[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S2723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BAUCUS (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 2200. A bill to extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade 
relations treatment) to the products of Laos; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2200

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TO LAOS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the Lao People's Democratic Republic is pursuing a 
     broad policy of adopting market-based reforms to enhance its 
     economic competitiveness and achieve an attractive climate 
     for investment;
       (2) extension of normal trade relations treatment would 
     assist the Lao People's Democratic Republic in developing its 
     economy based on free market principles and becoming 
     competitive in the global marketplace;
       (3) establishing normal commercial relations on a 
     reciprocal basis with the Lao People's Democratic Republic 
     will promote United States exports to the rapidly growing 
     southeast Asian region and expand opportunities for United 
     States business and investment in the Lao People's Democratic 
     Republic economy;
       (4) United States and Laotian commercial interests would 
     benefit from the bilateral trade agreement between the United 
     States and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, signed in 
     2003, providing for market access and the protection of 
     intellectual property rights;
       (5) the Lao People's Democratic Republic has taken 
     cooperative steps with the United States in the global war on 
     terrorism, combating the trafficking of narcotics, and the 
     accounting for American servicemen and civilians still 
     missing from the Vietnam war; and
       (6) expanding bilateral trade relations that include a 
     commercial agreement may promote further progress by the Lao 
     People's Democratic Republic on human rights, religious 
     tolerance, democratic rule, and transparency, and assist that 
     country in adopting regional and world trading rules and 
     principles.
       (b) Extension of Nondiscriminatory Treatment to the 
     Products of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.--
       (1) Harmonized tariff schedule amendment.--General note 
     3(b) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States 
     is amended by striking ``Laos''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
     applies with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from 
     warehouse for consumption, on or after the effective date of 
     a notice published in the Federal Register by the United 
     States Trade Representative that a trade agreement obligating 
     reciprocal most-favored-nation treatment between the Lao 
     People's Democratic Republic and the United States has 
     entered into force.
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