I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1202 
To require a report on business and investment climates in foreign countries, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 25, 2009 
Mr. SHERMAN (for himself and Mr. ROYCE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To require a report on business and investment climates 
in foreign countries, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON BUSINESS AND 
INVESTMENT CLIMATES. 
(a) ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON BUSINESS AND 
INVESTMENT CLIMATES.—Not later than September 1 of 
each year, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and 
Business Affairs, as well as the Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Trade Promotion and the Director General 
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of the Foreign Commercial Service, shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen-
ate a report providing— 
(1) detailed assessments with respect to each 
foreign country— 
(A) in which acts of unfair business and 
investment practices or other acts that have re-
sulted in poor business and investment climates 
were, in the opinion of the Secretary, of major 
significance; and 
(B) which the Secretary determines should 
be the subject of such a report; 
(2) all relevant information about such unfair 
business and investment practices or other actions 
during the preceding year by members of the busi-
ness community, the judiciary, and the government 
of such country which may have impeded United 
States business or investment in such country, in-
cluding the capacity for United States citizens to op-
erate their businesses without fear of reprisals; and 
(3) with respect to each foreign country from 
which the United States Government has sought co-
operation to assemble the annual country-specific in-
vestment climate reports required under this section 
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and address issues of unfair business and investment 
practices, information on— 
(A) the extent to which the government of 
each such foreign country is working to prevent 
unfair business and investment practices; and 
(B) the extent of United States Govern-
ment action to prevent unfair business and in-
vestment practices or other actions that harm 
United States business or investment interests 
in relevant cases. 
(b) PROVISIONS TO BE INCLUDED
IN
THE RE-
PORT.—The report under subsection (a) should, to the ex-
tent feasible, include— 
(1) with respect to paragraph (1)(A) of such 
subsection— 
(A) a review of the efforts undertaken by 
foreign countries to promote a healthy business 
and investment climate that is also conducive to 
the United States business community and 
United States investors, including, as appro-
priate, steps taken in international fora; 
(B) the response of the judicial and local 
arbitration systems of each foreign country that 
is the subject of such report with respect to 
matters relating to the business and investment 
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