Congressional Research Service Reports - 2,297 Matching Results

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Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminals: Siting, Safety and Regulation: No Description Available.
Trade Agreements: Impact on the U.S. Economy: No Description Available.
The Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA): In August 2001, the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA, P.L. 104-172) was renewed for another five years (P.L. 107-24). No firms have been sanctioned under ILSA, and ILSA has terminated with respect to Libya. In the 109th Congress, H.R. 282 and S. 333 contain provisions that would modify ILSA. This report discusses various issues including the background and passages of the ILSA and its effectiveness.
Trade Promotion Authority: Possible Vote on Two-Year Extension: No Description Available.
European Union’s Arms Embargo on China: Implications and Options for U.S. Policy: No Description Available.
Taiwan's Accession to the WTO and Its Economic Relations with the United States and China: After several years of negotiations, Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), the international organization that sets rules for most international trade, on January 1, 2002. China fought to allow Taiwan to join the WTO only as a “separate customs territory” and only after China obtained membership (which it did in December 2001). Trade and investment relations between China and Taiwan have boomed in recent years; China has replaced the United States as Taiwan’s export market. However, political tensions between China and Taiwan remain high. In an effort to further boost U.S.-Taiwan economic ties (and to lessen Taiwan’s growing economic dependency on the mainland), some Members of Congress have indicated support for a U.S.-Taiwan free trade agreement (FTA). This report will be updated as events warrant.
A Free Trade Area of the Americas: Major Policy Issues and Status of Negotiations: In 1994, 34 Western Hemisphere nations met at the first Summit of the Americas, envisioning a plan for completing a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by January 1, 2005. Nine years later, the third draft text of the agreement was presented at the November 2003 Miami trade ministerial. The Ministerial Declaration, negotiated largely by the two co-chairs, Brazil and the United States, took the FTAA in a new direction, away from the comprehensive, single undertaking principle, toward a two-tier framework comprising a set of “common rights and obligations” for all countries, augmented by voluntary plurilateral arrangements with country benefits related to commitments. A follow-up meeting in early 2004 in Puebla, Mexico was unable to clarify this concept, highlighting the deep differences that remained between the United States and Brazil. FTAA talks subsequently stalled and the original January 1, 2005 deadline was missed. In the meantime, both Brazil and the United States are pursuing subregional trade pacts that may further complicate the negotiation process. Talks between Brazil and the United States may resume in early 2005, but it is still unclear if significant progress can be made on the FTAA this year.
Jordan: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues: This report includes information regarding United States relations and bilateral issues with Jordan. Jordan's reaction to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jordan's role in peace negotiations, and trade issues are among topics discussed in this report.
Morocco-U.S. Free Trade Agreement: The United States and Morocco reached agreement on March 2, 2004, to create a free trade agreement (FTA). The FTA is intended to strengthen bilateral ties, boost trade and investment flows, and bolster Morocco’s position as a moderate Arab state. More than 95% of bilateral trade in consumer and industrial products will become duty-free upon entry into force of the agreement. The Senate approved implementing legislation (S. 2677) on July 2, 2004, by a vote of 85-13 and the House approved identical legislation (H.R. 4842) on July 22, 2004, by a vote of 323-99. The next day, the Senate passed House approved H.R. 4842 without amendment by unanimous consent.
New Zealand: Background and Bilateral Relations with the United States: No Description Available.
Agricultural Export and Food Aid Programs: This report discusses projected agricultural imports and exports for FY2005, as well as legislation that deals with federal programs in support of agricultural exports and federal aid dedicated to farms and agricultural reform.
Dairy Policy Issues: This report gives an overview of Dairy policy issues and the contents include Dairy forward pricing pilot program, Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) payments, Milk protein concentrate trade issues, and dairy price support program
The Canadian Hog Trade Dispute: United States and Canada's hog industry, noting how live Canadian hogs do not affect the U.S hog business.
Iraq: Oil-for-Food Program, Illicit Trade, and Investigations: This report discusses issues with the “oil-for-food” program (OFFP), which was the centerpiece of a long-standing U.N. Security Council effort to alleviate human suffering in Iraq while maintaining key elements of the 1991 Gulf war-related sanctions regime. The program terminated following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the assumption of sovereignty by an interim Iraqi government on June 28, 2004, and the lifting of Saddam-era U.N. sanctions. However, since the fall of the regime, there have been new allegations of mismanagement and abuse of the program, including allegations that Saddam Hussein’s regime manipulated the program to influence U.N. officials, contractors, and politicians and businessmen in numerous countries.
U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges: No Description Available.
The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA): On August 5, 2004, the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic signed the Dominican Republic- Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, or the DR-CAFTA. The DR-CAFTA was negotiated as a regional agreement in which all parties would be subject to the “the same set of obligations and commitments,” but with each country defining its own separate schedules for market access. It is a comprehensive and reciprocal trade agreement, which distinguishes it from the unilateral preferential trade arrangement between the United States and these countries as part of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), as amended. It liberalizes trade in goods, services, government procurement, intellectual property, investment, and addresses labor and environment issues.
Export Tax Benefits and the WTO: The Extraterritorial Income Exclusion and Foreign Sales Corporations: No Description Available.
Iraq’s Trade with the World: Data and Analysis: This report provides detailed trade information and statistics on Iraq’s trade with the world from 2001 to 2003, highlighting its major trading partners. Data on U.S. trade with Iraq from 2002 to 2004 are also provided.
Bahrain: Key Issues for U.S. Policy: This report is about a free trade agreement between the United States and Bahrain to encourage further reform and signal appreciation for Bahrain's support.
The Budget Deficit and the Trade Deficit: What Is Their Relationship?: During the last half of the 1990s, real gross domestic investment rose as a fraction of real GDP. This resulted from the rise in U.S. productivity and the related rise in the real yield on U.S. assets. This drew additional private capital from abroad. If the twin deficits theory is correct, it has an adverse implication for the efficacy of fiscal policy as a stimulus tool. It suggests that in an environment of highly mobile international capital flows the effect of policy induced increases in the structural budget deficit (e.g., tax cuts) on short-run economic growth would be largely offset by increases in the trade deficit. The experience during both the 1980s and 1990s demonstrates that a large and growing trade deficit need not be an impediment to overall job creation even though it may have had an effect on the type of jobs that were created since it affected the composition of U.S. output.
Country Applicability of the U.S. Normal Trade Relations (Most-Favored-Nation) Status: This report provides information about the Country Applicability of the U.S. Normal Trade Relations (Most-Favored-Nation) Status. The united states extends unlimited and permanent nondiscriminatory treatment to all of its trading partners.
Trade Issues in the 109th Congress: Policy Challenges and Opportunities: The 108th Congress completed a full trade agenda with the passage of legislation on a broad spectrum of issues. The 109th Congress is expected to face a trade agenda that will be at least as extensive, covering a wide range of issues, from the extension of presidential trade promotion (fast track) authority to consideration of more free trade agreements and oversight of the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade negotiations. In some respects, these issues are distinct, each with its own policy and economic implications. In other respects the issues are interrelated. They have emerged from common sets of domestic politics, foreign policy, and economic factors and affect or are affected by the concerns of Members of Congress, of other policymakers and of many interest groups. These issues and how policymakers deal with them will define overall U.S. trade policy.
Iraq: Oil-For-Food Program, Illicit Trade, and Investigations: This report discusses the "oil-for-food" program (OFFP) as the centerpiece of a long-standing U.N. Security Council effort to alleviate human suffering in Iraq while maintaining key elements of the 1991 Gulf war-related sanctions regime. The program, in operation from December 1996 until March 2003, is detailed.
Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990: This report, updated as warranted, discusses U.S. security assistance to Taiwan, or the Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, has governed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan since 1979 when the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) instead of the ROC. Two other relevant parts of the “one China” policy are the August 17, 1982, U.S.-PRC Joint Communique and the “Six Assurances” made to Taiwan. (Also see CRS Report RL30341, China/Taiwan: Evolution of the “One China” Policy — Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei, by Shirley Kan.)
China-U.S. Trade Issues: This report discusses the information related to U.S trade with China, and major U.S - China Trade issues.
China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy: This report addresses relevant policy questions in current U.S.-China relations, discusses trends and key legislation in the current Congress and provides a chronology of developments and high-level exchanges.
U.S. Defense Articles and Services Supplied to Foreign Recipients: Restrictions on Their Use: In accordance with United States law, the U.S. Government places conditions on the use of defense articles and defense services transferred by it to foreign recipients. Violation of these conditions can lead to the suspension of deliveries or termination of the contracts for such defense items, among other things. On occasion, the President has indicated that such violations by foreign countries “may” have occurred, raising the prospect that termination of deliveries to or imposition of other penalties on such nations might take place. Section 3(a) of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) sets the general standards for countries or international organizations to be eligible to receive United States defense articles and defense services provided under this act. It also sets express conditions on the uses to which these defense items may be put.
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms: Economic, Program, and Policy Issues: This report focuses on the trade adjustment assistance program for firms and industries, which provides technical assistance to help them develop strategies to remain competitive in the changing international economy.
U.S.-Latin American Trade: Recent Trends: Since congressional passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in August 2002 (P.L. 107-210), the U.S.-Chile free trade agreement (FTA) has been implemented and negotiations were concluded on the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). Implementing legislation may be introduced in the first session of the 109th Congress. Other important U.S.-Latin America trade initiatives include FTA negotiations with three Andean countries and Panama, and the ongoing but slowed talks on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Congress defined trade negotiation objectives in TPA and trade agreements are enacted only after Congress passes implementing legislation. This report supports the congressional role in trade policy by providing an analytical overview of U.S.-Latin American trade data and trends.
Agricultural Biotechnology: Background and Recent Issues: Since the first genetically engineered (GE) crops (also called GM [genetically modified] crops, or GMOs, genetically modified organisms) became commercially available in the mid-1990s, U.S. soybean, cotton, and corn farmers have rapidly adopted them. As adoption has spread, there have been policy debates over the costs and benefits of GE products. Issues include the impacts of GE crops on the environment and food safety, and whether GE foods should be specially labeled. Congress generally has been supportive of GE agricultural products, although some Members have expressed wariness about their adoption and regulation. The 109th Congress will likely continue to follow trade developments, particularly the U.S.-EU dispute, as well as U.S. regulatory mechanisms for approving biotech foods.
Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports: No Description Available.
China-U.S. Trade Issues: The continued rise in the U.S.-China trade imbalance, complaints from several U.S. manufacturing firms over the competitive challenges posed by cheap Chinese imports, and concerns that U.S. manufacturing jobs are being lost to Chinese competitors have led several Members to call on the Bush Administration to take a more aggressive stance against certain Chinese trade policies deemed to be unfair. This report explores these issues in detail, especially concerning the lack of protection for U.S. IPR.
European Union's Arms Control Regime and Arms Exports to China: Background and Legal Analysis: This report provides detailed background and legal analysis of the nature of the current European Union embargo on arms exports to China. It also provides detailed background on the European Union’s current Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. A strengthened version of the Code would be one of the control mechanisms that would remain should the EU lift the embargo on arms exports to China. This report also gives information on recent EU arms exports authorized for China. It further summarizes U.S. concerns regarding the lifting of the arms embargo, and notes the prospective timing of EU action on the embargo issue.
Exempting Food and Agriculture Products from U.S. Economic Sanctions: Status and Implementation: Falling agricultural exports and declining commodity prices led farm groups and agribusiness firms to urge the 106th Congress to pass legislation exempting foods and agricultural commodities from U.S. economic sanctions against certain countries. In completing action on the FY2001 agriculture appropriations bill, Congress codified the lifting of unilateral sanctions on commercial sales of food, agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical products to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Sudan, and extended this policy to apply to Cuba (Title IX of H.R. 5426, as enacted by P.L. 106-387; Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000). Related provisions place financing and licensing conditions on sales to these countries. Those that apply to Cuba, though, are permanent and more restrictive than for the other countries. Other provisions give Congress the authority in the future to veto a President's proposal to impose a sanction on the sale of agricultural or medical products.
China-U.S. Trade Issues: The continued rise in the U.S.-China trade imbalance, complaints from several U.S. manufacturing firms over the competitive challenges posed by cheap Chinese imports, and concerns that U.S. manufacturing jobs are being lost to Chinese competitors have led several Members to call on the Bush Administration to take a more aggressive stance against certain Chinese trade policies deemed to be unfair. This report explores these issues in detail, especially concerning the lack of protection for U.S. IPR.
The Doha Development Agenda: The WTO Framework Agreement: On July 31, 2004, the 147 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached a Framework Agreement for conducting future Doha Round trade negotiations. The Framework Agreement is the latest step in the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) round of trade negotiations at the WTO, which was launched at the 4th Ministerial of the WTO at Doha, Qatar in November 2001. This report provides analysis of the framework agreement and its significant results (agriculture, industrial market access, services, and trade facilitation) in the context of U.S. objectives.
India-U.S. Economic Relations: This report examines the economic and trade relations of the United States and India. Since India is the world's most populous democracy, a U.S. ally in anti-terrorism efforts, and a potentially major export market, India's economic development and its trade relations with the United States are of concern to Congress.
U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges: No Description Available.
Future of the Balkans and U.S. Policy Concerns: This report provides information about the Future of the Balkans and U.S. Policy Concerns where the Unites states,its allies, and local leaders have achieved substantial success in the Balkans in the mid-1990's.
Haitian Textile Industry: Impact of Proposed Trade Assistance: This report defines the term textile industry as including apparel manufacture/assembly. Moreover, such a definition is essential in the present context inasmuch as apparel making constitutes nearly all "textile" manufacturing in Haiti.
Why Certain Trade Agreements Are Approved as Congressional-Executive Agreements Rather Than as Treaties: Trade agreements such asthe NAFTA and the GATT Uruguay Round agreements have been approved by majority vote of each House of Congress rather than by twothirds vote of the Senate — that is, they have been treated as congressional-executive agreements rather than astreaties. The congressional-executive agreement has been the vehicle for implementingCongress' long-standing policy ofseeking trade benefitsfor the United States through reciprocal trade negotiations. In a succession of statutes, Congress has authorized the President to negotiate and enter into tariff and nontariff barrier (NTB) agreements for limited periods, while mandating that NTB and free trade area agreements negotiated under this authority could enter into force for the United States only if approved by both Houses in a bill enacted into public law and other statutory conditions were met.
Implementation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act of 2003: No Description Available.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Background and Issues: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been ratified by 167 nations, including the United States. It regulates the international trade in animals and plants that may be threatened by trade.
U.S. Taxation of Overseas Investment and Income: Background and Issues in 2005: This report is on U.S. Taxation of Overseas Investment and Income: Background and Issues in 2005.
Hong Kong - U.S. Economic Relations: This report discusses about Recent economies challenges, Hong Kong- U.S. Economic ties, export controls and Hong Kong Economic Future.
Trade, Trade Barriers, and Trade Deficits: Implications for U.S. Economic Welfare: This report provides an overview of the economics of international trade that may be helpful for consideration of many recurring international economic policy issues. It is intended as a general explanation of mainstream economic principles that may be considered in gauging the economic significance of trade issues as well as the trade-offs inherent in many policy choices. A fundamental tenet of economics is that international trade is a means to a higher standard of living for all trading nations. The post-war era has seen a rapid expansion of trade and the United States has been a major participant in this process both as a trading nation and as a leader in the steady lowering of barriers to trade worldwide. The significant benefit of trade does not come without disruption and cost, however. Gaining the benefit of trade and also treating equitably those hurt by trade is often a difficult public policy issue.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Specialty Crops: A Primer on Government Programs: U.S. farmers grow more than 250 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, ornamental nursery, and turfgrass crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Although specialty crops are ineligible for the federal commodity price and income support programs, they are eligible for other types of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) support, such as crop insurance, disaster assistance, and, under certain conditions, ad hoc market loss assistance payments. This report describes the federal programs of importance to the specialty crop sector, and provides the most recent funding information available for them.
China’s Economic Conditions: This report gives an overview of China's economic development, China's trade patterns, foreign investments in China and implications for the United States
Agricultural Biotechnology: The U.S.-EU Dispute: This report focuses on a conflict between the European Union (EU) and the United States, Canada, and Argentina. The United States suggests that the European Union's moratorium costs the U.S. 300 million dollars in exports to the EU annually. Moreover, the report highlights other concerns the U.S. has with the EU's biotechnology policies.
AGOA III: Amendment to the African Growth and Opportunity Act: This report discusses the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which seeks to spur economic development and help integrate Africa into the world trading system by granting trade preferences and other benefits to Sub-Saharan African countries that meet certain criteria relating to market reform and human rights.

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