IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 934 

Calling on the Government of the Republic of Korea to end unfair trade 

practices as such practices relate to the automotive industry, expressing 

the sense of the House of Representatives that it should take into 

account such unfair trade practices of the Republic of Korea when 

the House of Representatives considers the United States-Korea Free 

Trade Agreement, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 19, 2009 

Mr. DINGELL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the Government of the Republic of Korea to 

end unfair trade practices as such practices relate to 

the automotive industry, expressing the sense of the 

House of Representatives that it should take into account 

such unfair trade practices of the Republic of Korea 

when the House of Representatives considers the United 

States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and for other purposes. 

Whereas the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates the Republic of Korea’s 

automobile import rate to be 3.6 percent, the lowest of 

the 30 members of the OECD; 


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•HRES 934 IH 

Whereas the market share of foreign automobile manufacturers in the Republic of Korea has decreased from 5.3 percent in 2008 to 4.5 percent in the first seven months of 

2009; 

Whereas the Republic of Korea’s recently instituted vehicle 

fleet modernization program has perpetuated the discriminatory treatment faced by foreign automakers in the 

Republic of Korea and coincides with the decline in their 

market share there; 

Whereas vehicles manufactured by Korean manufacturers 

ranked among the 10 best-selling vehicles in the United 

States Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) 

program; 

Whereas the Republic of Korea exports more than 70 percent 

of its total auto production to the United States and the 

rest of the world; 

Whereas in 2008, the Republic of Korea exported 616,000 

cars and light trucks to the United States but imported 

just 10,377 cars and light trucks from the United States; 

Whereas 78 percent of the United States 2008 deficit with 

the Republic of Korea, which amounted to 

$13,400,000,000, is constituted by trade in automobiles, 

trucks, and parts; 

Whereas the current draft of the United States-Korea Free 

Trade Agreement has not been amended to include the 

March 7, 2007, Congressional Auto Caucus proposal, 

which will ensure fair access to the Republic of Korea’s 

automobile market by United States manufacturers; 

Whereas, in an October 5, 2009, Financial Times article, 

Ahn Byung-chan, director-general of the Bank of Korea, 

was quoted as saying, ‘‘If the symptoms behind the trend 


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•HRES 934 IH 

[of won appreciation] do not improve, we will come up 

with necessary measures with the government,’’ thereby 

implying the intent of the Government of the Republic of 

Korea to engage in currency manipulation; 

Whereas, an October 12, 2009, Bloomberg article reported 

the Government of the Republic of Korea would ‘‘take 

steps to stabilize the drastic won movements stemming 

from herd behavior,’’ thus underlining its recent actions 

to halt the rise of the Korean won relative to the United 

States dollar; and 

Whereas continued intervention by the Republic of Korea in 

foreign exchange markets to halt the rise in value of the 

Korean won will likely result in further market share 

gains by Korean manufacturers in the United States 

automobile market: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Government of the Republic of 

3 Korea to end unfair trade practices as such practices 

4 relate to the automotive industry; 

5 (2) should take into account the unfair trade 

6 practices of the Republic of Korea as such practices 

7 relate to the automotive industry when the House of 

8 Representatives considers the United States-Korea 

9 Free Trade Agreement; and 

10 (3) demands that the United States-Korea Free 

11 Trade Agreement be amended to include the March 

12 7, 2007, Congressional Auto Caucus proposal to enVerDate Nov 24 2008 22:52 Nov 20, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR934.IH HR934

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1 sure fair access to the Republic of Korea’s auto2 mobile market by United States manufacturers. 

Æ 


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