Trade Enforcement Bill Introduced in House; Prospects Uncertain

(World Trade Interactive)

Two senior House lawmakers introduced July 17 a broad trade enforcement bill (H.R. 6530). House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander Levin, D-Mich., said the Trade Enforcement Act of 2008 will combat counterfeiting and piracy, improve import safety, promote market access for U.S. goods and services and strengthen remedies against unfair trade.

Although supporters of the bill would undoubtedly prefer to see it approved this year, prospects for congressional action remain unclear given the number of other legislative priorities and an election campaign-shortened schedule. It is also likely that affected federal agencies and industries will seek an opportunity to provide their input on the bill, which contains a number of detailed provisions and new requirements, but no committee hearing on it has yet been scheduled. As a result, the bill may be seen more as an effort to set a baseline for trade policy discussions when a new president and a new Congress take office next year. Click here for the complete article and link to the full text of the bill.