New Bill Would Require Reciprocal Market Access in Trade Agreements

(World Trade Interactive)

Legislation introduced in the House and Senate October 8 seeks to enhance reciprocal market access for U.S. producers in the process of negotiating bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. […]

The Reciprocal Market Access Act of 2009 would address this problem by prohibiting the president from agreeing to reduce or eliminate an import duty under a trade agreement until he/she certifies to Congress that:

(a) the U.S. has obtained the reduction or elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers and policies and practices with respect to U.S. exports of any product identified by domestic producers as having the same physical characteristics and uses as the product for which a modification of an existing duty is sought, and

(b) the U.S. can immediately respond to a violation of any provision of the trade agreement relating to the matters described in (a) by withdrawing the tariff concession on that product. Requests for such a withdrawal could be made by certain domestic manufacturers, labor unions and business associations, as well as by members of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative would be required to investigate such requests and issue a decision within 45 days. Read more here.