereas the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization was formed in 1989 in 
        order to strengthen regional ties among the economies of member 
        countries of the organization by reducing barriers to trade and 
        investment between such members;
Whereas the organization seeks to reduce such barriers through economic 
        cooperation and the coordination of policy among such members;
Whereas the United States is a member of the organization;
Whereas trade between the United States and organization members Australia, 
        Brunei Darussalam, Canada, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, 
        Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the 
        Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand accounts for more than half 
        of all United States two-way trade;
Whereas the United States exported $218,000,000,000 of goods and services to 
        members of the organization in 1992, an amount constituting 52 percent 
        of the value of all United States exports in that year;
Whereas the volume of trade between the United States and the Asia Pacific 
        region increased at an average annual rate of 9.1 percent between 1980 
        and the present;
Whereas that rate of increase exceeds the average annual rate of increase in 
        trade during that period between the United States and any other region;
Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to expand trade between the 
        United States and Asia Pacific countries in order to create more export-
        oriented jobs for Americans;
Whereas the United States, as an Asian power with significant economic and 
        security interests in the East Asia and Pacific regions, should be 
        engaged actively in shaping institutional arrangements that advance 
        freer trade and strengthen the multilateral trade system;
Whereas the annual ministerial meeting of the organization will be held in 
        Seattle, Washington, on November 17 through November 19, 1993, and will 
        be chaired and hosted by the United States;
Whereas chairing and hosting the ministerial meeting presents the United States 
        with the opportunity to initiate a proactive agenda in order to achieve 
        progress among members of the organization relating to economic 
        competition, civil aviation, energy cooperation, use and exchange of 
        technological data and products, intellectual property rights, human 
        resources development, and the environment; and
Whereas a strong United States commitment to the organization can deter the 
        formation of a trade bloc that might be counterproductive to United 
        States trade policy in the Asia Pacific region, can promote 
        liberalization of trade among organization members, and can advance 
        interests common to such members in a region undergoing rapid economic 
        and political transformation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),

SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress--
            (1) to encourage United States leadership in the Asia 
        Pacific Economic Cooperation organization; and
            (2) that the President, the Secretary of State, and other 
        representatives of the United States Government should take the 
        opportunity presented by the scheduled chairing and hosting by 
        the United States of the ministerial meeting of the 
        organization in Seattle, Washington, on November 17 through 
        November 19, 1993, to reaffirm the United States commitment to 
        make Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation an effective regional 
        economic organization that reduces formal and informal barriers 
        to increased intra-regional trade through the harmonization of 
        standards, trade, and investment policies.

SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION.

    The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
resolution to the President and the Secretary of State.

            Passed the Senate June 16 (legislative day, June 15), 1993.

            Attest:

                                             WALTER J. STEWART,

                                                             Secretary.