Bill Text
106th Congress (1999-2000)
H.R.975.IH

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HR 975 IH

To provide for a reduction in the volume of steel imports, and to establish a steel import notification and monitoring program.

March 4, 1999

Mr. VISCLOSKY (for himself, Mr. QUINN, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. NEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. MURTHA, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. KLINK, Mr. REGULA, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. WELLER, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey, Mr. COYNE, Mr. BERRY, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. GOODLING, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. WISE, Mr. EHRLICH, Mr. MOAKLEY, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. ROEMER, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. ANDREWS, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. LARSON, MR. BOUCHER, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. OLVER, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. MASCARA, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. BRYANT, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. BORSKI, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. FORBES, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SAWYER, and Mr. CANNON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

To provide for a reduction in the volume of steel imports, and to establish a steel import notification and monitoring program.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REDUCTION IN VOLUME OF STEEL IMPORTS.

(a) REDUCTION- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, within 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall take the necessary steps, by imposing quotas, tariff surcharges, negotiated enforceable voluntary export restraint agreements, or otherwise, to ensure that the volume of steel products imported into the United States during any month does not exceed the average volume of steel products that was imported monthly into the United States during the 36-month period preceding July 1997.

(b) ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY- Within 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury, through the United States Customs Service, and the Secretary of Commerce shall implement a program for administering and enforcing the restraints on imports under subsection (a). The Customs Service is authorized to refuse entry into the customs territory of the United States of any steel products that exceed the allowable levels of imports of such products.

(c) APPLICABILITY-

(1) CATEGORIES- This section shall apply to the following categories of steel products: semifinished, plates, sheets and strips, wire rods, wire and wire products, rail type products, bars, structural shapes and units, pipes and tubes, iron ore, and coke products.

(2) VOLUME- Volume of steel products for purposes of this section shall be determined on the basis of tonnage of such products.

(d) EXPIRATION- This section shall expire at the end of the 3-year period beginning 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 2. STEEL IMPORT NOTIFICATION AND MONITORING PROGRAM.

(a) IN GENERAL- Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall establish and implement a steel import notification and monitoring program. The program shall include a requirement that any person importing a product classified under chapter 72 or 73 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States obtain an import notification certificate before such products are entered into the United States.

(b) STEEL IMPORT NOTIFICATION CERTIFICATES-

(1) IN GENERAL- In order to obtain a steel import notification certificate, an importer shall submit to the Secretary of Commerce an application containing--

(A) the importer's name and address;

(B) the name and address of the supplier of the goods to be imported;

(C) the name and address of the producer of the goods to be imported;

(D) the country of origin of the goods;

(E) the country from which the goods are to be imported;

(F) the United States Customs port of entry where the goods will be entered;

(G) the expected date of entry of the goods into the United States;

(H) a description of the goods, including the classification of such goods under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States;

(I) the quantity (in kilograms and net tons) of the goods to be imported;

(J) the cost insurance freight (CIF) and free alongside ship (FAS) values of the goods to be entered;

(K) whether the goods are being entered for consumption or for entry into a bonded warehouse or foreign trade zone;

(L) a certification that the information furnished in the certificate application is correct; and

(M) any other information the Secretary of Commerce determines to be necessary and appropriate.

(2) ENTRY INTO CUSTOMS TERRITORY- In the case of merchandise classified under chapter 72 or 73 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States that is initially entered into a bonded warehouse or foreign trade zone, a steel import notification certificate shall be required before the merchandise is entered into the customs territory of the United States.

(3) ISSUANCE OF STEEL IMPORT NOTIFICATION CERTIFICATE- The Secretary of Commerce shall issue a steel import notification certificate to any person who files an application that meets the requirements of this section. Such certificate shall be valid for a period of 30 days from the date of issuance.

(c) STATISTICAL INFORMATION-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Commerce shall compile and publish on a weekly basis information described in paragraph (2).

(2) INFORMATION DESCRIBED- Information described in this paragraph means information obtained from steel import notification certificate applications concerning steel imported into the United States and includes with respect to such imports the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States classification (to the tenth digit), the country of origin, the port of entry, quantity, value of steel imported, and whether the imports are entered for consumption or are entered into a bonded warehouse or foreign trade zone. Such information shall also be compiled in aggregate form and made publicly available by the Secretary of Commerce on a weekly basis by public posting through an Internet website. The information provided under this section shall be in addition to any information otherwise required by law.

(d) FEES- The Secretary of Commerce may prescribe reasonable fees and charges to defray the costs of carrying out the provisions of this section, including a fee for issuing a certificate under this section.

(e) SINGLE PRODUCER AND EXPORTER COUNTRIES- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Commerce shall make publicly available all information required to be released pursuant to subsection (c), including information obtained regarding imports from a foreign producer or exporter that is the only producer or exporter of goods subject to this section from a foreign country.

(f) REGULATIONS- The Secretary of Commerce may prescribe such rules and regulations relating to the steel import notification and monitoring program as may be necessary to carry the provisions of this section.

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