Congressional Research Service Reports - 2,297 Matching Results
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- U.S. Beef: It's What's for China
- This report discusses the opening of the Chinese market to U.S. beef imports under certain restrictions. The negotiation process and conditions of the agreement and China's current largest beef import partners are also discussed.
- When is Running Guns from the Philippines to Mexico a Federal Crime?
- This report discusses the case "United States v. Ubaldo" which concerns whether a gun smuggler who smuggled guns from a foreign country through the United States and then into another foreign country can be charged with a federal crime. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction for conspiracy and causing the importation of weapons in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and ban on importing military firearms.
- Generalized System of Preferences: Overview and Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program which provides non-reciprocal, duty-free tariff treatment to certain products imported from designated beneficiary developing countries (BDCs). This report examines, first, recent legislative developments, along with a brief history, economic rationale, and legal background leading to the establishment of the GSP. Second, the report describes U.S. GSP implementation. Third, the report briefly analyzes of the U.S. program's effectiveness and stakeholders' views, and discusses possible options for Congress in renewing the program for fiscal year 2018.
- Renegotiating NAFTA and U.S. Textile Manufacturing
- This report discuses the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its effects on the textile and apparel industry. Various provisions of NAFTA regarding textiles and apparel are discussed along with a general discussion of the U.S textile industry.
- Softwood Lumber Imports from Canada: Current Issues
- This report discusses ongoing disputes regarding softwood lumber imports from Canada into the U.S. and recent legislation and negotiations regarding Canadian softwood lumber disputes.
- Doing Business with Iran: EU-Iran Trade and Investment Relations
- This report discusses the European Union's (EU's) resumption of business with Iran after the signing of the 2015 nuclear disarmament agreement which led to the lifting of nuclear related sanctions. It outlines rates of business and major investments in Iran by European companies and the effect possible U.S. re-imposition of sanctions against Iran may have on the market and U.S.-EU relations.
- Renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): What Actions Do Not Require Congressional Approval?
- This report briefly addresses questions about the extent to which the executive branch may unilaterally renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and implement amendments to the agreement in domestic law without further action from Congress.
- Presidential Permit Review for Cross-Border Pipelines and Electric Transmission
- This report discusses the Presidential Permit review processes for cross-border energy infrastructure as implemented by these agencies: The Department of State for pipelines and similar facilities that transport liquids such as petroleum, petroleum products, and other hazardous liquids; The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for natural gas pipelines and associated facilities; and The Department of Energy (DOE) for electricity transmission lines and associated facilities. This report compares practices among these three agencies with respect to how they define a proposed project's scope (which dictates the array of associated impacts they will review), conduct environmental reviews, and make final decisions on permit applications. It also includes a discussion of recent efforts by Congress to change those permitting processes.
- [Not Over 'Til It's Over: TransCanada Denial of Keystone XL Permit]
- This report discusses the TransCanada announcement that they planned to sue the United States under NAFTA agreements for rejecting the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline. It also describes a suit in U.S. District Court regarding its view that the executive branch and the President don't have power over cross-border petroleum trade since Congress has passed general legislation regarding such matters as well as legislation approving the Keystone XL Pipeline which was vetoed by the President.
- U.S.-U.K. Free Trade Agreement: Prospects and Issues for Congress
- This report discuses the prospects of a free trade agreement between the U.K. and the U.S. after Brexit and potential issues that might be addressed in such an agreement. Congress's role in free trade agreements is also discussed.
- Ongoing Section 232 Steel and Aluminium Investigations
- This report discuses two investigations by the Department of Commerce related to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 which allows the President to impose tariffs or quotas on imported goods if it is in the interest of national security. These investigations are being conducted on the steel and aluminium industries to determine whether the President can and whether he should impose import restrictions. Mixed reactions to the investigations and proposals are also discussed.
- China's February 2017 Suspension of North Korean Coal Imports
- This report discusses China's suspension of coal trade with North Korea for the remainder of 2017 which keeps China in compliance with an UN agreement to limit coal buying from North Korea that was implemented in November 2016 in response to continued nuclear tests by North Korea. Coal's value as an export to North Korea, China's trade with North Korea, quantities of coal and its value that was imported into China in 2016 and 2017, and possible reasons and implications for China's decision are discussed.
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
- Softwood Lumber Dispute Lumbers On: Preliminary Countervailing Duties on Canadian Softwood Lumber Announced, Parts 1 & 2
- This report discusses countervaling duties which are charged on items entering the U.S. whose makers are supported by government subsidies in their country. Part 1 provides a general background on countervailing duties and the procedures that result in the imposition of these types of duties. Part II explores the Canadian softwood lumber dispute in more detail, providing a history of this thirty-year dispute and details about the status of the current countervailing duty investigation.
- Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms
- This report discusses the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program, which is administered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the Department of Commerce. The TAAF program assists eligible American companies that have been harmed by increasing imports; this harm is defined by lower domestic sales and employment because of increased imports of similar goods and services. Through the TAAF program, EDA provides technical assistance, on a cost-sharing basis, to help eligible businesses create and implement business recovery plans that may allow them to remain competitive in a dynamic international economy.4 The TAAF program provides technical assistance through a partnership with a national network of 11 EDA-funded Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers (TAACs).
- NAFTA Renegotiation and Modernization
- This report provides a brief overview of The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the role of Congress in the renegotiation process. It discusses key issues that are likely to be discussed during the current negotiations, and it provides a discussion of policy implications for Congress going forward.
- Selected International Insurance Issues in the 115th Congress
- This report discusses trade in insurance services and summarizes the various international entities and agreements affecting the regulation of and trade in insurance. It then addresses particular issues and controversies in greater depth, including a focus on the pending U.S.-EU covered agreement, and concludes with a section on issues relating to international insurance standards.
- Import Tariff or Border Tax: What is the Difference and Why Does it Matter?
- This report briefly describes the difference between import tariffs and border taxes and whether the President may unilaterally impose them without congressional approval.
- Trade Implications of the President's Buy American Executive Order
- This report discusses President Trump's April 18, 2017 Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American and its implications for U.S. trade agreements and government procurement costs.
- Arms Sales in the Middle East: Trends and Analytical Perspectives for U.S. Policy
- This report analyzes state-to-state arms sales in the Middle East with a particular focus on U.S. transfers, as authorized and reviewed by Congress. The information in this report, including sales data, is drawn from a number of official and unofficial open sources. The report focuses on recent arms sales, primarily from the United States, to seven Middle Eastern states: Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, Turkey, and Qatar. It concludes by considering a number of arms sales-related issues of congressional interest and options available to Members of Congress to influence or control aspects of arms sales, including those related to oversight, reporting requirements, checks on executive action, and conditions on transfers or funding.
- The U.S. Export Control System and the Export Control Reform Initiative
- This report discusses the U.S. export control system and initiatives to reform the export control system. Topics covered include the dual-use system, military export controls, nuclear controls, and President Obama's export control initiative.
- U.S. Trade in Services: Trends and Policy Issues
- This report provides background information and analysis on U.S. international trade in services, as well as policy issues. It examines emerging issues and current negotiations, including the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP).
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
- China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States
- This report provides background on China's economic rise; describes its current economic structure; identifies the challenges China faces to maintain economic growth; and discusses the challenges, opportunities, and implications of China's economic rise for the United States.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report provides an overview of U.S.-China commercial ties, identifies major issues of contention, describes the Trump Administration's trade policies toward China, and reviews possible outcomes.
- Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process
- This report reviews the process and procedures that currently apply to congressional consideration of foreign arms sales proposed by the President. This includes consideration of proposals to sell major defense equipment, defense articles and services, or the re-transfer to third party states of such military items.
- The Meaning of "Made in U.S.A."
- This report discusses the provisions in federal law are intended to support manufacturing in the United States. On April 18, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to ensure that federal grants and procurement maximize the use of manufactured goods produced in the United States, although it defined "produced in the United States" only for iron and steel products.
- Arab League Boycott of Israel
- This report provides background information on the Arab League boycott of Israel and past and current U.S. efforts to end its enforcement.
- The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and U.S. Agriculture
- The focus of this report is The U.S. food and agricultural sectors, which has benefited especially from NAFTA.
- The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
- This report discusses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) comprising nine members, two ex officio members, and other members as appointed by the President representing major departments and agencies within the federal executive branch. While the group generally has operated in relative obscurity, the proposed acquisition of commercial operations at six U.S. ports by Dubai Ports World in 2006 placed the group's operations under intense scrutiny by Members of Congress and the public.
- NAFTA and Motor Vehicle Trade
- This report discusses the development of U.S. motor vehicle production under the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) and analyzes the North American motor vehicle market, including production, plant locations, and continental trade patterns. It summarizes the motor vehicle rules of origin in NAFTA and compares them with similar requirements in other trade agreements, and examines how the potential changes in NAFTA might affect the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts industries in the United States.
- Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process
- This report reviews the process and procedures that currently apply to congressional consideration of foreign arms sales proposed by the President. This includes consideration of proposals to sell major defense equipment, defense articles and services, or the re-transfer to third party states of such military items.
- United States Economic Relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan
- This report discusses the United States economic ties with the Republic of China in Taiwan and analyzes Taiwan's economic growth since 1950 and their policies toward trade with countries that recognize the government of the People's Republic of China. U.S. policy options in the future regarding trade ties with Taiwan are also discussed.
- The United States Balance of Trade: Selected References, 1968-1972
- This report provides a bibliography of resources related to the balance of trade in the United States that were published between 1968 and 1972.
- United States-Cuban Trade Relations: Their present Legal Status and Action Required for the Normalization
- This report is about United States-Cuban Trade Relations.
- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters: an Historical and Bibliography Review
- This report investigates the International Brotherhood of Teamster, the largest trade union at that time, along with a bibliographic essay to look over some materials involved with dealing with the Teamsters.
- The Franchise System of Distribution
- This report discusses the franchising system of distribution and its growing popularity among small business owners. Legal challenges to franchising under anti-trust laws are also discussed.
- The issue of fair trade
- This report presents various issues on fair trade like goods, prices etc.
- Free Trade Versus Protectionism: An Analysis of the Issue
- This report discusses the gain international trade, qualifications to the free trade doctrine and arguments for protectionism.
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): Background, Review, and Analysis
- This report discuses the history, organization, and functions of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
- The Impact of the Rise in the Price of Crude Oil on the World Economy: Prognosis and Policy Options
- This report outlines the major effects of OPEC countries raising the effective oil prices from $3.45 a barrel to $9 a barrel in 1973. The main economic problems the author mentions are inflation, domestic demand, and acute balance-of-payments. In addition, this report outlines policy options for the United States and other industrial countries.
- Seal Harvest in the United States and Canada: A Selection of Pertinent Materials
- This report discusses the fur seal trade in the U.S. and Canada and environmental and animal cruelty concerns regarding the methods and numbers of seals killed each year. It provides a variety of materials related to the management, hunting, and harvesting of fur seals and focuses especially on the practice in the Pribilof Islands of Alaska. Legislative proposals regarding seal hunting are also discussed.
- North American Free Trade Agreement: Notification for Renegotiation
- This report discusses the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after the Trump Administration sent a 90-day notification to Congress of its intent to begin talks with Canada and Mexico to renegotiate NAFTA.
- Cross-Border Energy Trade in North America: Present and Potential
- This report provides an overview of the United States' energy trade with Canada and Mexico. For the principal energy commodities, it summarizes estimates of the resource potential for the three countries, recent energy production, and expectations for future production.
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Proposed Reauthorization in the 115th Congress
- This report describes the re-authorization of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), created in 1974.
- Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations
- This report discusses the kingdom of Saudi Arabia's relations with the United States; the kingdom's stability, and its future trajectory are subjects of continuing congressional interest.
- U.S. Crude Oil Exports to International Destinations
- This report discusses the export of crude oil produced in the United States and policy considerations in the wake of a provision contained in P.L. 114-113 which repealed a 40-year prohibition on the export.
- The United States Withdraws from the TPP
- This report discusses discusses the withdrawal of the United States as a signatory from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement as directed by President Trump.
- Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations
- This report discusses the kingdom of Saudi Arabia's relations with the United States; the kingdom's stability, and its future trajectory are subjects of continuing congressional interest.
- Effects of Buy America on Transportation Infrastructure and U.S. Manufacturing: Policy Options
- This report begins by explaining Buy America restrictions in more detail. It describes how Buy America comports with international trade agreements that generally forbid procurement restrictions favoring domestic products; and how a relatively new provision enacted by Congress may require imports of materials on federally-funded transportation projects to be carried on U.S.-flag ships. The report identifies policy options Congress might consider in light of recent legislative proposals.