FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Contact: (202) 225-1721
July 29, 1999
No. TR-14
Congressman Philip M. Crane (R-IL), Chairman, Subcommittee on Trade of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee is requesting written public comments for the record from all parties interested in the extension of permanent normal trade relations (NTR) to the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos).
BACKGROUND:
At present, Laos is listed in general note 3(b) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) among those countries that are denied normal tariff treatment. As a result, Lao products are subject to the higher tariff rates in column 2 of the HTS, which has the practical effect of excluding Lao products from the U.S. market. Legislation is required to amend the HTS in order for NTR to be extended to the products of Laos. Laos is not subject to Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (the "Jackson-Vanik amendment") because it did not become a Communist country until after the effective date of that law.
In 1997, the United States concluded a bilateral trade agreement providing market access for U.S. goods and services in the Lao market and protection of intellectual property rights. In addition, the United States reached agreement with Laos in 1997 on a bilateral investment treaty, the first to be negotiated with a Southeast Asian country, to provide U.S. investors with the right of national treatment.
In 1998, U.S. imports from Laos were valued at $21 million, while U.S. exports totaled $3.7 million. Top imports from Laos in 1998 were miscellaneous manufactured articles, while leading U.S. exports included chemicals, and machinery and transportation equipment.
DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Any person or organization wishing to submit a written statement for the printed record should submit six (6) single-spaced copies of their statement, along with an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect 5.1 format, with their name, address, and comments date noted on label, by the close of business, Friday, September 10, 1999, to A.L. Singleton, Chief of Staff, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, 1102 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.
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. All statements and any accompanying exhibits for printing must be submitted on an IBM compatible 3.5-inch diskette in WordPerfect 5.1 format, typed in single space and may 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. A witness appearing at a public hearing, or submitting a statement for the record of a public hearing, or submitting written comments in response to a published request for comments by the Committee, must include on his statement or submission a list of all clients, persons, or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.
4. A supplemental sheet must accompany each statement listing the name, company, address, telephone and fax numbers where the witness or the designated representative may be reached. This supplemental sheet will not be included in the printed record.
The above restrictions and limitations apply only to material being submitted for printing. Statements and exhibits or supplementary material submitted solely for distribution to the Members, the press, and the public during the course of a public hearing may be submitted in other forms.