[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 384 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 384

 Calling on the United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky 
   to make the issue of runaway film production and cultural content 
restrictions an issue at the World Trade Organization talks in Seattle.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 1999

Mr. Weller (for himself, Mr. Rogan, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Foley, Mr. McKeon, 
  Mr. Buyer, Mr. English, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Berman, Mr. McIntyre, Mrs. 
    Bono, Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. Hayes, and Mr. Condit) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on the United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky 
   to make the issue of runaway film production and cultural content 
restrictions an issue at the World Trade Organization talks in Seattle.

Whereas the House of Representatives is concerned that some countries are using 
        incentives, and asserting the need for special exceptions to 
        international trade agreements to protect cultural content or cultural 
        sovereignty, to lure United States film production away from the United 
        States and believes that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial 
        meeting to be held in Seattle, Washington, and the multilateral 
        negotiations that are expected to follow, provide an opportunity for the 
        United States to address this problem;
Whereas the United States film industry is a basic and indigenous institution to 
        the United States which lost jobs to foreign countries last year;
Whereas some countries have been using incentives to bring United States film 
        productions to foreign soil, yet in some cases cultural content rules 
        restrict these films from being shown in these countries; and
Whereas it is important that the United States and its WTO trading partners take 
        advantage of opportunities to discuss the impact that incentives and 
        cultural content restrictions have on trade in filmed entertainment: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives calls upon the United 
States Trade Representative--
            (1) to consider the issues of runaway film production and 
        market access for American-filmed entertainment as a part of 
        the discussion at the WTO talks in Seattle,
            (2) to ensure that the United States enter into discussions 
        with its trading partners and take steps to address a set of 
        issues that threaten employment and trade in one of America's 
        most successful industries, and
            (3) as a top priority of the United States at the WTO talks 
        in Seattle, to make effective use of trade agreements to 
        liberalize cultural content restrictions while addressing 
        countries cultural content and cultural sovereignty concerns.
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