[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1520 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1520

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
States should reengage with trading partners, particularly like-minded 
  Allies with market-based economies and high labor and environmental 
   standards, to promote trade in environmental goods, services, and 
 technologies in new or existing bilateral and plurilateral dialogues 
  with a view to negotiating a new environmental goods agreement with 
updated product coverage to broaden United States export opportunities, 
support United States jobs, and enhance the environmental contribution 
                      of any new trade agreement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 14, 2022

 Mr. Brady (for himself, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Kelly 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Kind, Mr. Panetta, Ms. Sewell, and Mr. 
 LaHood) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United 
States should reengage with trading partners, particularly like-minded 
  Allies with market-based economies and high labor and environmental 
   standards, to promote trade in environmental goods, services, and 
 technologies in new or existing bilateral and plurilateral dialogues 
  with a view to negotiating a new environmental goods agreement with 
updated product coverage to broaden United States export opportunities, 
support United States jobs, and enhance the environmental contribution 
                      of any new trade agreement.

Whereas innovation and access to affordable new environmental goods and 
        technologies are key to addressing climate change while preserving 
        economic opportunity and energy security for countries in all stages of 
        economic development;
Whereas goods manufactured in the United States are 40 percent more carbon-
        efficient than the world average;
Whereas the United States is currently responsible for approximately 12 percent 
        of global greenhouse gas emissions;
Whereas the United States is a global innovation leader, including with respect 
        to cutting-edge technologies that reduce carbon emissions, improve 
        energy efficiency, benefit the environment, and make workers safer and 
        more productive;
Whereas a structural imbalance exists in the global environmental goods trade as 
        United States environmental goods are subject to higher tariffs (in some 
        cases more than 40 percent) in some markets, including India and China, 
        while the United States imposes very low tariffs on imported 
        environmental goods;
Whereas China is a net exporter of environmental goods and Chinese manufacturers 
        enjoy significantly greater global market share than United States 
        producers despite very low levels of Chinese consumption of 
        environmental goods;
Whereas high tariffs imposed on environmental goods by foreign countries 
        undermine global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, achieve 
        gains in energy efficiency, advance resilient communities, and improve 
        air and water quality, while disadvantaging United States manufacturers 
        and workers that make such products by reducing export opportunities;
Whereas eliminating foreign tariffs on such products would enable the United 
        States and other countries to more easily export high-quality, 
        affordable environmental products to aid in global efforts to combat 
        climate change, reduce pollution, and improve energy efficiency, while 
        also leveling the playing field for United States manufacturers and 
        supporting green jobs;
Whereas the United States environmental services industry also is a global 
        leader, and improved market access for United States environmental goods 
        also can create more opportunities around the world for United States 
        environmental service providers;
Whereas, on July 8, 2014, the United States and other member countries of the 
        World Trade Organization, accounting for nearly 90 percent of global 
        exports in environmental goods, initiated negotiations to establish an 
        Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) to eliminate tariffs on a number of 
        important environmental products, including wind turbines, solar panels, 
        water treatment filters, solar water heaters, and air pollution 
        controls;
Whereas the United States played a leading role in negotiations to establish the 
        EGA while such negotiations were active from 2014 to 2016;
Whereas United States innovators have developed new clean energy products since 
        2016, and increased global sales of these products can increase 
        opportunities for United States workers while reducing carbon emissions 
        and improving energy efficiency;
Whereas a high-standard environmental goods agreement would not undermine 
        enforcement of United States laws and regulations, including those that 
        respond to unfair trade practices and block imports produced by forced 
        labor; and
Whereas initiatives to facilitate trade in environmental goods, services, and 
        technologies should be part of a larger set of efforts aimed at 
        addressing climate change, boosting innovation, and strengthening the 
        United States economy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) the Office of the United States Trade Representative 
        should prepare a report identifying--
                    (A) goods produced by United States industry that 
                would have a further material positive impact on the 
                environment if trade in those goods increased;
                    (B) the United States share of global exports of 
                those goods; and
                    (C) the market access barriers that prevent or 
                inhibit the further export of United States 
                environmental goods around the world;
            (2) the United States should work with trading partners, 
        particularly like-minded allies with market-based economies and 
        high labor and environmental standards, in new and existing 
        bilateral and plurilateral dialogues to--
                    (A) update the list of 303 environmental products 
                that was generated at the conclusion of 19 
                Environmental Goods Agreement negotiating rounds to 
                reflect technological developments; and
                    (B) prioritize efforts to facilitate trade in 
                environmental goods to meet each country's 
                environmental and climate goals;
            (3) the United States should deepen engagement with the 
        European Union and other like-minded allies on national 
        security grounds to facilitate increased trade in environmental 
        goods and technologies to incentivize their further deployment 
        with a view to reducing energy dependence on Russia; and
            (4) the United States should seek to build on the 
        initiatives described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) by 
        launching negotiations to complete and implement an ambitious 
        new environmental goods agreement with updated product 
        coverage, while also urging United States trading partners to 
        take immediate action to remove barriers to environmental goods 
        imports from the United States.
                                 <all>