[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S8375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      OECD SHIPBUILDING AGREEMENT

 Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, as the Senate moves toward concluding 
its business before the August recess, I would like to take this 
opportunity to clarify the circumstances surrounding the Finance 
Committee's consideration of legislation to implement the OECD 
Shipbuilding Agreement.
  This vital agreement has already been the subject of a hearing in the 
Finance Committee in December 1995, and, in May 1996, the Committee 
voted unanimously in favor of the legislation to implement the 
Agreement.
  I understand my Finance Committee colleagues, Senators Lott and 
Breaux, have made substantial progress in resolving the controversial 
issues surrounding some parts of the legislation originally reported by 
the Finance Committee. I expect that their work on the implementing 
legislation and the resolution of certain procedural issues will be 
concluded shortly so that we can complete committee consideration and 
congressional passage of this bill as soon as possible after we return 
in September.
  I trust the other signatory countries to the Shipbuilding Agreement 
will understand that the recent delay in the Finance Committee's 
consideration of the implementing legislation was unavoidable--that it 
was simply a result of the committee's need to complete its work on the 
hallmark legislation to balance the U.S. budget and need to resolve 
certain parliamentary questions. This delay should in no way be 
interpreted as a lack of resolve to bring the OECD Shipbuilding 
Agreement implementing legislation to closure.
  I strongly urge other signatory countries not to take any action that 
might forever compromise our long-held goal of achieving free and fair 
trade in the global shipbuilding sector. It is my view that the United 
States is very close--closer than it has ever been--to enacting the 
legislation necessary for completion of U.S. ratification of the 
agreement. It would be terribly counterproductive and inappropriate for 
other signatory countries to abandon this important agreement at this 
juncture in reaction to this relatively minor and unavoidable delay.
  With that clarification, I look forward to working with my colleagues 
on the Finance Committee and in the Senate as a whole in moving this 
critical legislation forward to ultimate passage by Congress as quickly 
as possible.

                          ____________________