Trade Enforcement Act of 2009

Bill: 111-s-1466
Sponsor: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2009-07-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Border security and unlawful immigration
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Department of the Treasury
Executive agency funding and structure
Free trade and trade barriers
Intellectual property
Manufacturing
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Product safety and quality
Small business
Trade agreements and negotiations
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2009-07-16
text: 
Trade Enforcement Act of 2009 - Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to establish: (1) within the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) a Trade Enforcement Division; (2) the position of Deputy USTR for Trade Enforcement to head the Division; and (3) within the Division the Office of Trade Assistance for Small Business.
 
Requires the USTR to identify and report annually to Congress on: (1) U.S. trade enforcement priorities; (2) U.S. trade enforcement actions taken during the previous year and their impact on trade barriers in foreign countries; and (3) priority foreign trade practices on which the USTR will focus U.S. trade enforcement efforts.
 
Requires the USTR, with respect to a priority foreign country trade practice, to initiate: (1) dispute settlement consultations in the World Trade Organization (WTO); (2) dispute settlement consultations under any bilateral or regional trade agreement to which the United States is a party; (3) an investigation to determine whether the priority foreign country trade practice violates the rights of the United States under a trade agreement or is unjustifiable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce; (4) negotiations that seek an agreement for the elimination of the priority foreign country trade practice or, if elimination is not feasible, an agreement that provides for compensatory trade benefits; or (5) any other action to eliminate the priority foreign country trade practice.
 
Establishes within the Office of the USTR the position of Chief Manufacturing Negotiator.
 
Requires the Deputy USTR for Trade Enforcement to submit to Congress a plan to address nontariff barriers to market access by U.S. companies in a country in cases where the United States has entered into, or is negotiating, a bilateral or regional trade agreement with such country.
 
Establishes within the Department of the Treasury the position of Director of Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement, who shall develop an annual strategic plan for the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
 
Directs the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appoint coordinators of intellectual property rights enforcement activities.
 
Delineates enforcement activities to combat the counterfeiting and piracy of products.
 
Authorizes the Chief Counsel of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to commence and participate in certain civil forfeiture proceedings.
 
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, acting through the Commissioner and the Assistant Secretary, to establish an Advisory Committee on Import Safety and Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement.
 
Authorizes appropriations to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for additional personnel to carry out specified responsibilities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-07-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2009-07-16
text: Introduced in Senate