USTR to stick on textile objectives during WTO talks
30 Jun '06
4 min read
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5672, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007, by a vote of 393 to 23.
The legislation provides appropriations for the Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), and various other departments and agencies.
The American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), and the National Textile Association (NTA), associations representing the U.S. textile industry, praised U.S. Representative Virgil Goode of Virginia for persuading the House to include language reiterating the WTO negotiating objectives given to the U.S. government in the Trade Act of 2002 and for requiring USTR to report on its progress in textile segment of the negotiations.
With regard to USTR, language in Title II of the legislation obligates the office to adhere to the negotiating objectives contained in the Trade Act of 2002:
For necessary expenses of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, including the hire of passenger motor vehicles and the employment of experts and consultants as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, $46,207,000, of which $1,000,000 shall remain available until expended: Provided, That not to exceed $124,000 shall be available for official reception and representation expenses: Provided further, That negotiations shall be conducted within the World Trade Organization consistent with the negotiating objectives contained in the Trade Act of 2002, Public Law 107-210: Provided further, That not less than $2,000,000 provided under this heading shall be for negotiating, implementing, monitoring, and enforcing trade agreements with China.
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