IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 132

Expressing the sense of Congress on the importance of promoting electronic

commerce, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 10, 2001

Mrs. TAUSCHER (for herself and Mr. DREIER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress on the importance of

promoting electronic commerce, and for other purposes.

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 businessto-business electronic transactions at nearly

$200,000,000,000;
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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

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—

3 (1) the Secretary of Commerce and the United

4 States Trade Representative should make the pro-
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1 motion of cross-border trade via electronic commerce

2 a high priority;

3 (2) the United States should work in good faith

4 with our trading partners to develop a cross-border

5 trade regime that promotes the continued growth of

6 electronic commerce and advances the interests of

7 Internet buyers and sellers in different countries;

8 and

9 (3) the United States should encourage mem10 bers of the World Trade Organization to—

11 (A) promote the development of infrastruc12 tures that are necessary to conduct e-commerce;

13 (B) promote the development of trade in

14 goods and services via e-commerce;

15 (C) ensure that products delivered elec16 tronically receive the most beneficial treatment

17 available under trade agreements relating to

18 similar products that are delivered physically,

19 including market access and non-discriminatory

20 treatment; and

21 (D) refrain from adopting measures that

22 would constitute actual or potential trade bar23 riers to electronic commerce, and ensure that
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1 all other measures are predictable and trans2 parent.

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