Title 19 — Customs Duties
Chapter 12 — Trade Act of 1974
§ 2102. Congressional statement of purpose
Statutory text
The purposes of this chapter are, through trade agreements affording mutual benefits—
to foster the economic growth of and full employment in the United States and to strengthen economic relations between the United States and foreign countries through open and nondiscriminatory world trade;
to harmonize, reduce, and eliminate barriers to trade on a basis which assures substantially equivalent competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States;
to establish fairness and equity in international trading relations, including reform of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade;
to provide adequate procedures to safeguard American industry and labor against unfair or injurious import competition, and to assist industries, firm,1 workers, and communities to adjust to changes in international trade flows;
to open up market opportunities for United States commerce in nonmarket economies; and
to provide fair and reasonable access to products of less developed countries in the United States market.
Footnotes
- 1 So in original.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Trade Act of 1974
Pub. L. 93–618 § 2 · 88 Stat. 1978
Enacted · 19 U.S.C. § 2102
(Pub. L. 93–618, § 2, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1981.)
Source evidence
Code source credit
(Pub. L. 93–618, § 2, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1981.)Enacted provision · exact public law section
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSES. The purposes of this Act are, through trade agreements affording mutual benefits— (1) to foster the economic growth of and full employment in the United States and to strengthen economic relations between the United States and foreign countries through open and non discriminatory world trade; (2) to harmonize, reduce, and eliminate barriers to trade on a basis which assures substantially equivalent competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States; (3) to establish fairness and equity in international trading relations, including reform of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; (4) to provide adequate procedures to safeguard American industry and labor against unfair or injurious import competition, and to assist industries, firm, workers, and communities to adjust to changes in international trade flows; (5) to open up market opportunities for United States commerce in nonmarket economies; and (6) to provide fair and reasonable access to products of less developed countries in the United States market.
1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 93–618, , 88 Stat. 1978, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see References in Text note set out under section 2101 of this title and Tables.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Statement of Purposes of 1984 Amendment
Pub. L. 98–573, title III, § 302, , 98 Stat. 3000, provided that:
“The purposes of this title [see Short Title of 1984 Amendment note set out under section 2101 of this title] are—
“(1) to foster the economic growth of, and full employment in, the United States by expanding competitive United States exports through the achievement of commercial opportunities in foreign markets substantially equivalent to those accorded by the United States;
“(2) to improve the ability of the President—
“(A) to identify and to analyze barriers to (and restrictions on) United States trade and investment, and
“(B) to achieve the elimination of such barriers and restrictions;
“(3) to encourage the expansion of—
“(A) international trade in services through the negotiation of agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) which reduce or eliminate barriers to international trade in services, and
“(B) United States service industries in foreign commerce; and
“(4) to enhance the free flow of foreign direct investment through the negotiation of agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) which reduce or eliminate the trade distortive effects of certain investment-related measures.”