To extend the Andean Trade Preference Act, and for other purposes.

Bill: 110-hr-7222
Sponsor: Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15]
Introduced: 2008-09-29 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Bolivia
Botswana
Business records
Clothing
Colombia
Commerce
Congress
Congress and foreign policy
Congressional investigations
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Corporation taxes
Cotton
Customs administration
Customs unions
Developing countries
Dominican Republic
Economics and Public Finance
Ecuador
Exports
Free trade
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Gross national product
Imports
Income tax
International Affairs
Latin America
Mauritius
Namibia
Peru
President and foreign policy
Tariff
Tariff preferences
Tax administration
Taxation
Textile fabrics
Textile industry
Trade agreements
User charges

Summary:
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: 
Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to extend the ATPA program through December 31, 2009.
 
Extends through FY2010 preferential treatment for apparel articles assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from regional fabrics or regional components, and specified other type apparel (brassieres).
 
Amends the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to provide earned import allowance certificates to any producer or entity controlling production of eligible apparel articles in an eligible country, based on specified elements.
 
Declares that eligible apparel articles wholly assembled in an eligible country and imported directly from an eligible country shall enter the United States free of duty, without regard to the source of the fabric or yarns from which the articles are made, if such apparel articles are accompanied by an earned import allowance certificate reflecting the amount of credits equal to the total square meter equivalents of fabric in such apparel articles.
 
Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act to repeal certain special rules for fabrics and yarns in commercial quantities in Africa.
 
 Adds Mauritius as a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country (LDC) for purposes of the application of preferential treatment to apparel articles wholly assembled, or knit-to-shape and wholly assembled, or both, in one or more LDCs, regardless of the country of origin of the fabric or the yarn used to make such articles, that are imported into the United States.
 
Directs the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to review, identify, and report to the appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General on yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs that through new or increased investment or other measures can be produced competitively in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.
 
 
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the Generalized System of Preferences program through December 31, 2009.
 
Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States.
 
Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to increase by 2.25% the amount in effect on the date of enactment of this Act of any corporate estimated tax installment otherwise due by a corporation with assets of not less than $1 billion in July, August, or September 2013.
 

action_date: 2008-10-02
text: 
Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to prohibit the extension of duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment to: (1) Colombia or Peru after December 31, 2009; (2) Ecuador after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, unless the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Ecuador does not satisfy certain beneficiary country designation requirements; and (3) Bolivia after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, only if the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Bolivia satisfies certain beneficiary country designation requirements.
 
(Sec. 1) Extends through FY2010 preferential treatment for apparel articles assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from regional fabrics or regional components, and specified other type apparel (brassieres).
 
(Sec. 2) Amends the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to provide earned import allowance certificates to any producer or entity controlling production of eligible apparel articles in the Dominican Republic, based on specified elements.
 
Declares that eligible apparel articles wholly assembled in the Dominican Republic and imported directly from the Dominican Republic shall enter the United States free of duty, without regard to the source of the fabric or yarns from which the articles are made, if such apparel articles are accompanied by an earned import allowance certificate reflecting the amount of credits equal to the total square meter equivalents of fabric in such apparel articles.
 
Directs the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) to review and report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on the effectiveness of the earned import allowance program.
 
(Sec. 3) Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act to repeal certain special rules for fabrics and yarns in commercial quantities in Africa.
 
 Adds Mauritius as a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country (LDC) for purposes of the application of preferential treatment to apparel articles wholly assembled, or knit-to-shape and wholly assembled, or both, in one or more LDCs, regardless of the country of origin of the fabric or the yarn used to make such articles, that are imported into the United States.
 
Directs the ITC to review, identify, and report to the appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General on yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs that through new or increased investment or other measures can be produced competitively in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to report to the appropriate congressional committees on recommendations for changes to U.S. trade preference programs, including changes to rules of origin, to provide incentives to increase investment and other measures to improve the competitiveness of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries in the production of yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs.
 
 
(Sec. 4) Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the Generalized System of Preferences program through December 31, 2009.
 
(Sec. 5) Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States.
 
(Sec. 6) Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to increase by 2% the amount in effect on the date of enactment of this Act of any corporate estimated tax installment otherwise due by a corporation with assets of not less than $1 billion in July, August, or September 2013.
 

action_date: 2008-10-16
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on October 2, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to prohibit the extension of duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment to: (1) Colombia or Peru after December 31, 2009; (2) Ecuador after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, unless the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Ecuador does not satisfy certain beneficiary country designation requirements; and (3) Bolivia after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, only if the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Bolivia satisfies certain beneficiary country designation requirements.

(Sec. 1) Extends through FY2010 preferential treatment for apparel articles assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from regional fabrics or regional components, and specified other type apparel (brassieres).

(Sec. 2) Amends the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to provide earned import allowance certificates to any producer or entity controlling production of eligible apparel articles in the Dominican Republic, based on specified elements.

Declares that eligible apparel articles wholly assembled in the Dominican Republic and imported directly from the Dominican Republic shall enter the United States free of duty, without regard to the source of the fabric or yarns from which the articles are made, if such apparel articles are accompanied by an earned import allowance certificate reflecting the amount of credits equal to the total square meter equivalents of fabric in such apparel articles.

Directs the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) to review and report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on the effectiveness of the earned import allowance program.

(Sec. 3) Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act to repeal certain special rules for fabrics and yarns in commercial quantities in Africa.

 Adds Mauritius as a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country (LDC) for purposes of the application of preferential treatment to apparel articles wholly assembled, or knit-to-shape and wholly assembled, or both, in one or more LDCs, regardless of the country of origin of the fabric or the yarn used to make such articles, that are imported into the United States.

Directs the ITC to review, identify, and report to the appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General on yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs that through new or increased investment or other measures can be produced competitively in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.

Directs the Comptroller General to report to the appropriate congressional committees on recommendations for changes to U.S. trade preference programs, including changes to rules of origin, to provide incentives to increase investment and other measures to improve the competitiveness of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries in the production of yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs.
 

(Sec. 4) Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the Generalized System of Preferences program through December 31, 2009.

(Sec. 5) Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States.

(Sec. 6) Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to increase by 2% the amount in effect on the date of enactment of this Act of any corporate estimated tax installment otherwise due by a corporation with assets of not less than $1 billion in July, August, or September 2013.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-10-16
text: Became Public Law No: 110-436.
action_date: 2008-10-16
text: Became Public Law No: 110-436.
action_date: 2008-10-16
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2008-10-16
text: Signed by President.
action_date: 2008-10-07
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2008-10-07
text: Presented to President.
action_date: 2008-10-03
text: Cleared for White House.
action_date: 2008-10-03
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-10-03
text: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection. (text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H10710-10712)
action_date: 2008-10-03
text: Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.(text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H10710-10712)
action_date: 2008-10-03
text: Mr. Levin asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H10710-10712)
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-10-02
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S10503-10504)
action_date: 2008-09-30
text: Received in the Senate, read twice.
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR H10630-10631)
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.(text: CR H10630-10631)
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H10629-10631)
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Ms. Moore (WI) asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-09-29
text: Introduced in House

Enacted as: number: 110-436