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To extend the Andean Trade Preference Act, and for other purposes.

Public Law 110-436 · H.R. 7222 · 110th Congress · began in the House

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 16, 2008 · Foreign Trade and International Finance

Sponsor: Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY-15)

Cosponsors (3): Rep. Jim McCrery,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Amends the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) to prohibit the extension of duty-free treatment or other preferential treatment to: (1) Colombia or Peru after December 31, 2009; (2) Ecuador after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, unless the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Ecuador does not satisfy certain beneficiary country designation requirements; and (3) Bolivia after June 30, 2009, except that such preferential treatment shall remain in effect through December 31, 2009, only if the President reports to specified congressional committees on or before June 30, 2009, that Bolivia satisfies certain beneficiary country designation requirements.

(Sec. 1) Extends through FY2010 preferential treatment for apparel articles assembled in one or more beneficiary countries from regional fabrics or regional components, and specified other type apparel (brassieres).

(Sec. 2) Amends the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to provide earned import allowance certificates to any producer or entity controlling production of eligible apparel articles in the Dominican Republic, based on specified elements.

Declares that eligible apparel articles wholly assembled in the Dominican Republic and imported directly from the Dominican Republic shall enter the United States free of duty, without regard to the source of the fabric or yarns from which the articles are made, if such apparel articles are accompanied by an earned import allowance certificate reflecting the amount of credits equal to the total square meter equivalents of fabric in such apparel articles.

Directs the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) to review and report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on the effectiveness of the earned import allowance program.

(Sec. 3) Amends the African Growth and Opportunity Act to repeal certain special rules for fabrics and yarns in commercial quantities in Africa.

Adds Mauritius as a lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African country (LDC) for purposes of the application of preferential treatment to apparel articles wholly assembled, or knit-to-shape and wholly assembled, or both, in one or more LDCs, regardless of the country of origin of the fabric or the yarn used to make such articles, that are imported into the United States.

Directs the ITC to review, identify, and report to the appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General on yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs that through new or increased investment or other measures can be produced competitively in beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.

Directs the Comptroller General to report to the appropriate congressional committees on recommendations for changes to U.S. trade preference programs, including changes to rules of origin, to provide incentives to increase investment and other measures to improve the competitiveness of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries in the production of yarns, fabrics, and other textile and apparel inputs.

(Sec. 4) Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the Generalized System of Preferences program through December 31, 2009.

(Sec. 5) Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to extend certain customs fees for the processing of merchandise entered into the United States.

(Sec. 6) Amends the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 to increase by 2% the amount in effect on the date of enactment of this Act of any corporate estimated tax installment otherwise due by a corporation with assets of not less than $1 billion in July, August, or September 2013.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

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Related bills

The record lists no related bills.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. Oct 16, 2008Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-436.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 7, 2008FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 3, 2008Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Levin asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
  7. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  8. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  9. Oct 2, 2008FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  10. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  11. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  12. Sep 30, 2008CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  13. Sep 29, 2008FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  15. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  16. FloorFloor · Ms. Moore (WI) asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Ways and Means discharged.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  19. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 5695SenateSen. Harry ReidD-NV· offered Oct 2, 2008Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Oct 2, 2008: Amendment SA 5695 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.