Export Expansion Act

Summary

Export Expansion Act - Title I: Trade Development Corps - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to undertake a program in the International Commerce Administration established in title VII of this Act for the recruitment and training of a Trade Development Corps to consist of not more than five hundred United States citizens. Provides that the function of the Corps shall be to supplement existing Federal and private programs for developing and expanding foreign trade markets for United States goods and services by providing a readily available source of qualified personnel for undertaking specific projects or assignments including: (1) serving with a trade mission, or making indepth studies of types of markets indicated by trade mission findings; (2) making market analyses or studies; (3) serving with an overseas mission of the United States; (4) assisting in the preparation for, or the development of market leads from, industry exhibitions in foreign trade centers; (5) assisting United States Government personnel in developing a closer integration of foreign aid and trade; and (6) investigating major proposed foreign purchasing of construction projects in the interest of expanding outlets for United States goods and services. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to members of the Corps accepting assignments under this title. Provides that each such grant shall be sufficient to defray the necessary travel and living expenses of the member and his family and to provide a moderate compensation while engaged in carrying out his assignment. Provides that the Corps shall be headed by a Director appointed by the Secretary for a term of four years. Authorizes the Director to appoint an Assistant Director who shall perform such functions as the Director may prescribe. Authorizes to be appropriated $4,100,000 for each of the fiscal years 1974 and 1975 to carry out the purposes of this title. Title II: Grants to State and Local Governments - Authorizes the Secretary, upon application, to make grants to States, municipalities, or regional or local government agencies for projects designed to carry out the purposes of this Act if he determines that such projects will facilities and are likely to result in an increase in United States exports of goods and services. Provides that no grants shall be made under this title unless the Secretary determines that matching funds will be made available from non-Federal sources. Provides that the Secretary shall prescribe such rules, regulations, and procedures as he may deem necessary for the administration of this title. Requires each recipient to keep such records as the Secretary may determine necessary. Authorizes the Secretary or the Comptroller General to have access to such records for the purpose of audit and examination. Authorizes to be appropriated $5,300,000 for each of the fiscal years 1974 and 1975 to carry out the purposes of this title. Title III: Export Training Program - Authorizes the Secretary to conduct educational and training programs to: (a) train new and potential exporters, their employees, and such other persons as the Secretary deems appropriate, in technical export problems, including but not limited to: (a) transportation and documentation problems, currency and credit restrictions, financing, tariff and nontariff barriers, and the like, (b) provide information on export and marketing techniques, (c) familiarize new and potential exporters and their employees with previous United States experience in selected markets, and (d) introduce new and potential exporters and their employees to the services and programs maintained by the Department of Commerce and other departments and agencies of the United States Government. Provides that the Secretary shall charge a fee sufficient to cover not less than one-half and not more than two-thirds of the total cost of the program for each participant. Authorizes to be appropriated $800,000 for each of the fiscal years 1974 and 1975 to carry out the purposes of this title. Title IV: Regional American Merchandise Centers - Creates a Regional American Merchandise Center program which, for the first three years after the date of enactment of this Act, shall be limited to five Regional United States Merchandise Centers. Provides that the functions of the Centers shall be to serve as a storage, distributional and service headquarters for small, medium-sized or new-to-export exporters engaged in markets in developing nations and to provide a comprehensive range of services to such exporters. Requires the Secretary to establish a schedule of variable fees for such services on the basis of export history, size of the exporter, and export potential. Authorizes to be appropriated $2,500,000 for each of the fiscal years 1974 and 1975 to carry out the purpose of this title. Title V: Joint Export Associations - Authorizes the Secretary to enter into a cost-sharing contract with an export group to foster, promote, and develop the export trade of the United States if the following criteria are satisfied: (1) the export activity to be carried on must be additional to that which might be otherwise undertaken by the export group; (2) the cost shared by the Secretary must be incurred on behalf of the export group in carrying on export trade; and (3) the Secretary's share of any costs does not exceed 50 percent. Authorizes to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1974 and 1975 to carry out the purposes of this title. Title VI: Documentation; Administration and Enforcement - Requires the Secretary, in order to facilitate international trade and to eliminate paperwork required in the conduct of such trade, to design rules and regulations, reporting requirements, recordkeeping, furnishing and compilation of data, and the like in such a manner as to reduce the cost of administration, reporting, recordkeeping, and export documentation required under this Act. Title VII: Reorganization and Requirement for Authorization - Establishes in the Department of Commerce an International Commerce Administration which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Business and a Domestic Commerce Administration which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Domestic Business. Provides that the Assistant Secretaries appointed pursuant to this title shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Provides that there shall be in the International Commerce Administration a Bureau of Trade Promotion, the International Commercial Service, the Trade Development Corps, a Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Administration, and such other organizational units as the Secretary deems proper for the performance of the functions delegated to the Administration. Requires the Secretary, in conjunction with the International Commerce Administration, to submit to the Congress not later than ninety days after the end of each calendar year a report on export promotion activities during the preceding calendar year. Provides that such report shall include a statement of our national export goals, priorities, plans, and an analysis of the balance of trade, together with an assessment of the progress made toward the attainment of these trade objectives.

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2 official files

• Passed Senate amended

  summary · EN · 13 June 1974

  Open at official source

• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 5 April 1973

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