[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3151 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3151

To authorize negotiation of free trade agreements with Afghanistan, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 13, 2002

   Mr. Gramm introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize negotiation of free trade agreements with Afghanistan, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Afghanistan Free Trade Agreement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The economic prosperity of the United States and 
        Afghanistan will increase by reducing trade barriers.
            (2) Trade protection endangers economic prosperity in the 
        United States and Afghanistan and undermines civil liberty and 
        constitutionally limited government.
            (3) Free trade between the United States and Afghanistan 
        will help in strengthening of Afghanistan's economic security.
            (4) The successful establishment of a North American Free 
        Trade Area sets the pattern for the reduction of trade barriers 
        throughout the world, enhancing prosperity in place of the 
        cycle of increasing trade barriers, and deepening poverty that 
        results from a resort to protectionism and trade retaliation.
            (5) The reduction of government interference in the foreign 
        and domestic sectors of a nation's economy and the concomitant 
        promotion of economic opportunity and freedoms promote civil 
        liberty and constitutionally limited government.
            (6) Countries that observe a consistent policy of free 
        trade, the promotion of free enterprise and other economic 
        freedoms (including effective protection of private property 
        rights), and the removal of barriers to foreign direct 
        investment, in the context of constitutionally limited 
        government and minimal interference in the economy, will follow 
        the surest and most effective prescription to alleviate poverty 
        and provide for economic, social, and political development.

SEC. 3. FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH AFGHANISTAN.

    (a) In General.--The President shall take action to initiate 
negotiations to obtain trade agreements with Afghanistan, the terms of 
which provide for the reduction and ultimate elimination of tariffs and 
other nontariff barriers to trade.
    (b) Reciprocal Basis.--An agreement entered into under subsection 
(a) shall be reciprocal and provide mutual reductions in trade barriers 
to promote trade, economic growth, and employment.

SEC. 4. FAST-TRACK CONSIDERATION OF IMPLEMENTING BILLS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the prenegotiation notification 
and consultation requirement described in section 2104(a) of the 
Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804(a)), 
subsection (b) shall apply to any agreement negotiated under section 
3(a), subject to subsection (c).
    (b) Treatment of Agreements.--Subject to subsection (c), in the 
case of any agreement to which subsection (a) applies--
            (1) the applicability of the trade authorities procedures 
        to implementing bills shall be determined without regard to the 
        requirements of section 2104(a) of the Bipartisan Trade 
        Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804(a)) (relating 
        only to 90 days notice prior to initiating negotiations), and 
        any procedural disapproval resolution under section 
        2105(b)(1)(B) of such Act shall not be in order on the basis of 
        a failure or refusal to comply with the provisions of section 
        2104(a) of such Act; and
            (2) the President shall, as soon as feasible after the 
        commencement of negotiations under section 3(a)--
                    (A) notify the Congress of such negotiations, the 
                specific United States objectives in the negotiations, 
                and whether the President is seeking a new agreement or 
                changes to an existing agreement; and
                    (B) before and after submission of the notice, 
                consult regarding the negotiations with the committees 
                referred to in section 2104(a)(2) of such Act and the 
                Congressional Oversight Group convened under section 
                2107 of such Act.
    (c) Termination of Authority.--The authority of this section shall 
apply only to agreements entered into before January 1, 2008.
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