I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6537 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 21, 2012 Mr. Nunes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to make improvements to the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Generalized System of Preferences Improvement Act.

2.

Designation of beneficiary developing countries

Section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2462) is amended— (1)in subsection (b)(2)— (A)in subparagraph (C)— (i)by striking (C) and inserting (C)(i); and (ii)by adding at the end the following: (ii)Such country enters into an agreement to afford preferential treatment to the products of a developed country, other than the United States, unless the President determines and certifies to Congress that it is in the national interests of the United States to designate such country as a beneficiary developing country under this title. ; (B)by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following: (I)Such country improperly uses sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, or other non-tariff trade barriers through a sustained or recurring course of action or inaction, in a manner negatively affecting trade between the country and the United States. ; and (C)in the matter following subparagraph (I) (as added by subparagraph (B) of this paragraph), by striking and (H) and inserting (H), and (I); and (2)in subsection (c)— (A)in paragraph (6), by striking and at the end; (B)in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and (C)by adding at the end the following: (8)whether or not and the extent to which such country, in accordance with its capacity, adopts and follows international sanitary or phytosanitary standards and provides scientific justifications for deviations from such standards. .

3.

Review and report to Congress

Section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2464) is amended— (1)in the section heading, by striking report and inserting reports; (2)by striking The President and inserting (a) report on worker rights and child labor.—The President; and (3)by adding at the end the following: (b)

Report on market access

(1)

In general

The President shall submit an annual report to the Congress on the status of market access within each covered beneficiary developing country, including findings with respect to whether or not the beneficiary country, in accordance with its capacity, has adopted and followed international sanitary and phytosanitary standards and provides scientific justifications for deviations from such standards. The report shall also include findings as to whether or not each covered beneficiary developing country has improperly used sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, and other non-tariff trade barriers. (2)

Covered beneficiary developing country

In paragraph (1), the term covered beneficiary developing country means a beneficiary developing country that is one of the top 20 beneficiary developing countries in terms of dollar value of duty-free imports of articles under this title as identified on an annual basis by the United States International Trade Commission. .