Topic: Foreign Trade — General
Subject: Foreign trade and international finance
Date: 2015-10-22 00:00:00

Global Gateways Trade Capacity Act of 2016

(Sec. 4) This bill states that it is U.S. policy to:

 identify developing country and regional barriers to international trade and investment, set priorities for the efficient use of limited U.S. trade-related assistance, and focus on building self-sustaining institutional capacity for expanding international trade in developing countries; and further U.S. national interests through the elimination of foreign barriers to trade and investment. (Sec. 5) The bill places primary responsibility on the Department of State for coordinating a whole-of-government effort to expand U.S. efforts in trade capacity building, provided such efforts support existing trade and economic development policies.

"Trade facilitation assistance" shall mean U.S. bilateral, regional, or multilateral assistance whose primary purpose is to support:

 implementation by developing countries of the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement, and assistance to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade at national borders in such countries. "Trade capacity building assistance" shall mean U.S. bilateral, regional, or multilateral assistance whose primary purpose is to support technical assistance to developing countries in:

 implementing international trade agreements; improving governance and transparency with respect to imports, exports, and international investment; enabling development of country micro-, small-, and medium-size enterprises to trade more efficiently; establishing and implementing internationally recognized standards; and facilitating trade flows in a recipient country. The President shall establish an interagency coordinating committee to develop a biennial government-wide joint strategic plan for trade capacity building in developing countries.

The Chair and Vice-Chairs of the interagency coordinating committee shall establish a trade capacity advisory committee.

(Sec. 7) The Department of State shall establish a pilot project to coordinate a whole-of-government effort to expand U.S. efforts in trade facilitation assistance for developing countries.

U.S. embassies in trade facilitation pilot countries shall develop biennially a specific trade facilitation assistance component for their mission plans.

The State Department may designate developing countries to participate in the trade facilitation assistance pilot program.

The bill authorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2021.

(Sec. 8) The bill amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to place on the chief of mission to a foreign country responsibility to coordinate and supervise the implementation of all U.S. trade-related and trade capacity assistance among all federal departments and agencies present in that country (except for assistance under the control of a U.S. area military commander).

(Sec. 9) In developing trade capacity embassy mission plans on trade capacity, the trade capacity mission team shall convene local representatives of the U.S. private sector and of the recipient country's private sector to consult on issues affecting trade capacity at the borders of participating countries.

(Sec. 10) The bill amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to exempt from the prohibition against police training in a foreign country any training and technical assistance for customs and transportation authorities and personnel in recipient countries to implement priority trade capacity building assistance.

(Sec. 11) The President shall report to Congress and cleared advisors of the trade capacity advisory committee on the progress made in implementing this bill.