{
  "id": "R41306",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 408822,
      "date": "2012-04-03",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T00:10:23.372940",
      "title": "Trade Law: An Introduction to Selected International Agreements and U.S. Laws",
      "summary": "The United States has trade obligations under multilateral trade agreements, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the other World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, as well as bilateral and regional trade agreements. A variety of domestic laws implement these agreements, prescribe U.S. trade policy goals, or regulate international trade to achieve specific foreign policy objectives. This report provides an overview of both international and domestic trade law, focusing on a select group of international agreements and statutes that are most commonly implicated by U.S. trade interests and policy. \nHistorically, parties to international trade agreements were obligated to reduce two kinds of trade barriers: tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers. Whereas the former may hinder an imported product\u2019s ability to compete in a foreign market by imposing an additional cost on the product\u2019s entry into the market, the latter has the potential to bar an import from entering that market altogether by, for example, restricting the number of such imports that can enter the market or imposing prohibitively strict packaging and labeling requirements. Consequently, at their most basic, international trade agreements obligate their parties to convert at least some of their non-tariff trade barriers into tariffs, set a ceiling on the tariff rates for particular products, and then progressively reduce those rates over time. However, over time, U.S. trade agreements have become increasingly complex. The U.S. model free trade agreement now targets not only tariffs and non-tariff barriers, but also domestic policies in areas such as labor, environmental law, and electronic commerce that U.S. policymakers consider unfair trade practices. Trade agreements have also evolved to include elaborate trade dispute settlement mechanisms. As illustrated in this report, the typical international trade agreement today disciplines its parties\u2019 use of tariffs and trade barriers, authorizes its parties to use discriminatory trade measures to remedy certain unfair trade practices, and establishes a dispute settlement body. \nDomestic trade laws, meanwhile, can broadly be classified as laws (1) authorizing trade remedies, including remedies for violations of trade agreements, countervailing duties for subsidized imports, and antidumping duties for imports sold at less than their normal value, (2) setting domestic tariff rates and providing special duty-free or preferential tariff treatment for certain products, and (3) authorizing the imposition of trade sanctions to protect U.S. security or achieve foreign policy goals. In addition to describing these domestic laws, this report summarizes the constitutional authorities of Congress and the executive branch over international trade. Finally, the report identifies many of the federal agencies and entities charged with overseeing the development of new trade agreements and the administration and enforcement of federal trade laws. Among the federal agencies and entities discussed are the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the International Trade Administration (ITA), the International Trade Commission (ITC), the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the United States Court of International Trade (CIT). \nThis report is not intended as a comprehensive review of trade law. It is an introductory overview of the legal framework governing trade-related measures. The agreements and laws selected for discussion are those most commonly implicated by U.S. trade interests, but there are U.S. trade laws and obligations beyond those reviewed in this report.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc103100/",
      "id": "R41306_2011Jan14",
      "date": "2011-01-14",
      "retrieved": "2012-09-19T20:16:14",
      "title": "Trade Law: An Introduction to Selected International Agreements and U.S. Laws",
      "summary": "This report is an introductory overview of the legal framework governing trade-related measures. The agreements and laws selected for discussion are those most-commonly implicated by U.S. trade interests, but there are U.S. trade laws and obligations beyond those reviewed in this report.",
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          "id": "Trade",
          "name": "Trade"
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        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign trade regulation",
          "name": "Foreign trade regulation"
        }
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    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc490876/",
      "id": "R41306_2010Jun29",
      "date": "2010-06-29",
      "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46",
      "title": "Trade Law: An Introduction to Selected International Agreements and U.S. Laws",
      "summary": "This report is an introductory overview of the legal framework governing trade-related measures. The agreements and laws selected for discussion are those most commonly implicated by U.S. trade interests, but there are U.S. trade obligations beyond those reviewed in this report.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
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      "topics": [
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          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Trade",
          "name": "Trade"
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        {
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          "id": "Foreign trade regulation",
          "name": "Foreign trade regulation"
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        {
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          "id": "Trade agreements",
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  "topics": [
    "American Law",
    "Constitutional Questions",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "National Defense"
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}