Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/2626

 118 STAT. 2596 PUBLIC LAW 108–429—DEC. 3, 2004 the date of the enactment of this Act, any entry, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, of any good— (A) that was made on or after October 1, 2004, and before the date of the enactment of this Act, and (B) with respect to which there would have been no duty if the amendment made by this subsection applied to such entry or withdrawal, shall be liquidated or reliquidated as if such amendment applied to such entry or withdrawal. SEC. 2005. EXTENSION OF NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TO LAOS. (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— (1) the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is pursuing a broad policy of adopting market based reforms to enhance its economic competitiveness and achieve an attractive climate for investment; (2) extension of normal trade relations treatment would assist the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in developing its economy based on free market principles and becoming competi tive in the global marketplace; (3) establishing normal commercial relations on a reciprocal basis with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic will promote United States exports to the rapidly growing southeast Asian region and expand opportunities for United States business and investment in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic economy; (4) United States and Laotian commercial interests would benefit from the bilateral trade agreement between the United States and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, signed in 2003, providing for market access and the protection of intellec tual property rights; (5) the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has taken coopera tive steps with the United States in the global war on terrorism, combating the trafficking of narcotics, and the accounting for American servicemen and civilians still missing from the Vietnam war; and (6) expanding bilateral trade relations that include a commercial agreement may promote further progress by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on human rights, religious tolerance, democratic rule, and transparency, and assist that country in adopting regional and world trading rules and prin ciples. (b) EXTENSION OF NONDISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT TO THE PRODUCTS OF THE LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC.— (1) Harmonized tariff schedule amendment.—General note 3(b) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is amended by striking ‘‘Laos’’. (2) Effective date.—The amendment made by paragraph (1) applies with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the effective date of a notice published in the Federal Register by the United States Trade Representative that a trade agreement obligating recip rocal most favored nation treatment between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the United States has entered into force. Federal Register, publication.

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