I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3943

To extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) 

to the products of Laos. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 11, 2004

Mr. CRANE (for himself, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. DOOLEY of 

California, Mr. WELLER, Mr. CASE, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. EVANS, Mr. PITTS, 

Mr. CROWLEY, and Mr. LARSON of Connecticut) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL

To extend nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade 

relations treatment) to the products of Laos.

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 NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TO 

4 LAOS. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—

6 (1) the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is 

7 pursuing a broad policy of adopting market-based 

8 reforms to enhance its economic competitiveness and 

9 achieve an attractive climate for investment; 
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1 (2) extension of normal trade relations treat2 ment would assist the Lao People’s Democratic Re3 public in developing its economy based on free mar4 ket principles and becoming competitive in the global 

5 marketplace; 

6 (3) establishing normal commercial relations on 

7 a reciprocal basis with the Lao People’s Democratic 

8 Republic will promote United States exports to the 

9 rapidly growing southeast Asian region and expand 

10 opportunities for United States business and invest11 ment in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic econ12 omy; 

13 (4) United States and Laotian commercial in14 terests would benefit from the bilateral trade agree15 ment between the United States and the Lao Peo16 ple’s Democratic Republic, signed in 2003, providing 

17 for market access and the protection of intellectual 

18 property rights; 

19 (5) the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has 

20 taken cooperative steps with the United States in 

21 the global war on terrorism, combating the traf22 ficking of narcotics, and the accounting for Amer23 ican servicemen and civilians still missing from the 

24 Vietnam war; and 
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1 (6) expanding bilateral trade relations that in2 clude a commercial agreement may promote further 

3 progress by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic 

4 on human rights, religious tolerance, democratic 

5 rule, and transparency, and assist that country in 

6 adopting regional and world trading rules and prin7 ciples. 

8 (b) EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREAT9 MENT TO THE PRODUCTS OF THE LAO PEOPLE’S DEMO10 CRATIC REPUBLIC.—

11 (1) HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE AMEND12 MENT.—General note 3(b) of the Harmonized Tariff 

13 Schedule of the United States is amended by strik14 ing ‘‘Laos’’. 

15 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 

16 by paragraph (1) applies with respect to goods en17 tered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consump18 tion, on or after the effective date of a notice pub19 lished in the Federal Register by the United States 

20 Trade Representative that a trade agreement obli21 gating reciprocal most-favored-nation treatment be22 tween the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the 

23 United States has entered into force.

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