19 U.S.C. § 2213: Reports

the operation of the trade agreements program, and the provision of import relief and adjustment assistance to workers and firms, under this chapter during the preceding calendar year; and the national trade policy agenda for the year in which the report is submitted. new trade negotiations; changes made in duties and nontariff barriers and other distortions of trade of the United States; reciprocal concessions obtained; changes in trade agreements (including the incorporation therein of actions taken for import relief and compensation provided therefor); the extension or withdrawal of nondiscriminatory treatment by the United States with respect to the products of foreign countries; the extension, modification, withdrawal, suspension, or limitation of preferential treatment to exports of developing countries; the results of actions to obtain the removal of foreign trade restrictions (including discriminatory restrictions) against United States exports and the removal of foreign practices which discriminate against United States service industries (including transportation and tourism) and investment; the measures being taken to seek the removal of other significant foreign import restrictions; each of the referrals made under section 2171(d)(1)(B) of this title and any action taken with respect to such referral; other information relating to the trade agreements program and to the agreements entered into thereunder; the number of applications filed for adjustment assistance for workers and firms, the number of such applications which were approved, and the extent to which adjustment assistance has been provided under such approved applications; and information relating to the personnel of the Center, including a description of any employees detailed or assigned to the Center by a Federal agency under paragraph (3)(B) of such section; information relating to the functions of the Center; and an assessment of the operating costs of the Center. the trade policy objectives and priorities of the United States for the year, and the reasons therefor; the actions proposed, or anticipated, to be undertaken during the year to achieve such objectives and priorities, including, but not limited to, actions authorized under the trade laws and negotiations with foreign countries; any proposed legislation necessary or appropriate to achieve any of such objectives or priorities; and the progress that was made during the preceding year in achieving the trade policy objectives and priorities included in the statement provided for that year under this paragraph. The President may separately submit any information referred to in subparagraph (A) to the Congress in confidence if the President considers confidentiality appropriate. Before submitting the national trade policy agenda for any year, the President shall seek advice from the appropriate advisory committees established under section 2155 of this title and shall consult with the appropriate committees of the Congress. the status and results of the actions that have been undertaken to achieve the objectives and priorities; and any development which may require, or result in, changes to any of such objectives or priorities. the merchandise balance of trade, the goods and services balance of trade, the balance on the current account, the external debt position, the exchange rates, the economic growth rates, the deficit or surplus in the fiscal budget, and the impact on United States trade of market barriers and other unfair practices, projections for each of the economic factors described in subparagraph (A) (except those described in clauses (v) and (viii)) for each of the countries and groups of countries referred to in subparagraph (A) for the year in which the report is submitted and for the succeeding year; and conclusions and recommendations, based upon the projections referred to in subparagraph (B), for policy changes, including trade policy, exchange rate policy, fiscal policy, and other policies that should be implemented to improve the outlook. To the extent that subjects referred to in paragraph (1)(A), (B), or (C) are covered in the national trade policy agenda required under subsection (a)(1)(B) or in other reports required by this chapter or other law, the Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury may, as appropriate, draw on the information, analysis, and conclusions, if any, in those reports for the purposes of preparing the report required by this subsection. The Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the preparation of each report required under this subsection. The Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury may separately submit any information, analysis, or conclusion referred to in paragraph (1) to the Committees in confidence if the Trade Representative and the Secretary consider confidentiality appropriate. After submission of each report required under paragraph (1), the Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with each of the Committees with respect to the report. The United States International Trade Commission shall submit to the Congress, at least once a year, a factual report on the operation of the trade agreements program. to analyze internal quality controls and record management of the Office; to identify existing staff of the Office and new staff that will be necessary to support the trade negotiation and enforcement functions and powers of the Office (including those functions and powers of the Trade Policy Staff Committee) as described in section 2171 of this title and section 2411 of this title ; to identify existing staff of the Office and staff in other Federal agencies who will be required to be detailed or assigned to support interagency programs led by the Trade Representative, including any associated expenses; to provide an outline of budget justifications, including salaries and expenses as well as nonpersonnel administrative expenses, for the fiscal years required under the strategic plan; and to provide an outline of budget justifications, including salaries and expenses as well as nonpersonnel administrative expenses, for interagency programs led by the Trade Representative for the fiscal years required under the strategic plan. The Trade Representative shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the plan required under paragraph (1). Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the report required under this subparagraph shall be submitted in conjunction with the strategic plan of the Office as required under section 306 of title 5 . The Trade Representative shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an initial report that contains the plan required under paragraph (1) not later than June 1, 2016 . the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. This section may be cited as the ‘Trade Deficit Review Commission Act’. The United States continues to run substantial merchandise trade and current account deficits. Economic forecasts anticipate continued growth in such deficits in the next few years. The positive net international asset position that the United States built up over many years was eliminated in the 1980s. The United States today has become the world’s largest debtor nation. The United States merchandise trade deficit is characterized by large bilateral trade imbalances with a handful of countries. The United States has one of the most open borders and economies in the world. The United States faces significant tariff and nontariff trade barriers with its trading partners. The United States does not benefit from fully reciprocal market access. The United States is once again at a critical juncture in trade policy development. The nature of the United States trade deficit and its causes and consequences must be analyzed and documented. There is established a commission to be known as the Trade Deficit Review Commission (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘Commission’). The purpose of the Commission is to study the nature, causes, and consequences of the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. Three persons shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate upon the recommendation of the Majority Leader of the Senate, after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee on Finance. Three persons shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate, after consultation with the ranking minority member of the Committee on Finance. Three persons shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. Three persons shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, after consultation with the ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Mean. have expertise in economics, international trade, manufacturing, labor, environment, business, or have other pertinent qualifications or experience; and are not officers or employees of the United States. are representative of a broad cross-section of economic and trade perspectives within the United States; and provide fresh insights to analyzing the causes and consequences of United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. Members shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [ Oct. 21, 1998 ] and the appointment shall be for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Not later than 30 days after the date on which all members of the Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall hold its first meeting. The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson. The members of the Commission shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from among the members of the Commission. A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Each member of the Commission shall be entitled to 1 vote, which shall be equal to the vote of every other member of the Commission. The Commission shall be responsible for examining the nature, causes, and consequences of, and the accuracy of available data on, the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. The relationship of the merchandise trade and current account balances to the overall well-being of the United States economy, and to wages and employment in various sectors of the United States economy. The impact that United States monetary and fiscal policies may have on United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. The extent to which the coordination, allocation, and accountability of trade responsibilities among Federal agencies may contribute to the trade and current account deficits. the macroeconomic factors and bilateral trade barriers that may contribute to the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits; any impact of the merchandise trade and current account deficits on the domestic economy, industrial base, manufacturing capacity, technology, number and quality of jobs, productivity, wages, and the United States standard of living; any impact of the merchandise trade and current account deficits on the defense production and innovation capabilities of the United States; and trade deficits within individual industrial, manufacturing, and production sectors, and any relationship between such deficits and the increasing volume of intra-industry and intra-company transactions; a review of the adequacy and accuracy of the current collection and reporting of import and export data, and the identification and development of additional data bases and economic measurements that may be needed to properly quantify the merchandise trade and current account balances, and any impact the merchandise trade and current account balances may have on the United States economy; and the extent to which there is reciprocal market access substantially equivalent to that afforded by the United States in each country with which the United States has a persistent and substantial bilateral trade deficit, and the extent to which such deficits have become structural. a systematic analysis of the United States trade patterns with different trading partners and to what extent the trade patterns are based on comparative and competitive trade advantages; the extent to which the increased mobility of capital and technology has changed both comparative and competitive trade advantages; any impact that labor, environmental, or health and safety standards may have on comparative and competitive trade advantages; the effect that offset and technology transfer agreements have on the long-term competitiveness of the United States manufacturing sectors; and any effect that international trade, labor, environmental, or other agreements may have on United States competitiveness. The extent to which differences in the growth rates of the United States and its trading partners may impact on United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. The impact that currency exchange rate fluctuations and any manipulation of exchange rates may have on United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. any consequences for the United States economy of the current status of the United States as a debtor nation; any relationship between such investment flows and the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits and living standards of United States workers; any impact such investment flows may have on United States labor, community, environmental, and health and safety standards, and how such investment flows influence the location of manufacturing facilities; and the effect of barriers to United States foreign direct investment in developed and developing nations, particularly nations with which the United States has a merchandise trade and current account deficit. the findings and conclusions of the Commission described in subsection (d); and recommendations for addressing the problems identified as part of the Commission’s analysis. Any member of the Commission may submit additional findings and recommendations as part of the final report. The Commission may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the Commission may find advisable to fulfill the requirements of this section. The Commission shall hold at least 1 or more hearings in Washington, D.C., and 4 in different regions of the United States. The Commission may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission. The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government. Each member of the Commission shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5 , United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Commission. The members of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission. The Chairperson of the Commission may, without regard to the civil service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties. The employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission. The Chairperson of the Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. Any Federal Government employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5 , United States Code, at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title. An individual who is a member of the Commission and is an annuitant or otherwise covered by section 8344 or 8468 of title 5, United States Code, by reason of membership on the Commission is not subject to the provisions of section 8344 or 8468 (whichever is applicable) with respect to such membership. The Administrator of the General Services Administration shall provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis such administrative support services as the Commission may request. There are appropriated $2,000,000 to the Commission to carry out the provisions of this section. Amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain available until the date which is 90 days after the date on which the Commission submits the final report described in subsection (e). The provisions of chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Commission. The Commission shall terminate 90 days after the date on which the Commission submits the final report under subsection (e).”