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Letters, statements, reports, etc., submitted for the record by-

Abbink, John, past chairman, National Foreign Trade Council, Inc.,
statement_

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173

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Carey, James B., Congress of Industrial Organizations, statement_
Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia, letter..

Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh, Pa., statement..

Clayton, William L., special advisor to the Secretary of State:

163

341

212.

Letter regarding request for minutes of Trade Agreements Com-
mittee.

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Committee on Commercial Policy, United States Associates, New York,
N. Y., report_---

216

Committee on Public Affairs, letter.

97

Council for Social Action, Congregational Christian Churches, Wash-
ington, D. C., statement_

213

Department of Agriculture, Charles S. Brannan, Assistant Secretary,
letter to Mr. Clayton -

58

Department of Defense, James Forrestal, Secretary, letter to Senator
Millikin, enclosing letter to Representative Gearhart and statement
of Munitions Board__

Department of Labor, John W. Gibson, Acting Secretary, letter to
Senator Millikin_

103, 104

105

Department of the Treasury, John W. Snyder, Secretary, letter to
Senator Millikin__

102

Foreign Traders Association of Philadelphia, Inc., letter
Friends Committee on National Legislation, statement-

341

342

Gregg, John P., Commissioner, United States Tariff Commission,
letter to Senator Millikin..

134

Hall, E. S., .automotive engineer and patent attorney, Farmington,
Conn., statement_

98

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Jacobs, William P., American Cotton Manufacturers Association,
table, countable cotton cloths, etc.

322

Lucas, Scott W., a United States Senator from the State of Illinois,
report, Woolens and Worsteds.

279

National Women's Trade Union League of America, letter and resolu-

tion__

Patchin, Robert H., vice president, W. R. Grace & Co.:
Editorial, Washington Post, Reciprocal Trade Act.

Article from the Grace Log, the Progress of Reciprocal Trade,

etc..

207

208

Text of Hoover letter to Senator Bridges

291

Answer to CIO's Wage Case, from NAM News..

297

Memorandum prepared for American Tariff League by Dr. John
Lee Coulter__

300

EXTENDING AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE TRADE

AGREEMENTS

TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1948

UNITED STATES SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE,
Washington, D. C.

The committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a. m., in room 312, Senate Office Building, Senator Eugene D. Millikin, chairman, presiding.

Present: Senators Millikin (chairman), Taft, Butler, George, Connally, and Lucas.

The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order.

This is a hearing on H. R. 6556, to extend the authority of the President under section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, and for other purposes. The bill and House report will be inserted in the record at this point.

(H. R. 6556 and H. Rept. No. 2009 follow :)

[H. R. 6556, 80th Cong., 2d sess.]

AN ACT To extend the authority of the President under section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the period during which the President is authorized to enter into foreign-trade agreements under section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 1351), is hereby extended until the close of June 30, 1949.

SEC. 2. Before entering into negotiations concerning any proposed foreigntrade agreement authorized by section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, the President shall furnish the United States Tariff Commission (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Commission") with a list of all articles imported into the United States to be considered for the possible granting of concessions in the agreement and shall request the Commission to make an investigation and to report to him the findings of the Commission as to

(1) the extent to which duties and other import restrictions on the articles included in the list may be modified; or

(2) the extent to which additional import restrictions on the articles included in the last may be imposed; or

(3) the maximum periods (if any) for which obligations may be under. taken to continue existing customs or excise treatment of articles included in the list,

in order to carry out the purpose of such section 350 without causing or threatening serious injury to domestic producers of like or similar articles or impairing the national defense. No such foreign trade agreement shall be entered into until the Commission has made its report to the President.

SEC. 3. (a) The Commission shall furnish facts, statistics, and other information at its command to officers and employees of the United States preparing for or participating in the negotiation of any foreign trade agreement; but neither 1

the Commission nor any member, officer, or employee of the Commission shall participate in any manner (except to furnish information) in the making of decisions with respect to proposed terms of any foreign trade agreement or in the negotiation of any such agreement.

(b) In the course of any investigation pursuant to a request of the President under subsection (a) of this section the Commission shall hold hearings and give reasonable public notice thereof, and shall afford reasonable opportunity for parties interested to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard at such hearings.

(c) Section 4 of the Act entitled "An Act to amend the Tariff Act of 1930," approved June 12, 1934, as amended (U. S. C., 1946 edition, title 19, sec. 1354), is hereby amended by striking out "the United States Tariff Commission,", by striking out "War, Navy,”, and by inserting "the National Military Establishment," after "commerce,”.

SEC. 4. (a) If the President enters into any foreign trade agreement with any foreign government or instrumentality thereof under section 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, which requires, or pursuant to which it would be appropriate for, him to make a proclamation modifying any existing duty or other import restriction or imposing any additional import restriction to an extent greater than that reported to him by the Commission pursuant to section 2, or continuing existing customs or excise treatment of articles beyond the time specified by the Commission in its report to him pursuant to section 2

(1) the President shall transmit such agreement (bearing an identifying number) to the Congress, together with a message which shall include his views with respect to the provisions of such agreement which require, or pursuant to which it would be appropriate for, him to make such a proclamation. The delivery to both Houses shall be on the same day and shall be made to each House while it is in session;

(2) the Commission shall deposit with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate, a copy of its report to the President with respect to such foreign trade agreement;

(3) such foreign trade agreement shall not take effect before the expiration of the first period of sixty calendar days, of continuous session of the Congress, following the date on which the foreign trade agreement is transmitted to it; and such foreign trade agreement shall thereafter take effect only if, between the date of transmittal and the expiration of such sixtyday period there has not been passed by the two Houses a concurrent resolution stating in substance that the Congress does not favor the foreign trade agreement.

(b) For the purposes of subsection (a) (3)–

(1) continuity of session shall be considered as broken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die; but

(2) in the computation of the sixty-day period there shall be excluded the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain; except that if a resolution (as defined in section 202) with respect to such foreign trade agreement has been passed by one House and sent to the other, no exclusion under this paragraph shall be made by reason of adjournments of the first House taken thereafter.

SEC. 5. (a) The second sentence of section 350 (a) (2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "No proclamation shall be made (A) decreasing by more than 50 per centum any rate of duty, however established, existing on January 1, 1945 (even though temporarily suspended by Act of Congress), (B) increasing by more than 50 per centum any rate of duty, however established, existing on June 12, 1934 (even though temporarily suspended by Act of Congress), or (C) transferring any article between the dutiable and free lists."

(b) The proviso of subsection (b) of such section is hereby amended to read as follows: "Provided, That the duties on such an article shall in no case (1) be decreased by more than 50 per centum of the duties, however established, existing on January 1, 1945 (even though temporarily suspended by Act of Congress), or (2) be increased by more than 50 per centum of the duties, however established, existing on June 12, 1934 (even though temporarily suspended by Act of Congress)."

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