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106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4856

To normalize trade relations with Cuba, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 13, 2000

Mr. RANGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To normalize trade relations with Cuba, and for other

purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Cuba

5 Trade Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING TRADE WITH

7 CUBA.

8 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—

9 (1) with the end of the cold war and the col10 lapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba is no longer a threat

11 to the United States or the Western Hemisphere;
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1 (2) the continuation of the embargo on trade

2 between the United States and Cuba that was de3 clared in February 1962 is counterproductive, add4 ing to the hardships of the Cuban people while mak5 ing the United States the scapegoat for the failures

6 of the Communist system;

7 (3) in the former Soviet Union, the Eastern

8 bloc countries, China, and Vietnam, the United

9 States is using economic, cultural, academic, and

10 scientific engagement to support its policy of pro11 moting democratic and human rights reforms;

12 (4) extension to Cuba of unconditional normal

13 trade relations treatment would assist Cuba in devel14 oping its economy based on free market principles

15 and becoming competitive in the global marketplace;

16 (5) the United States can best support demo17 cratic change and human rights in Cuba by pro18 moting trade and commerce, travel, communications,

19 and cultural, academic, and scientific exchanges;

20 (6) expanding bilateral trade relations is likely

21 to promote further progress in Cuba on human

22 rights and democratic rule and assist Cuba in adopt23 ing regional and world trading rules and principles;

24 and
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1 (7) Cuba was one of the founding members of

2 the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in

3 1947 and is an original member of the World Trade

4 Organization, and extension of unconditional normal

5 trade relations treatment to Cuba would enable the

6 United States to avail itself of all rights under the

7 World Trade Organization with respect to Cuba;

8 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the

9 Congress that—

10 (1) the United States should promote demo11 cratic change and economic reform by normalizing

12 trade relations with Cuba; and

13 (2) upon the enactment of this Act, it will no

14 longer be necessary for the United States to con15 tinue to use Article XXI of the GATT 1994 with re16 spect to Cuba, understanding that the President re17 tains full authority to invoke Article XXI of the

18 GATT 1994 and comparable provisions in other

19 Uruguay Round Agreements in the future in all ap20 propriate circumstances.

21 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘GATT

22 1994’’ and ‘‘Uruguay Round Agreements’’ have the mean23 ings given those terms in section 2 of the Uruguay Round

24 Agreements Act.
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1 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT

2 TO THE PRODUCTS OF CUBA.

3 (a) HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE AMEND4 MENTS.—General note 3(b) of the Harmonized Tariff

5 Schedule of the United States is amended—

6 (1) by striking ‘‘to section 401 of the Tariff

7 Classification Act of 1962,’’; and

8 (2) by striking ‘‘Cuba’’.

9 (b) REPEAL OF SECTION 401 OF THE TARIFF CLAS10 SIFICATION ACT OF 1962.—Section 401 of the Tariff

11 Classification Act of 1962 is repealed.

12 (c) TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE IV OF

13 THE TRADE ACT OF 1974 TO CUBA.—

14 (1) EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY

15 TREATMENT.—Nondiscriminatory treatment (normal

16 trade relations treatment) shall apply to the prod17 ucts of Cuba.

18 (2) TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE

19 IV.—Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 shall cease

20 to apply to Cuba.

21 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section, and the amend22 ments and repeal made by this section, shall apply with

23 respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse

24 for consumption, on or after the 15th day after the date

25 of the enactment of this Act.
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1 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

2 The President shall submit to the Congress, not later

3 than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this

4 Act, a report on trade relations between the United States

5 and Cuba.

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