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[DOCID: f:s943is.txt]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 943
To authorize the negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement with New
Zealand, and to provide for expedited congressional consideration of
such an agreement.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 23, 2001
Mr. Baucus introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement with New
Zealand, and to provide for expedited congressional consideration of
such an agreement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States-New Zealand Free Trade
Agreement Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Economic growth in the United States has been
considerably enhanced by bilateral agreements to lower barriers
for United States exports.
(2) Increased trade and economic growth are not ends in
themselves. Trade and economic growth should encourage
sustainable development, raise living standards, promote higher
labor standards, and enhance the welfare and quality of life of
all citizens of the United States and New Zealand.
(3) It is inappropriate to encourage trade by relaxing
domestic environmental laws or domestic labor laws.
(4) Countries that open their domestic markets, remove
barriers to foreign direct investment, and promote free
enterprise, empower their citizens to alleviate poverty and
maintain social and environmental values.
(5) New Zealand has participated fully in World Trade
Organization programs and policies that promote open trade.
(6) At the 1996 World Trade Organization Ministerial in
Singapore, New Zealand reaffirmed its commitment to
internationally recognized core labor standards.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES POLICY WITH RESPECT TO TRADE.
It is the policy of the United States to seek the elimination of
tariff and nontariff barriers in order to achieve more open market
access, on a reciprocal basis, to internationally traded goods and
service, through bilateral free trade agreements with like-minded
countries. Such agreements should address the following:
(1) National treatment and market access for agricultural
and industrial products.
(2) Rules for determining which goods originate in the
territory of the United States and New Zealand.
(3) Customs procedures that facilitate trade and collection
of trade statistics, while ensuring the validity of claims for
preferential treatment.
(4) Science-based, nondiscriminatory sanitary,
phytosanitary, and technical standards, including voluntary
standards.
(5) Safeguard provisions for industries that have
sustained, or are threatened with, serious economic injury from
import surges.
(6) Government procurement procedures.
(7) National treatment and rights of establishment for
foreign direct investors.
(8) National treatment and market access for traded
services, including consumption of services abroad, cross-
border provision of services, rights of establishment of
commercial presence, and the movement of natural persons.
(9) Protection of intellectual property.
(10) Transparency of legal and regulatory regimes.
(11) Measures to promote electronic commerce.
(12) Trade-related environmental measures, and the
potential for both favorable and adverse environmental impacts.
(13) Adherence to internationally recognized core labor
standards.
SEC. 4. NEGOTIATION OF A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH NEW ZEALAND.
Subject to section 5, the President is authorized to enter into an
agreement with New Zealand consistent with the policy described in
section 3, and the provisions of section 151(c) of the Trade Act of
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2191(c)) shall apply with respect to a bill to
implement such agreement.
SEC. 5. INTRODUCTION AND FAST TRACK CONSIDERATION OF IMPLEMENTING BILL.
(a) Introduction in House of Representatives and Senate.--Whenever
the President submits to Congress a bill to implement a trade agreement
described in section 4, the bill shall be introduced (by request) in
the House of Representatives and in the Senate as described in section
151(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2191(c)).
(b) Permissible Content in Implementing Legislation.--A bill to
implement a trade agreement described in section 4 shall contain
provisions that are necessary to implement the trade agreement, and
shall include trade-related labor and environmental protection
standards, but may not include amendments to title VII of the Tariff
Act of 1930, title II of the Trade Act of 1974, or any antitrust law of
the United States.
(c) Applicability of Fast Track Procedures.--Section 151 of the
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2191) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``section 5 of the
United States-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Act of 2001,''
after ``the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988,'';
and
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``or under section 5
of the United States-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Act of
2001,'' after ``the Uruguay Round Agreements Act,''.
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