U.S. Code > Title 19 Customs Duties > CHAPTER 13—TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT OF 1979 (§§ 2501—2582) > § 2503. Approval of trade agreements

§ 2503. Approval of trade agreements

(a) Approval of agreements and statements of administrative action
In accordance with the provisions of sections 2112 and 2191 of this title, the Congress approves the trade agreements described in subsection (c) of this section submitted to the Congress on June 19, 1979, and the statements of administrative action proposed to implement such trade agreements submitted to the Congress on that date.
(b) Acceptance of agreements by the President
(1) In general
The President may accept for the United States the final legal instruments or texts embodying each of the trade agreements approved by the Congress under subsection (a) of this section. The President shall submit a copy of each final instrument or text to the Congress on the date such text or instrument is available, together with a notification of any changes in the instruments or texts, including their annexes, if any, as accepted and the texts of such agreements as submitted to the Congress under subsection (a) of this section. Such final legal instruments or texts shall be deemed to be the agreements submitted to and approved by the Congress under subsection (a) of this section if such changes are—
(A) only rectifications of a formal character or minor technical or clerical changes which do not affect the substance or meaning of the texts as submitted to the Congress on June 19, 1979, or
(B) changes in annexes to such agreements, and the President determines that the balance of United States rights and obligations under such agreements is maintained.
(2) Application of agreement between the United States and other countries
No agreement accepted by the President under paragraph (1) shall apply between the United States and any other country unless the President determines that such country—
(A) has accepted the obligations of the agreement with respect to the United States, and
(B) should not otherwise be denied the benefits of the agreement with respect to the United States because such country has not accorded adequate benefits, including substantially equal competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States to the extent required under section 2136 (c) [1] of this title, to the United States.
(3) Limitation on acceptance concerning major industrial countries
The President may not accept an agreement described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (9), (10), or (11) of subsection (c) of this section, unless he determines that each major industrial country (as defined in section 2136 (d) [1] of this title) is also accepting the agreement. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the President may accept such an agreement, if he determines that only one major industrial country is not accepting that agreement and the acceptance of that agreement by that country is not essential to the effective operation of the agreement, and if—
(A) that country is not a major factor in trade in the products covered by that agreement,
(B) the President has authority to deny the benefits of the agreement to that country and has taken steps to deny the benefits of the agreement to that country, or
(C) a significant portion of United States trade would benefit from the agreement, notwithstanding such nonacceptance, and the President determines and reports to the Congress that it is in the national interest of the United States to accept the agreement.
For purposes of this paragraph, the acceptance of an agreement by the European Communities on behalf of its member countries shall also be treated as acceptance of that agreement by each member country, and acceptance of an agreement by all the member countries of the European Communities shall also be treated as acceptance of that agreement by the European Communities.
(c) Trade agreements to which this Act applies
The trade agreements to which subsection (a) of this section applies are the following:
(1) The Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (relating to customs valuation).
(2) The Agreement on Government Procurement.
(3) The Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures.
(4) The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (relating to product standards).
(5) The Agreement on Interpretation and Application of Articles VI, XVI, and XXIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (relating to subsidies and countervailing measures).
(6) The Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (relating to antidumping measures).
(7) The International Dairy Arrangement.
(8) Certain bilateral agreements on cheese, other dairy products, and meat.
(9) The Arrangement Regarding Bovine Meat.
(10) The Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.
(11) Texts Concerning a Framework for the Conduct of World Trade.
(12) Certain Bilateral Agreements to Eliminate the Wine-Gallon Method of Tax and Duty Assessment.
(13) Certain other agreements to be reflected in Schedule XX of the United States to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, including Agreements—
(A) to Modify United States Watch Marking Requirements, and to Modify United States Tariff Nomenclature and Rates of Duty for Watches,
(B) to Provide Duty-Free Treatment for Agricultural and Horticultural Machinery, Equipment, Implements, and Parts Thereof, and
(C) to Modify United States Tariff Nomenclature and Rates of Duty for Ceramic Tableware.
(14) The Agreement with the Hungarian People’s Republic.

[1] See References in Text note below.