[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 256 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 256

     Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States Trade 
     Representative should oppose any changes that weaken existing 
 antidumping and safeguard laws at the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
 round of negotiations to be held at Doha, Qatar, from November 9-13, 
           2001, and at any subsequent round of negotiations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 30, 2001

  Mr. English (for himself, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Regula, Mr. 
  Cardin, Mr. Ney, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Ehrlich, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. 
     Murtha, Mr. Houghton, and Mr. Stupak) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States Trade 
     Representative should oppose any changes that weaken existing 
 antidumping and safeguard laws at the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
 round of negotiations to be held at Doha, Qatar, from November 9-13, 
           2001, and at any subsequent round of negotiations.

Whereas members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have expressed an interest 
        in renegotiating antidumping and safeguard provisions contained in the 
        Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on 
        Tariffs and Trade 1994 (commonly referred to as the ``Antidumping 
        Agreement'') at the Fourth Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held 
        at Doha, Qatar, from November 9-13, 2001;
Whereas the recent pattern of decisions by WTO dispute settlement panels and the 
        WTO Appellate Body to impose new obligations and restrictions on the use 
        of antidumping and safeguard measures by WTO members under the 
        Antidumping Agreement--obligations and restrictions that are not found 
        anywhere in the negotiated text of the Antidumping Agreement or other 
        relevant WTO agreements--has raised concerns; and
Whereas the WTO panels and the WTO Appellate Body issuing these decisions have 
        consistently avoided or misapplied the special standard of review 
        contained in Article 17.6 of the Antidumping Agreement, which is 
        designed to ensure deference to reasonable factual determinations and 
        legal interpretations rendered by national investigating authorities in 
        antidumping proceedings: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) renegotiation by members of the World Trade 
        Organization (WTO) of existing antidumping and safeguard 
        provisions contained in the Agreement on Implementation of 
        Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
        (commonly referred to as the ``Antidumping Agreement'') is 
        undesirable, unnecessary, and unlikely to result in an 
        agreement that does not weaken the antidumping and safeguard 
        provisions; and
            (2) the United States Trade Representative should oppose 
        any changes to existing antidumping and safeguard provisions 
        contained in the Antidumping Agreement at the Fourth 
        Ministerial Conference of the WTO to be held at Doha, Qatar, 
        from November 9-13, 2001, and at any subsequent round of 
        negotiations, including any changes that make antidumping 
        relief under these provisions more difficult, uncertain, or 
        costly for domestic industries to achieve and maintain over 
        time.
                                 <all>