[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2132 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2132

 To extend nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) 
to the products of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 1997

 Mr. Crane (for himself and Mr. Matsui) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To extend nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-nation treatment) 
to the products of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 striving to 
        shed centralized government control of its economy in favor of 
        market-oriented reforms;
            (2) extension of unconditional most-favored-nation 
        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 a commercial agreement between the United States 
        and the Lao People's Democratic Republic providing for market 
        access and the protection of intellectual property rights;
            (5) economic reform in the Lao People's Democratic Republic 
        is increasingly important as that country integrates into the 
        ASEAN Free Trade Area and accedes to the World Trade 
        Organization; and
            (6) expanding bilateral trade relations that include a 
        commercial agreement may promote further progress by the Lao 
        People's Democratic Republic on human rights and democratic 
        rule and assist that country in adopting regional and world 
        trading rules and principles.

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.

SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    The President shall submit to the Congress, not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, a report on the 
trade relations between the United States and the Lao People's 
Democratic Republic pursuant to the trade agreement described in 
section 2(b).
                                 <all>