II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2896

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

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 20, 2000

Mr. BAUCUS (for himself, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. ROBERTS)

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the

Committee on Finance

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.—Congress finds that—
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1 (1) with the end of the cold war and the col2 lapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba is no longer a threat

3 to the United States or the Western Hemisphere;

4 (2) the continuation of the embargo on trade

5 between the United States and Cuba that was de6 clared in February 1962 is counterproductive, add7 ing to the hardships of the Cuban people while mak8 ing the United States the scapegoat for the failures

9 of the Communist system;

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

11 bloc countries, China, and Vietnam, the United

12 States is using economic, cultural, academic, and

13 scientific engagement to support its policy of pro14 moting democratic and human rights reforms;

15 (4) extension to Cuba of unconditional normal

16 trade relations treatment would assist Cuba in devel17 oping its economy based on free market principles

18 and becoming competitive in the global marketplace;

19 (5) the United States can best support demo20 cratic change and human rights in Cuba by pro21 moting trade and commerce, travel, communications,

22 and cultural, academic, and scientific exchanges;

23 (6) expanding bilateral trade relations is likely

24 to promote further progress in Cuba on human

25 rights and democratic rule and assist Cuba in adopt-
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1 ing regional and world trading rules and principles;

2 and

3 (7) Cuba was one of the founding members of

4 the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in

5 1947 and is an original member of the World Trade

6 Organization, and extension of unconditional normal

7 trade relations treatment to Cuba would enable the

8 United States to avail itself of all rights under the

9 World Trade Organization with respect to Cuba;

10 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con11 gress that—

12 (1) the United States should promote demo13 cratic change and economic reform by normalizing

14 trade relations with Cuba; and

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

16 longer be necessary for the United States to con17 tinue to use Article XXI of the GATT 1994 with re18 spect to Cuba, understanding that the President re19 tains full authority to invoke Article XXI of the

20 GATT 1994 and comparable provisions in other

21 Uruguay Round Agreements in the future in all ap22 propriate circumstances.

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

24 1994’’ and ‘‘Uruguay Round Agreements’’ have the mean-
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1 ings given those terms in section 2 of the Uruguay Round

2 Agreements Act.

3 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT

4 TO THE PRODUCTS OF CUBA.

5 (a) HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE AMEND6 MENTS.—General note 3(b) of the Harmonized Tariff

7 Schedule of the United States is amended—

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

9 Classification Act of 1962,’’; and

10 (2) by striking ‘‘Cuba’’.

11 (b) REPEAL OF SECTION 401 OF THE TARIFF CLAS12 SIFICATION ACT OF 1962.—Section 401 of the Tariff

13 Classification Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 1351 note) is re14 pealed.

15 (c) TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE IV OF

16 THE TRADE ACT OF 1974 TO CUBA.—

17 (1) EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY

18 TREATMENT.—Nondiscriminatory treatment (normal

19 trade relations treatment) shall apply to the prod20 ucts of Cuba.

21 (2) TERMINATION OF APPLICATION OF TITLE

22 IV.—Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C.

23 2431 et seq.) shall cease to apply to Cuba.

24 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section, and the amend25 ments and repeal made by this section, shall apply with
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1 respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse

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

3 of enactment of this Act.

4 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

5 The President shall submit to Congress, not later

6 than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act,

7 a report on trade relations between the United States and

8 Cuba.

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