Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should reengage with trading partners, particularly like-minded Allies with market-based economies and high labor and environmental standards, to promote trade in environmental goods, services, and technologies in new or existing bilateral and plurilateral dialogues with a view to negotiating a new environmental goods agreement with updated product coverage to broaden United States export opportunities, support United States jobs, and enhance the environmental contribution of any new trade agreement.

Whereas innovation and access to affordable new environmental goods and technologies are key to addressing climate change while preserving economic opportunity and energy security for countries in all stages of economic development; Whereas goods manufactured in the United States are 40 percent more carbon-efficient than the world average; Whereas the United States is currently responsible for approximately 12 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions; Whereas the United States is a global innovation leader, including with respect to cutting-edge technologies that reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, benefit the environment, and make workers safer and more productive; Whereas a structural imbalance exists in the global environmental goods trade as United States environmental goods are subject to higher tariffs (in some cases more than 40 percent) in some markets, including India and China, while the United States imposes very low tariffs on imported environmental goods; Whereas China is a net exporter of environmental goods and Chinese manufacturers enjoy significantly greater global market share than United States producers despite very low levels of Chinese consumption of environmental goods; Whereas high tariffs imposed on environmental goods by foreign countries undermine global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, achieve gains in energy efficiency, advance resilient communities, and improve air and water quality, while disadvantaging United States manufacturers and workers that make such products by reducing export opportunities; Whereas eliminating foreign tariffs on such products would enable the United States and other countries to more easily export high-quality, affordable environmental products to aid in global efforts to combat climate change, reduce pollution, and improve energy efficiency, while also leveling the playing field for United States manufacturers and supporting green jobs; Whereas the United States environmental services industry also is a global leader, and improved market access for United States environmental goods also can create more opportunities around the world for United States environmental service providers; Whereas, on July 8, 2014, the United States and other member countries of the World Trade Organization, accounting for nearly 90 percent of global exports in environmental goods, initiated negotiations to establish an Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) to eliminate tariffs on a number of important environmental products, including wind turbines, solar panels, water treatment filters, solar water heaters, and air pollution controls; Whereas the United States played a leading role in negotiations to establish the EGA while such negotiations were active from 2014 to 2016; Whereas United States innovators have developed new clean energy products since 2016, and increased global sales of these products can increase opportunities for United States workers while reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency; Whereas a high-standard environmental goods agreement would not undermine enforcement of United States laws and regulations, including those that respond to unfair trade practices and block imports produced by forced labor; and Whereas initiatives to facilitate trade in environmental goods, services, and technologies should be part of a larger set of efforts aimed at addressing climate change, boosting innovation, and strengthening the United States economy: Now, therefore, be it That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (1) the Office of the United States Trade Representative should prepare a report identifying— (A) goods produced by United States industry that would have a further material positive impact on the environment if trade in those goods increased; (B) the United States share of global exports of those goods; and (C) the market access barriers that prevent or inhibit the further export of United States environmental goods around the world; (2) the United States should work with trading partners, particularly like-minded allies with market-based economies and high labor and environmental standards, in new and existing bilateral and plurilateral dialogues to— (A) update the list of 303 environmental products that was generated at the conclusion of 19 Environmental Goods Agreement negotiating rounds to reflect technological developments; and (B) prioritize efforts to facilitate trade in environmental goods to meet each country’s environmental and climate goals; (3) the United States should deepen engagement with the European Union and other like-minded allies on national security grounds to facilitate increased trade in environmental goods and technologies to incentivize their further deployment with a view to reducing energy dependence on Russia; and (4) the United States should seek to build on the initiatives described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) by launching negotiations to complete and implement an ambitious new environmental goods agreement with updated product coverage, while also urging United States trading partners to take immediate action to remove barriers to environmental goods imports from the United States.

Summary: This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative should prepare a report related to U.S. exports of environmental goods, the United States should work with trading partners to facilitate trade in environmental goods to meet each country's environmental and climate goals, and the United States should launch negotiations to implement a new environmental goods agreement with updated product coverage.