[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3904 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3904

To extend the generalized system of preferences program under the Trade 
   Act of 1974, to extend the Andean Trade Preference Act, to extend 
certain trade preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 15, 2006

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To extend the generalized system of preferences program under the Trade 
   Act of 1974, to extend the Andean Trade Preference Act, to extend 
certain trade preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, 
                        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 ``Emergency Trade Program Extension 
Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (relating to the 
        generalized system of preferences), the Andean Trade Preference 
        Act, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act have played an 
        important role in advancing United States trade policy goals, 
        providing important benefits to United States workers, farmers, 
        and businesses, and helping to trigger sustainable economic 
        growth in developing countries for more than 30 years.
            (2) A key United States trade policy goal relating to the 
        future of these programs is to ensure that they continue to 
        meet their stated goals; and, in particular, in regard to the 
        African Growth and Opportunity Act, that it provide the 
        continuity, stability, and predictability necessary to 
        establish by 2020 a stable and globally competitive textile and 
        apparel industry in Africa.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES.

    Section 505 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2465) is amended by 
striking ``2006'' and inserting ``2008''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF ANDEAN TRADE PREFERENCE ACT.

    Section 208 of the Andean Trade Preference Act (19 U.S.C. 3206) is 
amended by striking ``2006'' and inserting ``2008''.

SEC. 5. AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT.

    (a) Preferential Treatment of Apparel Articles.--Section 
112(b)(3)(B) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 
3721(b)(3)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``2007'' and inserting 
        ``2008'';
            (2) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subclause 
                (III);
                    (B) in subclause (IV)--
                            (i) by striking ``1.6071 percent'' and 
                        inserting ``3.2143 percent''; and
                            (ii) by striking the period at the end and 
                        inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                                    ``(V) 3.5 percent for the 1-year 
                                period beginning October 1, 2007.'';
            (3) in clause (iii)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subclause 
                (II);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of subclause 
                (III) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(IV) Mauritius.''; and
            (4) by striking clause (iv).
    (b) Hearings.--The Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate shall 
conduct hearings in the 110th Congress on--
            (1) the future of trade preference programs under the 
        African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Andean Trade Preference 
        Act, the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and title V of 
        the Trade Act of 1974 (relating to the generalized system of 
        preferences);
            (2) the efficacy of those trade preference programs, 
        including the impact of product exclusions and rules of origin 
        in promoting trade with beneficiary countries; and
            (3) the relationship of those trade preference programs to 
        negotiations in the World Trade Organization Doha Development 
        Agenda, including negotiations toward liberalized trade in 
        goods and services and enhanced opportunities for the least 
        developed countries.
                                 <all>