Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the President shall direct the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to: (1) initiate discussions with Japan immediately to identify and remedy violations of Japan's World Trade Organization (WTO) trade obligations for its discriminatory practices in not applying incentives for U.S. automotive imports under Japan's Eco-Friendly Vehicle Purchase Program (scrappage program); and (2) if no remedy is forthcoming, file complaints to initiate dispute resolution actions under the WTO.
Expresses the sense of the House that: (1) any such action should include the impacts on the U.S. economy incurred by implementation of the U.S. Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) incentives program in regards to Japanese manufactured automobiles that received subsidies; and (2) the Secretary of State should immediately take diplomatic and other measures to ensure that any extension of Japan's Eco-Friendly Vehicle Program is not discriminatory to U.S. manufactured automobile imports to Japan.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 997 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 997
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding unfair
and discriminatory practices of the Government of Japan in its failure
to apply its current and planned extension of the Government's Eco-
friendly Vehicle Purchase and scrappage program to imported vehicles
made by U.S. automakers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 5, 2010
Ms. Sutton submitted the following resolution
January 12, 2010
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding unfair
and discriminatory practices of the Government of Japan in its failure
to apply its current and planned extension of the Government's Eco-
friendly Vehicle Purchase and scrappage program to imported vehicles
made by U.S. automakers.
Whereas the President of the United States approved on June 24, 2009, the United
States ``Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save'' (CARS) Act to
jumpstart auto sales and increase motor fuel savings nationwide by
providing incentives to registered owners of high polluting automobiles
and replace such automobiles with new fuel efficient and less polluting
automobiles, otherwise referred to as the ``Cash for Clunkers Program'';
Whereas the U.S. CARS program was launched by the U.S. Department of
Transportation on July 27, 2009, with an initial appropriation of $1
billion and extended on August 6, 2009, with an additional sum of $2
billion;
Whereas when it ended on August 25, 2009, a total of 677,842 new vehicles were
incentivized and purchased through the program, all of which improved
the U.S. economy and provided jobs in the automobile industry;
Whereas, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation data, the share of
transactions by manufacturers of the total number of new vehicles
incentivized included: 120,507 Toyotas, 90,135 Fords, 87,585 Hondas,
86,354 Chevrolets, 58,700 Nissans, 48,780 Hyundais, 24,119 Dodges,
16,144 Mazdas, 12,418 Volkswagens, 9,033 Chryslers, and 3,663 Lexuses,
for a total of over 319,000 Japanese brand automobiles, which clearly
demonstrates that the U.S. ``Cash for Clunkers'' program was open to all
automobile manufacturers doing business in the U.S.;
Whereas the Japanese Government in April 2009, as part of its ``economic crisis
measures'', adopted as its version of the U.S. CARS program an ``Eco-
friendly Vehicle'' program, which the Japanese Auto Dealer Association
on April 10, 2009, described as a subsidy to achieve effective
environmental and economic measures by promoting purchase of new
vehicles with high levels of environmental performance, leading to
stimulation of the Japanese auto industry;
Whereas the Japanese Government is planning to extend the current Japanese
automobile scrappage and subsidy program as early as January 2010;
Whereas, unlike the U.S. CARS program of 2009, the current Japanese Eco-friendly
Vehicle Purchase Program is not open and available to all imports of
U.S. automobile manufacturers because the Japanese program is only
available to automobile models that use a full Government procedure
called ``Type Approval'' of each model that generates an official fuel
economy rating;
Whereas as U.S. automobile importers use a more cost efficient Preferred
Handling Procedure (PHP), which is accepted by the Japanese Government
for imported vehicles sold in Japan;
Whereas even though many U.S. imported automobiles have comparable or better
fuel efficiency than Japanese vehicles, they do not qualify for the Eco-
friendly Vehicle Purchase Program;
Whereas the House of Representatives strongly believes that the current Japanese
Government's Eco-friendly Vehicle program is unfair and discriminatory
in its implementation and its failure to apply to low volume automobile
imports of U.S. automobile manufacturers by excluding fuel efficient
U.S.-made automobiles that meet the same fuel economy requirements of
the United States that automobiles of Japanese manufacturers met in 2009
under the U.S. Cash for Clunkers program in qualifying for U.S.
incentives for their automobiles; and
Whereas such exclusion amounts to the Japanese Government engaging in unfair and
discriminatory practices contrary to international treaty requirements
of the World Trade Organization: Now therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives
that--
(1) the President shall direct the United States Trade
Representative with support, assistance, and cooperation of the
Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, and as
appropriate, other Federal agencies to immediately initiate
discussions with the Government of Japan to identify and remedy
violations of Japan's trade obligations under applicable World
Trade Organization requirements for its discriminatory policies
and practices in regards to not applying incentives for United
States automotive imports under Japan's Eco-friendly Vehicle
Purchase Program, and if no adequate relief is promptly
forthcoming to file appropriate measures and complaints to
initiate dispute resolution actions under authority of the
World Trade Organization;
(2) any such action should include a detailed analysis of
the financial costs and other impacts on the economy of the
United States which were incurred by the implementation of the
U.S. CARS incentives program in regards to Japanese
manufactured automobiles that received subsidies; and
(3) the Secretary of State with the cooperation and
assistance of the Secretary of Transportation, the United
States Trade Representative, and other relevant Federal
officials should take immediately diplomatic and other measures
to ensure that any extension by the Japanese Government of the
Eco-friendly Vehicle Program is fair and not discriminatory in
regard to U.S. manufactured automobile imports to Japan.
Sec. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit a
copy of this resolution to the President.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to House Ways and Means
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to House Foreign Affairs
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