[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 64 (Thursday, May 10, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S4847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS ON 
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING ELECTRONIC COMMERCE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, and Mr. McCain) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance.

                            S. Con. Res. 37

       Whereas information technologies have spurred additional 
     growth and efficiency for the United States economy, given 
     consumers greater power and choice, and created new 
     opportunities for entrepreneurs;
       Whereas an estimated 60 percent of American businesses are 
     involved in electronic commerce;
       Whereas in 2000, business-to-consumer electronic 
     transactions were estimated at $61,000,000,000 and business-
     to-business electronic transactions at nearly 
     $200,000,000,000;
       Whereas economists have shown that the higher a nation's 
     Internet usage, the faster cross-border trade increases, 
     especially among developing nations;
       Whereas cross-border electronic commerce represents a 
     revolutionary form of international trade, one that will 
     provide new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and rising 
     living standards in the United States and overseas;
       Whereas in this era of policy development for global 
     electronic commerce, certain policy measures could push 
     Internet users into localized regions of the World Wide Web, 
     significantly reducing long-term opportunities for growth and 
     development;
       Whereas the current World Trade Organization (WTO) trade 
     rules, including (the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 
     the General Agreement on Trade in Services, and the Agreement 
     on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property) apply to 
     e-commerce;
       Whereas the growth of international trade via global 
     electronic commerce could be stunted by domestic policies or 
     measures that have the effect of reducing or eliminating 
     competition; and
       Whereas carefully coordinated agreements that ensure open 
     markets, broad access, competition, and limited burdens on e-
     commerce can facilitate growth and development in the United 
     States and overseas: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade 
     Representative should make the promotion of cross-border 
     trade via electronic commerce a high priority;
       (2) the United States should work in good faith with our 
     trading partners to develop a cross-border trade regime that 
     promotes the continued growth of electronic commerce and 
     advances the interests of Internet buyers and sellers in 
     different countries; and
       (3) the United States should encourage members of the World 
     Trade Organization to--
       (A) promote the development of infrastructures that are 
     necessary to conduct e-commerce;
       (B) promote the development of trade in goods and services 
     via e-commerce;
       (C) ensure that products delivered electronically receive 
     the most beneficial treatment available under trade 
     agreements relating to similar products that are delivered 
     physically, including market access and nondiscriminatory 
     treatment; and
       (D) refrain from adopting measures that would constitute 
     actual or potential trade barriers to electronic commerce, 
     and ensure that all other measures are predictable and 
     transparent.

                          ____________________