Congressional Research Service Reports - 79 Matching Results
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- United States policy toward Vietnam
- This report is about the United states policy regarding Vietnam
- Increased U.S. Military Sales to China: Arguments and Alternatives
- The report examines the current debate in the United States over proposals for increased U.S. military sales to China. The study first examines the background of U.S.-China security ties since the Nixon Administration, and then sets forth the parameters of the current debate by noting a number of issues concerning U.S. military transfers to China on which all sides generally agree. It shows that Americans familiar with the issue tend to identify with different groups of opinion or "schools of thought" on the question of U.S. military transfers to China, and provides a detailed pro-con analysis of the issue. It concludes by noting cross pressures that are likely to greet U.S. policy makers as they grapple with this issue in the months ahead and offers an assessment of four policy options of possible use by U.S. policymakers.
- Japan-U.S. Trade: A Chronology of Major Events, 1980-1990
- Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield once classified U.S. Japanese relations as "the most important bilateral relationship in the world, bar none." Over the past decade, tensions between the two nations increased markedly, due largely to U.S. concerns over the sharp rise in the U.S. Japan bilateral trade imbalance and to the growing competitive challenge posed by Japan. This paper provides a chronology of major trade events between the United States and Japan from 1980 through 1990 in order to provide a perspective of major trade issues between the two nations. The appendix provides selected data on trade between the two countries over this period.
- Japan's Import Protection: Quantitative Measures and Effects on U.S. Exports
- Some indirect measures of Japan's import barriers indicate that Japan's import behavior is unusual, but some do not. Japan's trade surplus is large, but the United States exports as much to that market as it does to other major industrialized nations. Japan's imports of manufactures, however, are low relative to levels in other industrialized nations.
- Mahoganies: International Protection?
- This report is on The issue for 18 mahogany species is whether any qualifies for regulation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). (1) Pessimists on this issue say "yes," while optimists see the abundance of species in parts of their range and therefore say "no." Both camps question the accuracy of data supplied by the other side. Both agree that the presence of mahogany trees may provide local governments with an incentive to retain rain forests, especially since mahogany cultivation has not been particularly successful.
- U.S. Trade: Proposals to Reorganize the Trade Policy Structure
- Several bills have been introduced in the 104th Congress to reorganize the trade policymaking structure of the executive branch. More bills are likely to be introduced. These proposals are a direct result of efforts within the Congress to dismantle the Department of Commerce. Concurrent Budget Resolution for FY1996 (Con.Res. 67), which was passed on June 29, 1995, expresses the sense of the Congress that the Commerce Department should be eliminated. Whatever the fate of the Commerce Department, a consensus appears to be emerging within the Congress that Commerce's trade functions should be preserved in some form.
- Russia and U.S. Foreign Assistance: 1992-1996
- This report provides historical background that may be useful to Congress as it considers funding levels, types of programs, and problems in implementation of U.S. assistance to other countries.
- Generalized System of Preferences
- This report provides information about the Generalized System of Preferences which provides duty free treatment for products that are imported from some designated countries. The main purpose is to promote economic growth.
- Generalized System of Preferences
- This report provides information about the Generalized System of Preferences which provides duty-free treatment for products that are imported from some designated countries. The main purpose is to promote economic growth.
- Economic Sanctions to Achieve U.S. Foreign Policy Goals: Discussion and Guide to Current Law
- This report provides background on the range of actions that might be termed foreign policy sanctions and the events that might necessitate their use. Criteria are offered that legislators might consider to judge when sanctions might be appropriate, approaches that might be effective, aspects of the use of sanctions that are sometimes overlooked or not considered fully. The report provides an uncomplicated "map" of where sanctions policies and options currently lay in U. S. law.
- Economic Sanctions and U.S. Agricultural Exports
- Various statutes and regulations authorize the President to restrict or prohibit trade with targeted countries for national security or foreign policy reasons. The exercise of these authorities has resulted in restrictions or prohibitions at times being placed on the export of U.S. agricultural commodities and products. The U.S. government currently restricts exports of agricultural products as part of across-the-board economic sanctions imposed on Cuba and Iraq. Exceptions are made for humanitarian reasons, allowing food to be sold or donated to these two countries.
- Textile and Apparel Trade Issues
- textiles and apparel have been major issues in U.S. trade relations with a number of countries and regions. In attempts to resolve conflicts between the interests of exporters and importers, a number of agreements (multilateral and bilateral) have been signed over the years bearing on, and generally restricting, the quantities of textiles and apparel traded. Developing countries, whose exports have been limited, believe that developed countries have unfairly delayed import liberalization, and continue to press for accelerated implementation of the phaseout of quotas. Congress eased trade terms on textiles and apparel from Caribbean and sub-Saharan nations in its latest move to boost economic growth in poorer regions. This report will be updated as events warran
- U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Investment: Programs and Policy Direction
- No Description Available.
- Farm Support Programs and World Trade Commitments
- Congress is now debating reauthorization of omnibus farm legislation, as most commodityprice support provisions expire in 2002. This report discusses this debate, specifically aspects relating to commitments that the U.S. has as a World Trade Organization (WTO) member. Because of the interrelationships between trade and domestic support policies, lawmakers are interested in what the Agreement on Agriculture stipulates with regard to domestic supports, and how not only the United States but also other countries are meeting their Agreement commitments.
- The Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA)
- Report discussing the Iran Libya Sanctions Act as well as the legislative developments that occurred regarding the act.
- Saudi Arabia: Post-War Issues and U.S. Relations
- This report includes information regarding current issues in Saudi Arabia, background to Saudi-U.S. relations, and congressional interest in Saudi Arabia
- Trade Remedy Law Reform in the 107th Congress
- Trade remedies are government measures to minimize the adverse impact of imports on domestic industries. Anti-dumping duties are used to counter the effects of imports sold at unfairly low prices on the domestic market. Countervailing duties are used to counter the price effects of imports that benefit from government subsidies in the exporting countries. Safeguard remedies (also called Section 201 and escape clause remedies) are used to reduce the injurious impact of surges in fairly trade imports.
- Cuba: An Economic Primer
- This report provides an overview of the Cuban economy. Recent congressional interest in Cuba has centered on the partial lifting of trade sanctions on agricultural products and medicine. The 107th Congress may consider further easing of sanctions or other alterations to the trade embargo in effect since 1962. The paper first presents a brief historical overview of the Cuban economy. This history is characterized by dependence on major powers: first Spain, then the United States, and then the Soviet Union. The report then charts the different, and often conflicting, economic policy courses that Fidel Castro has pursued since his rise to power in 1959.
- Status of Trade Legislation in the 107th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Trade and the Americas
- No Description Available.
- U.S. Merchandise Trade Data: 1948-2002
- No Description Available.
- 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 nations of such military items.
- U.S. International Trade: Data and Forecasts
- No Description Available.
- China and the World Trade Organization
- China has sought over the past several years to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the international agency that administers multilateral trade rules. China’s WTO membership (as well as that of Taiwan’s) was formally approved at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar in November 2001. On December 11, 2001, China officially became a WTO member. WTO membership will require China to significantly liberalize its trade and investment regimes, which could produce significant new commercial opportunities for U.S. businesses. A main concern for Congress is to ensure that China fully complies with its WTO commitments.
- 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.
- Iraq: Oil-For-Food Program, International Sanctions, and Illicit Trade
- 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.
- Trade and the Americas
- No Description Available.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Issues for U.S. Policy
- This report outlines the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords and its ramifications on Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also discusses the countries ties to the United States.
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminals: Siting, Safety and Regulation
- No Description Available.
- Trade Agreements: Impact on the U.S. Economy
- No Description Available.
- DR-CAFTA, Textiles, and Apparel
- The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), signed on August 5, 2004, by the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic is a comprehensive and reciprocal trade agreement that, if ratified by all parties, would govern market access of goods, services trade, investment, government procurement, intellectual property, labor, and the environment. With respect to textiles and apparel, DR-CAFTA is comparatively less restrictive than most other trade agreements and trade preference programs regarding what qualifies for duty-free access to the United States.
- U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges
- This report examines the economic partnership between the United States and the European Union. Not only is the U.S.-EU trade and investment relationship the largest in the world, but it is also arguably the most important. Agreement between the two partners in the past has been critical to making the world trading system more open and efficient.
- U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges
- No Description Available.
- U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
- Report on the trade agreements between the United States and Thailand, including commercial relations, intellectual property rights, and more.
- U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices
- No Description Available.
- 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.
- U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices
- This report provides an estimate of the initial impact of the rising oil prices on the nation's merchandise trade deficit.
- U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices
- No Description Available.
- The World Trade Organization: The Hong Kong Ministerial
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) held its 6th Ministerial summit in Hong Kong from December 13-18, 2005. WTO Ministerials are held every two years to bring together trade ministers from member states, often to make political decisions for the body. Although an original goal of the Ministerial was to agree on a package of modalities (methods by which the round is negotiated) for the ongoing Doha Development Agenda (DDA) round of trade negotiations, this aim was dropped in order to avoid a high-profile failure similar to previous Ministerials at Cancun and Seattle. Rather, members agreed to some modest advancements in agriculture, industrial tariffs, and duty and quota-free access for least developed countries. The final outcome of these negotiations could provide a substantial boost to the world economy, but if the round itself is not completed, there may be repercussions for the WTO as an institution and for the architecture of the world trading system.
- The World Trade Organization: The Hong Kong Ministerial
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) held its 6th Ministerial summit in Hong Kong from December 13-18, 2005. WTO Ministerials are held every two years to bring together trade ministers from member states, often to make political decisions for the body. Although an original goal of the Ministerial was to agree on a package of modalities (methods by which the round is negotiated) for the ongoing Doha Development Agenda (DDA) round of trade negotiations, this aim was dropped in order to avoid a high-profile failure similar to previous Ministerials at Cancun and Seattle. Rather, members agreed to some modest advancements in agriculture, industrial tariffs, and duty and quota-free access for least developed countries. The final outcome of these negotiations could provide a substantial boost to the world economy, but if the round itself is not completed, there may be repercussions for the WTO as an institution and for the architecture of the world trading system.
- Space Launch Vehicles: Government Activities, Commercial Competition, and Satellite Exports
- This report various sides of the debate related to domestic launch services, such as satellite export issues, the development of new launch vehicles by the private sector, and whether tax incentives or loan guarantees should be created for companies attempting to develop lower-cost launch vehicles.
- Russia's Accession to the WTO
- No Description Available.
- Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade: Key Issues for the 110th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Is the U.S. Trade Deficit Caused by a Global Saving Glut?
- This report compares and analyzes the conventional view with the global saving glut view, and discusses the implications of each for the U.S. economy.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview. March 2008
- This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations and will be updated as events warrant.
- Financing the U.S. Trade Deficit: Role of Foreign Governments
- No Description Available.
- U.S.-South Korea Beef Dispute: Negotiations and Status
- This report discusses the agreement regarding the beef imports from the United States to South Korea.
- Intellectual Property Rights and International Trade
- This report discusses the different kinds of intellectual property rights (IPR); forms of IPR infringement; importance of IPR to the U.S. economy; estimated losses associated with IPR infringement; organizational structure of IPR protection in multilateral, regional, bilateral; U.S. government agencies involved with IPR and trade; and issues for Congress regarding IPR and international trade.
- China's Currency: A Summary of the Economic Issues
- Many Members of Congress charge that China's policy of accumulating foreign reserves (especially U.S. dollars) to influence the value of its currency constitutes a form of currency manipulation intended to make its exports cheaper and imports into China more expensive than they would be under free market conditions. Although China made modest reforms to its currency policy in 2005, Members contend the forms have not gone far enough and have warned of potential legislative action. This report summarizes the main findings CRS Report RL32165, China's Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy.
- EU-U.S. Economic Ties: Framework, Scope, and Magnitude
- This report provides background information and analysis of the U.S.-EU economic relationship for Members of the 111th Congress as they contemplate the costs and benefits of closer U.S. economic ties with the EU. It examines the economic and political framework of the relationship and the scope and magnitude of the ties based on data from various sources. In addition, the report analyzes the implications these factors have for U.S. economic policy toward the EU.