[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3195 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3195

 To extend normal trade relations treatment to the products of the Lao 
                     People's Democratic Republic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To extend normal trade relations treatment to the products of the Lao 
                     People's Democratic Republic.

    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 pursuing a 
        broad policy of adopting market-based reforms to enhance its 
        economic competitiveness and achieve an attractive climate for 
        investment;
            (2) extension of normal trade relations 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 the bilateral trade agreement between the United 
        States and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, signed in 
        2003, providing for market access and the protection of 
        intellectual property rights;
            (5) the Lao People's Democratic Republic has taken 
        cooperative steps with the United States in the global war on 
        terrorism, combating the trafficking of narcotics, and the 
        accounting for American servicemen and civilians still missing 
        from the Vietnam war; and
            (6) the United States is committed to a multifaceted 
        engagement with the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the 
        people of Laos by continuing to monitor, promote, and encourage 
        further progress by the Lao People's Democratic Republic on 
        human rights, religious tolerance, democratic rule of law, and 
        transparency, and assist that country in adopting regional and 
        world trading rules and principles, as well as international 
        labor standards.

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.
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