ADVISORY
FROM THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures

McCrery Announces First in a Series of Hearings on the Extraterritorial Income Regime

Congressman Jim McCrery (R-LA), Chairman, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold its first hearing on the extraterritorial income (ETI) regime. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 10, 2002, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 2:00 p.m.

In view of the limited time available to hear witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:

On January 14, 2002, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Panel issued its report finding the United States' ETI rules to be a prohibited export subsidy. This marks the fourth time in the past two and one-half years that the United States has lost this issue, twice in the Foreign Sales Corporation case and now twice in the ETI case. There is no opportunity for the United States to appeal this latest determination.

On January 29, 2002, a WTO Arbitration Panel began proceedings to determine the amount of retaliatory trade sanctions that the European Union (EU) can impose against U.S. exports to the EU. The EU has requested $4.043 billion in sanctions. The United States has asserted that the proper measure of sanctions is no more than $1.1 billion. The Arbitration Panel will issue its determination by April 29, 2002.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman McCrery stated: "With the arbitration panel poised to rule on the level of sanctions which can be imposed by the EU, it is critical that we make a prompt, yet thorough inquiry into possible changes to the ETI system which are both WTO-compliant and foster the competitiveness of American companies. Witnesses at the hearing will help us explore the possibility of one approach -- leaving ETI in place but making modifications to it that address the objections raised by the EU."

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:

The focus of the hearing will be to examine whether adjustments can be made to the existing ETI regime to bring it into compliance with WTO rules without undermining the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in the global marketplace.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Please Note: Due to the change in House mail policy, any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record of the hearing should send it electronically to hearingclerks.waysandmeans@mail.house.gov, along with a fax copy to (202) 225-2610 by the close of business, Wednesday, April 24, 2002. Those filing written statements who wish to have their statements distributed to the press and interested public at the hearing should deliver their 200 copies to the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures in room 1135 Longworth House Office Building, in an open and searchable package 48 hours before the hearing. The U.S. Capitol Police will refuse unopened and unsearchable deliveries to all House Office Buildings.

FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:

Each statement presented for printing to the Committee by a witness, any written statement or exhibit submitted for the printed record or any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below. Any statement or exhibit not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1. Due to the change in House mail policy, all statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted electronically to hearingclerks.waysandmeans@mail.house.gov, along with a fax copy to (202) 225-2610, in Word Perfect or MS Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages including attachments. Witnesses are advised that the Committee will rely on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.

2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased. All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

3. Any statements must include a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers of each witness.

Note: All Committee advisories and news releases are available on the World Wide Web at http://waysandmeans.house.gov.

The Committee seeks to make its facilities accessible to persons with disabilities. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call 202-225-1721 or 202-226-3411 TTD/TTY in advance of the event (four business days notice is requested). Questions with regard to special accommodation needs in general (including availability of Committee materials in alternative formats) may be directed to the Committee as noted above.