[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 218 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 218

  Encouraging the United States Trade Representative to establish and 
  articulate a strategy for initiating negotiations for a free trade 
 agreement between the United States and the Association of Southeast 
                             Asian Nations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 29, 2011

    Mr. Lugar (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) submitted the following 
       resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Encouraging the United States Trade Representative to establish and 
  articulate a strategy for initiating negotiations for a free trade 
 agreement between the United States and the Association of Southeast 
                             Asian Nations.

Whereas the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 
        1967, with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand 
        being original members;
Whereas ASEAN membership has now expanded and includes 10 countries;
Whereas the United States supports the centrality of ASEAN within East Asia;
Whereas the United States was the first country to appoint an Ambassador to the 
        Association of Southeast Asian Nations and has now appointed a resident 
        Ambassador to the ASEAN Secretariat;
Whereas ASEAN significantly contributes to regional stability in East Asia;
Whereas over 40,000 students from ASEAN are studying in the United States and an 
        increasing number of Americans are studying in ASEAN countries;
Whereas ASEAN partners with the United States Government to combat global 
        terror;
Whereas the United States acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 
        2009;
Whereas ASEAN constitutes the fourth largest market for United States exports 
        and, according to Department of Commerce figures, United States exports 
        to ASEAN support over 450,000 jobs in the United States;
Whereas ASEAN has a population of approximately 600,000,000 persons;
Whereas two-way, United States-ASEAN trade totals approximately $180,000,000,000 
        annually;
Whereas the nations of ASEAN are working toward economic integration;
Whereas ASEAN has entered into free trade agreements with India, China, Japan, 
        South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, covering nearly 50 percent of 
        the world's population; and
Whereas the United States and ASEAN signed a Trade and Investment Framework 
        Agreement (TIFA) over five years ago, and the United States and ASEAN 
        continue to work on trade-related initiatives: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the United States Trade Representative, in consultation 
        with other appropriate Federal agencies and interested 
        stakeholders, should establish and articulate a strategy for 
        initiating negotiations for a free trade agreement between the 
        United States and ASEAN; and
            (2) at the time of free trade agreement negotiations, any 
        pending bilateral issues between the United States and Burma, 
        including economic sanctions, investment prohibition, travel 
        restrictions or otherwise, should not deter the United States 
        from engaging with other ASEAN nations regarding a potential 
        free trade agreement, nor should the United States encourage 
        trade with Burma, absent significant reforms within that 
        country.
                                 <all>