[Congressional Bills 103th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. Con. Res. 29 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] 103d CONGRESS 1st Session S. CON. RES. 29 _______________________________________________________________________ CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Relating to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization. 103d CONGRESS 1st Session S. CON. RES. 29 _______________________________________________________________________ CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Whereas the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization was formed in 1989 in order to strengthen regional ties among the economies of member countries of the organization by reducing barriers to trade and investment between such members; Whereas the organization seeks to reduce such barriers through economic cooperation and the coordination of policy among such members; Whereas the United States is a member of the organization; Whereas trade between the United States and organization members Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand accounts for more than half of all United States two-way trade; Whereas the United States exported $218,000,000,000 of goods and services to members of the organization in 1992, an amount constituting 52 percent of the value of all United States exports in that year; Whereas the volume of trade between the United States and the Asia Pacific region increased at an average annual rate of 9.1 percent between 1980 and the present; Whereas that rate of increase exceeds the average annual rate of increase in trade during that period between the United States and any other region; Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to expand trade between the United States and Asia Pacific countries in order to create more export- oriented jobs for Americans; Whereas the United States, as an Asian power with significant economic and security interests in the East Asia and Pacific regions, should be engaged actively in shaping institutional arrangements that advance freer trade and strengthen the multilateral trade system; Whereas the annual ministerial meeting of the organization will be held in Seattle, Washington, on November 17 through November 19, 1993, and will be chaired and hosted by the United States; Whereas chairing and hosting the ministerial meeting presents the United States with the opportunity to initiate a proactive agenda in order to achieve progress among members of the organization relating to economic competition, civil aviation, energy cooperation, use and exchange of technological data and products, intellectual property rights, human resources development, and the environment; and Whereas a strong United States commitment to the organization can deter the formation of a trade bloc that might be counterproductive to United States trade policy in the Asia Pacific region, can promote liberalization of trade among organization members, and can advance interests common to such members in a region undergoing rapid economic and political transformation: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS. It is the sense of Congress-- (1) to encourage United States leadership in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization; and (2) that the President, the Secretary of State, and other representatives of the United States Government should take the opportunity presented by the scheduled chairing and hosting by the United States of the ministerial meeting of the organization in Seattle, Washington, on November 17 through November 19, 1993, to reaffirm the United States commitment to make Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation an effective regional economic organization that reduces formal and informal barriers to increased intra-regional trade through the harmonization of standards, trade, and investment policies. SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the President and the Secretary of State. Passed the Senate June 16 (legislative day, June 15), 1993. Attest: Secretary.