New Partnership for Development Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-3905
Sponsor: Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7]
Introduced: 2007-10-18 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Agriculture and Food
Agriculture in foreign trade
China
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Clothing
Commerce
Developing countries
East Asia
Economic assistance
Economics and Public Finance
Employee rights
Executive reorganization
Free enterprise
Free trade
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Human rights
Imports
India
International Affairs
International competitiveness
Labor and Employment
Law
Most favored nation principle
Nontariff trade barriers
Rule of law
South Asia
Tariff
Tariff preferences
Textile fabrics
U.S. Agency for International Development

Summary:
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: 
New Partnership for Development Act of 2007 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the President to provide for the duty-free treatment of articles (without quantitative limitation) from qualified beneficiary countries that have been designated: (1) a least developed country (except Myanmar and Sudan); and (2) a sub-Saharan African country. (Effectively, providing an additional trade preference program for least developed countries.)
 
Prohibits designation of a country as a qualified beneficiary country, and terminates such country's eligibility for preferential treatment, if it has: (1) not adopted and enforced certain human rights and fair labor practices; (2) failed to make progress to eliminate trade barriers and to establish a market-based economy and the rule of law; and (3) engaged in gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights.
 
Prescribes requirements regarding: (1) rules of origin; (2) significant apparel suppliers; and (3) safeguards against the transshipment of textiles and apparels.
 
Imposes additional duties, under specified conditions, on certain agricultural safeguard goods.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress: (1) concerning the importance of the Generalized System of Preferences program; and (2) that preferential treatment provided under this Act can be improved if India, the People's Republic of China, and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries provide market access similar to that provided under this Act.
 
Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to establish: (1) an Office of Trade and Competitiveness for Least Developed Countries within the U.S. Agency for International Development; and (2) a workforce competitiveness program for least developed countries.
 
Establishes an Aid for Trade Fund.
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-03-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.
action_date: 2007-11-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-10-18
text: Introduced in House