I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4979 

To extend the Generalized System of Preferences and to make technical 

changes to the competitive need limitations provision of the program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2018 

Mr. REICHERT (for himself, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. NEAL, 

Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. CURBELO of Florida, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. 

KELLY of Pennsylvania, and Mr. MEEHAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To extend the Generalized System of Preferences and to 

make technical changes to the competitive need limitations provision of the program. 

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

3 SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF 

4 PREFERENCES. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 505 of the Trade Act of 

6 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2465) is amended by striking ‘‘December 

7 31, 2017’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2020’’. 

8 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The amendment made by 

2 subsection (a) shall apply to articles entered on or 

3 after the 30th day after the date of the enactment 

4 of this Act. 

5 (2) RETROACTIVE APPLICATION FOR CERTAIN

6 LIQUIDATIONS AND RELIQUIDATIONS.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sec8 tion 514 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 

9 1514) or any other provision of law and subject 

10 to subparagraph (B), any entry of a covered ar11 ticle to which duty-free treatment or other pref12 erential treatment under title V of the Trade 

13 Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.) would 

14 have applied if the entry had been made on De15 cember 31, 2017, that was made— 

16 (i) after December 31, 2017; and 

17 (ii) before the effective date specified 

18 in paragraph (1), 

19 shall be liquidated or reliquidated as though 

20 such entry occurred on the effective date speci21 fied in paragraph (1). 

22 (B) REQUESTS.—A liquidation or reliqui23 dation may be made under subparagraph (A) 

24 with respect to an entry only if a request there25 for is filed with U.S. Customs and Border ProVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:34 Feb 10, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4979.IH H4979

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1 tection not later than 180 days after the date 

2 of the enactment of this Act that contains suffi3 cient information to enable U.S. Customs and 

4 Border Protection— 

5 (i) to locate the entry; or 

6 (ii) to reconstruct the entry if it can7 not be located. 

8 (C) PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS OWED.—Any 

9 amounts owed by the United States pursuant to 

10 the liquidation or reliquidation of an entry of a 

11 covered article under subparagraph (A) shall be 

12 paid, without interest, not later than 90 days 

13 after the date of the liquidation or reliquidation 

14 (as the case may be). 

15 (3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

16 (A) COVERED ARTICLE.—The term ‘‘cov17 ered article’’ means an article from a country 

18 that is a beneficiary developing country under 

19 title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 

20 2461 et seq.) as of the effective date specified 

21 in paragraph (1). 

22 (B) ENTER; ENTRY.—The terms ‘‘enter’’ 

23 and ‘‘entry’’ include a withdrawal from ware24 house for consumption. 


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1 (c) ANNUAL REPORT ON ENFORCEMENT OF ELIGI2 BILITY CRITERIA.—Not later than one year after the date 

3 of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 

4 through December 31, 2020, the United States Trade 

5 Representative shall submit to the Committee on Ways 

6 and Means of the House of Representatives and the Com7 mittee on Finance of the Senate a report on efforts to 

8 ensure that countries designated as beneficiary developing 

9 countries under title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 

10 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.) are meeting the eligibility criteria set 

11 forth in section 502(c) of such Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(c)). 

12 SEC. 2. TECHNICAL MODIFICATION TO PROCEDURES FOR 

13 COMPETITIVE NEED LIMITATION AND WAIV14 ERS. 

15 Section 503 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 

16 2463) is amended— 

17 (1) in subsection (c)(2)— 

18 (A) in the matter following subparagraph 

19 (A)(i)(II), by striking ‘‘July 1’’ and inserting 

20 ‘‘November 1’’; and 

21 (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘on 

22 January 1, 1995’’ and inserting ‘‘in any of the 

23 preceding three calendar years’’; and 

24 (2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘July 1’’ each 

25 place it appears and inserting ‘‘November 1’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. CUSTOMS USER FEES. 

2 Section 13031(j)(3)(A) of the Consolidated Omnibus 

3 Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 U.S.C. 

4 58c(j)(3)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘January 14, 2026’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘June 21, 2026’’. 

Æ 


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