[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2653 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2653

 To require the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
to report to Congress by April 1, 1999, on the availability of certain 
                  wool fabric, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             October 21 (legislative day, October 2), 1998

  Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. D'Amato, and Mr. Lott) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements 
to report to Congress by April 1, 1999, on the availability of certain 
                  wool fabric, 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. STUDY ON WOOL TARIFFS.

    (a) In General.--The Committee for the Implementation of Textile 
Agreements, with the International Trade Administration of the 
Department of Commerce, shall report to the Committee on Ways and Means 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the 
Senate, not later than April 1, 1999, regarding the Committee's 
determination on the following:
            (1) The current and projected availability through December 
        31, 2004, of the following fabrics from NAFTA parties:
                    (A) Fabrics, of carded or combed wool or fine 
                animal hair, all the foregoing certified by the 
                importer as ``Super 70's'' or ``Super 80's'' intended 
                for use in making suits, suit-type jackets, or trousers 
                (provided for in the subheading 5111.11.70, 5111.19.60, 
                5112.11.20, or 5112.19.90 of the Harmonized Tariff 
                Schedule of the United States).
                    (B) Fabrics, of carded or combed wool or fine 
                animal hair, all the foregoing certified by the 
                importer as ``Super 90's'' or higher grade intended for 
                use in making suits, suit-type jackets, or trousers 
                (provided for in the subheading 5111.11.70, 5111.19.80, 
                5112.11.20, or 5112.19.90 of the Harmonized Tariff 
                Schedule of the United States).
            (2) The existence of a deficiency in supply of any of the 
        fabric categories described in paragraph (1) (A) and (B), 
        including United States domestic producers of such fabrics and 
        the causes of any deficiency of supply.
            (3) The economic consequences resulting from the 
        deficiency, if any, for United States producers of the textile 
        goods and articles using the fabric in the categories described 
        in paragraph (1) (A) and (B) including U.S. domestic producers 
        of such fabrics.
            (4) The economic consequences for producers described in 
        paragraph (3) and United States producers of fiber, tops, yarn, 
        and fabric resulting from--
                    (A) the reduction of tariffs in 1999 for the wool 
                fabrics described in paragraph (1)(A), and
                    (B) the elimination of tariffs in 1999 for the wool 
                fabrics described in paragraph (1)(B).
            (5) The capability of the United States Customs Service to 
        effectively monitor and verify that the imports of the fabrics 
        described in paragraph (1) (A) and (B) meet United States 
        tariff and quota requirements.
            (6) The economic consequences of the wool apparel tariff 
        preference level provision in the United States-Canada Free 
        Trade Agreement and North American Free Trade Agreement on the 
        United States wool textile and apparel industry.
    (b) Impact on WTO Agreements.--Nothing in this section is intended 
to affect the elimination of quotas or the application of safeguards 
provided for in the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing or the Agreement 
on Safeguards.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) Agreement on safeguards.--The term ``Agreement on 
        Safeguards'' means the Agreement on Safeguards referred to in 
        section 101(d)(13) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 
        U.S.C. 3511(d)(13)).
            (2) Agreement on textiles and clothing.--The term 
        ``Agreement on Textiles and Clothing'' means the Agreement on 
        Textiles and Clothing referred to in section 101(d)(4) of the 
        Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(4)).
            (3) NAFTA party.--The term ``NAFTA party'' means a country 
        that is a party to the North American Free Trade Agreement 
        entered into between the United States, Mexico, and Canada on 
        December 17, 1992.
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