Restoring America's Competitiveness Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-5043
Sponsor: Rep. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD-3]
Introduced: 2006-03-29 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Advice and consent of the Senate
Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
Aircraft engines
Aircraft industry
Balance of payments
Bank loans
Boundaries
Canada
China
Commerce
Confidential communications
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional agencies
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost effectiveness
Countervailing duties
Crime and Law Enforcement
Currency devaluation
Developing countries
Dispute settlement
Dumping
Economic impact statements
Economics and Public Finance
Europe
European Union
Evidence (Law)
Executive Office of the President
Export controls
Export subsidies
Exports
Federal advisory bodies
Finance and Financial Sector
Foreign banks and banking
Foreign exchange
Foreign investments
Fraud
Free trade
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Import relief
Import restrictions
Imports
Infrastructure
Infrastructure (Economics)
International Affairs
International agencies
Labor and Employment
Law
Manufacturing industries
Mexico
Nontariff trade barriers
Occupational retraining
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
President and foreign policy
Presidential appointments
Prices
Privatization
Profit
Public prosecutors
Public utility rates
Research and development
Russia
Science, Technology, Communications
Service industries
Standard of living
Subsidies
Surety and fidelity
Tariff
Taxation
Trade agreements
Trade negotiations
Trade secrets
Transportation and Public Works
U.S. International Trade Commission
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2006-03-29
text: 
Restoring America's Competitiveness Act of 2006 - Establishes the National Commission on International Economic Policy.
 
Amends the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 to require the International Trade Commission (ITC), before initiating negotiations for trade agreements regarding tariff and nontariff barriers, to report to Congress on certain effects such agreements may have on U.S. industries.
 
Declares that Congress reaffirms the negotiating objective relating to border taxes set forth in the Trade Act of 2002.
 
Sets forth conditions under which the Secretary of Commerce shall, as of January 1, 2008, treat as a countervailable subsidy the full or partial exemption, remission, or deferral specifically related to exports of indirect taxes paid on a product.
 
Establishes the Congressional Advisory Commission on World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement.
 
Allows, under specified conditions, certain private U.S. persons supportive of the government's position before a dispute settlement panel or Appellate Body of the WTO to participate in consultations and panel proceedings.
 
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to modify the trade dispute functions of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
 
Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to extend the meaning of countervailable subsidy to include exchange-rate manipulation.
 
Requires the ITC to study how the People's Republic of China (PRC) uses government intervention to promote investment, employment, and exports.
 
Amends the Trade Act of 1930 with respect to U.S. unfair trade laws and creation of an Assistant Attorney General for Trade Law Enforcement.
 
Amend the Trade Act of 1974 to modify: (1) the test for positive adjustments to import competition; and (2) standards for the USTR's recommendation to the President on findings of market disruption by Chinese exports.
 
Requires the USTR to report to Congress on how agreements resulting from negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda of the WTO will implement the provisions of the Agreement on Antidumping, the Agreement of Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and the Agreement on Safeguards, as such Agreements were approved by Congress under the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
 
Applies the amendments made by this Act to goods from Canada and Mexico.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-03-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2006-03-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-03-29
text: Introduced in House