Trade Clarification Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Trade Clarification Act of 1979 - Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to revise the method for determining the foreign market value of merchandise from nonmarket economies (current terminology is "State-controlled"). Stipulates that such value be based on the costs, expenses, and profits of free-market producers of such merchandise most comparable to the nonmarket economy producers. Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to require the International Trade Commission to investigate, and the President to request an investigation into, whether the domestic market is disrupted due to imports from or artificial pricing by nonmarket economy countries (currently Communist countries). Revises the relief available as a result of such disruption caused by artificial pricing to: (1) require the President to take the action recommended by the Commission, unless Congress approves different action by the President; and (2) exempt such relief from specified restrictions.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on November 1, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 1, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
WILLIAM COTTER (D-CT) introduced it on November 1, 1979, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on November 1, 1979, 17115 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17115 days ago, on November 1, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers