Meat Import Act of 1979
PL 96-177 (H.R.2727), enacted 12/31/1979

PUBLIC LAW 96-177—DEC. 31, 1979 
93 STAT. 1291 
Public Law 96-177 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To modiiy the method of establishing quotas on the importation of certain meat, to 
include within such quotas certain meat products, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of 
America in Congress assembled. That section 2 of the 
Act of August 22, 1964, entitled "An Act to provide for the free 
importation of 
certain wild animals, and to provide for the imposition 
of quotas on certain meat and meat products" (19 U.S.C. 1202 note) is 
amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 2. (a) This section may be cited as the 'Meat Import Act of 
1979'. 
"(b) For purposes of 
this section— 
"(1) The term 'entered* means entered, or withdrawn from 
warehouse, for consumption in the customs territory of the 
United States. 
"(2) The term 'meat articles* means the articles provided for in 
the Tariff Schedules of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202) 
under— 
"(A) item 106.10 (relating to fresh, chilled, or frozen cattle 
meat); 
"(B) items 106.22 and 106.25 (relating to fresh, chilled, or 
frozen meat of 
goats and sheep (except lambs)); and 
"(C) items -107.55 and 107.62 (relating to prepared and 
preserved beef and veal (except sausage)), if the saticles are 
prepared, whether fresh, chilled, or frozen, but not otherwise 
preserved. 
"(3) The term 'Secretary* means the Secretary of Agriculture. 
"(c) The aggregate quantity of meat articles which may be entered 
in any calendar year after 1979 may not exceed 1,204,600,000 poimds; 
except that this aggregate quantity shall be— 
"(1) increased or decreased for any calendar year by the same 
percentage that the estimated average annual domestic commer-
cial production of meat articles in that calendair ^ear and the 2 
preceding calendar years increases or decreases in comparison 
with the average annual domestic commercial production of 
meat articles during calendar years 1968 through 1977; and 
"(2) adjusted further under subsection (d). 
For purposes of paragraph (1), the estimated annual domestic com-
mercial production of meat articles for any calendar year does not 
include the carcass weight of live cattle specified in items 100.40, 
100.43, 100.45, 100.53, and 100.55 of such Schedules entered during 
such year. 
"(d) The aggregate quantity referred to in subsection (c), as 
increased or decreased under paragraph (1) of such subsection, shall 
be adjusted further for any cmendar year after 1979 by multiplying 
such quantity by a fraction— 
"(1) the numerator of which is the average annual per capita 
production of domestic cow beef during that calendar year (as 
Dec. 31, 1979 
[H.R. 2727] 
Meat imports, 
quota 
modifications. 
Meat Import Act 
of 1979. 
Definitions. 
93 STAT. 1292 
PUBLIC LAW 96-177—DEC. 31, 1979 
"Domestic cow 
beef." 
19 use 1202 
note. 
Publication in 
Federal 
Register. 
estimated) and the 4 calendar years preceding such calendar 
year; and 
"(2) the denominator of which is the average annual per capita 
production of domestic cow beef in that calendar year (as 
estimated) and the preceding calendar year. 
For the purposes of this subsection, the phrase 'domestic cow beef 
means that portion of the total domestic cattle slaughter designated 
by the Secretary as cow slaughter. 
"(e) For each calendar year after 1979, the Secretary shall estimate 
and publish— 
"(1) before the first day of such calendar year, the aggregate 
quantity prescribed for such calendar year under subsection (c) 
as adjusted under subsection (d); and 
"(2) before the first day of each calendar quarter in such 
calendar year, the aggregate quantity of meat articles which (but 
for this section) would be entered during such calendar year. 
In applying paragraph (2) for the second or any succeeding calendar 
quarter in any calendar year, actual entries for the preceding 
calendar quarter or quarters in such calendar year shall be taken 
into account to the extent data is available. 
"(f)(1) If the aggregate quantity estimated before any calendar 
quarter by the Secretary under subsection (e)(2) is 110 percent or 
more of the aggregate quantity estimated by him under subsection 
(eXD, and if there is no limitation in effect under this section for such 
calendar year with respect to meat articles, the President shall by 
proclamation limit the total quantity of meat articles which may be 
entered during such calendar year to the aggregate quantity 
estimated for such calendar year by the Secretary under subsection 
(eXD; except that no limitation imposed under this paragraph for any 
calendar year may be less than 1,250,000,000 pounds. The President 
shall include in the articles subject to any limit proclaimed under this 
paragraph any article of meat provided for in item 107.61 of the Tariff 
Schedules of the United States (relating to high-quality beef specially 
processed into fancy cuts). 
"(2) If the aggregate quantity estimated before any calendar 
quarter by the Secretary under subsection (eX2) is less than 110 
percent of the aggregate quantity estimated by him under subsection 
(eXD, and if a limitation is in effect under this section for such 
calendar year with respect to meat articles, such limitation shall 
cease to apply as of the first day of such calendar quarter. If any such 
limitation has been in effect for the third calendar quarter of any 
calendar year, then it shall continue in effect for the fourth calendar 
quarter of 
such year unless the proclamation is suspended or the total 
quantity is increased pursuant to subsection (g). 
"(g) The President may, after providing opportunity for public 
comment by giving 30 days* notice by publication in the Federal 
Register of his intention to so act, suspend any proclamation made 
under subsection (f), or increase the total quantity proclaimed under 
such subsection, if he determines and proclaims that— 
"(1) such action is required by overriding economic or national 
security interests of the United States, giving special weight to 
the importance to the Nation of the economic well-being of the 
domestic cattle industry; 
"(2) the supply of meat articles will be inadequate to meet 
domestic demand at reasonable prices; or 
"(3) trade agreements entered into after the date of enactment 
of this Act insure that the policy set forth in subsections (c) and 
(d) will be carried out. 
PUBLIC LAW 96-177—DEC. 31, 1979 
93 STAT. 1293 
Any such suspension shall be for such periods, and any such increase 
shsdl be in such amount, as the President determines and proclaims 
to be necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection. 
"(h) Notwithstanding the previous subsections, the total quantity 
of meat articles which may be entered during any calendar year may 
not be increased by the President if the fraction described in subsec-
tion (d) for that calendar year yields a quotient of less than 1.0, 
unless— 
"(1) during a period of national emergency declared under 
section 201 of the National Emergencies Act of 1976, he deter- 5
0 use I62i. 
mines and proclaims that such action is required by overriding 
national security interests of 
the United States; 
"(2) he determines and proclaims that the supply of articles of 
the Idnd to which the limitation would otherwise apply will be 
inadequate, because of a natural disaster, disease, or major 
national market disruption, to meet domestic demand at reason-
able prices; or 
"(3) on the basis of actual data for the first two quarters of the 
calendar year, a revised calculation of the fraction described in 
subsection (d) for the calendar year yields a quotient of 1.0 or 
more. 
Any such suspension shall be for such period, and any such increase 
shall be in such amount, as the President determines and procledms 
to be necessjEuy to carry out the purposes of this subsection. The 
effective period of any such suspension or increase made pursuant to 
paragraph (1) may not extend b^ond the termination, in accordance 
with the provisions of section 202 of the National Emergencies Act of 
1976, of such period of national emergency, notwithstanding the 50 use 1622. 
provisions of 
section 202(a) of 
that Act. 
"(i) The Secretary shall allocate the total quantity proclaimed 
under subsection (fKD and any increase in such quantity provided for 
under subsection (g) among supplying countries on the basis of the 
shares of the United States market for meat articles such countries 
supplied during a representative period. Notwithstanding the preced-
ing sentence, due account may be given to special factors which have 
affected or may affect the trade in meat articles or cattle. The 
Secretary shall certify such allocations to the Secretary of the 
Treasury. 
"(j) The Secretary shall issue such regulations as he determines to Regulations. 
be necessary to prevent circumvention of the purposes of this section. 
"(k) All determinations by the President and the Secretary under Determinations. 
this section shall be final. 
93 STAT. 1294 
PUBLIC LAW 96-177—DEC. 31, 1979 
Study, report 
"(1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall study the regional economic 
^"^ 
impactofimportsof meat articles and report the results of his study, 
trconSessionar^ together with any recommendations (including recommendations for 
committees. 
legislation, if any) to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives and to the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
not later than June 30,1980.". 
Effective date. 
SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect January 1,1980. 
19 use 1202 
note. 
Approved December 31, 1979. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-238 (Comm. on Ways and Means). 
SENATE REPORT No. 96-465 (Comm. on Finance). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 125 (1979): 
Nov. 13, 14, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 18, considered and passed Senate. 
WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 15, No. 52: 
Dtec. 31, Presidential statement.