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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3

2    AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Joint Resolution 3 by
3replacing everything after the heading with the following:
 
4    "WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau,
5Illinois is currently the fifth most populous state in the
6country, with approximately 12,800,000 residents; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Illinois is the largest exporting state in the
8Midwest, and the fifth largest exporting state in the United
9States; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Since 2009, Illinois exports have increased by
11$26.6 billion, or 64%, outperforming the national average of
1253.5%; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Direct Illinois exports accounted for nearly 10%
14of the Gross State Product (GSP); and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The role of Illinois in the global marketplace is
2currently in flux as a new United States Trade Representative
3takes office and the new presidential administration has
4created a White House National Trade Council; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In recent years, the Illinois General Assembly has
6taken action on issues involving international trade which, if
7enacted, would almost certainly trigger claims by the World
8Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States, and
9possibly the imposition of countervailing duties or
10retaliatory tariffs by U.S. global trading partners; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau generates
12international trade statistics relative to the importation and
13exportation of products and goods in and to all 50 states and
14some territories; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Comparative advantage is a concept in
16international trade law and economics which provides that
17countries should be encouraged to produce what they are best at
18producing and export such products and goods, and import those
19products and goods from a trading partner who is the best at
20producing that particular product or good; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The most recent trade statistics show that the

 

 

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1trade preferences provided to some non-market economies
2affects the theory of comparative advantage and possibly
3weakens the role that Illinois plays in the global marketplace;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, According to the United Nations, the World Bank,
6and the International Monetary Fund, the United States is the
7world's largest economy and China is the second largest economy
8in the world based upon their respective GDPs; and
 
9    WHEREAS, China's accession to the WTO was complete as of
10December 11, 2001; and
 
11    WHEREAS, China's accession to the WTO was unique in that
12China was one of the 23 original contracting parties to the
13General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1948, but
14withdrew after the Chinese Revolution in 1949, which pitted the
15ideologies of Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai- Shek; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Under WTO agreements, there are two types of
17non-discrimination of interest: the Most Favored Nation (MFN)
18principle, and the National Treatment (NT) principle; under the
19MFN principle, a WTO member may not discriminate between its
20trading partners - goods and services and service providers are
21to be accorded MFN, i.e. equal treatment; at the same time, a
22WTO member must provide NT - it may not discriminate on its

 

 

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1internal market between its own and foreign products, services,
2and nationals; and
 
3    WHEREAS, China, like all other WTO members, has agreed to
4abide by all of the WTO agreements, including those provisions
5requiring application of MFN and National Treatment; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In its Protocol of Accession, China agreed to
7undertake additional actions in order to ensure the smooth
8phasing in of these non-discrimination principles; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The WTO system also promotes undistorted trade
10through the establishment of disciplines on subsidies and
11dumping, allowing WTO members to respond to unfair trade
12through the imposition of countervailing or anti-dumping
13duties; in addition, WTO members are empowered to impose
14temporary safeguard measures, under strict rules, when faced
15with a sudden surge in imports causing serious injury to a
16domestic industry; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In other areas, China has committed to abide by
18all WTO disciplines relating to subsidies and countervailing
19measures, anti-dumping, and safeguards; and
 
20    WHEREAS, By joining the WTO, China has committed itself to
21abide by international treaty rules and the rule of law in the

 

 

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1conduct of trade; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Illinois has eight foreign trades zones where
3foreign and domestic merchandise is considered international
4trade and not subject to United States customs duties: Chicago,
5Rockford, Quad Cities, Peoria, Decatur, Granite City,
6Lawrenceville, and Savanna; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Illinois maintains 10 foreign trade offices:
8Mexico City, Mexico; Toronto, Canada; Brussels, Belgium;
9Pretoria, South Africa; Jerusalem, Israel; Sao Paulo, Brazil;
10Tokyo, Japan; New Delhi, India; and Hong Kong and Shanghai,
11China; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In 1974, Illinois became the first state to open a
13trade office in China when it opened an office in Hong Kong;
14Illinois added an office in Shanghai in 2000; both trade
15offices are dedicated to promoting Illinois-China business
16relations; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Illinois ranks fifth among the 50 states for
18exports to China; Illinois exports to China totaled over $4.71
19billion in 2014, a 90.8% increase since 2009; Illinois ranks
20third among the 50 states in imports from China, totaling $29.5
21billion in 2014; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Mexico is a WTO member subject to MFN and NT
2principles; Illinois exports to Mexico totaled over $7.9
3billion in 2014, a 123.0% increase since 2009; Illinois imports
4from Mexico totaled $13.3 billion in 2014, a 116.8% increase
5since 2009; Illinois ranks fourth among the 50 states in
6imports from Mexico and is Mexico's second largest export
7partner; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Russia is a WTO member subject to MFN and NT
9principles; Illinois ranks seventh among the 50 states for
10exports to Russia; Illinois exports to Russia totaled over
11$448.1 million in 2014, a 79.5% increase since 2009; Illinois
12ranks seventh among the 50 states in imports from Russia,
13totaling $790.2 million in 2014; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE
16CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Trade Policy Task Force is created
17within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic
18Opportunity - Office of Trade and Investment; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the Trade Policy Task Force is charged with
20the following duties: (1) analyze important issues relative to
21the growth of international trade from and to Illinois; (2)
22make recommendations to Congress, the United States Trade
23Representative, and the White House National Trade Council

 

 

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1regarding trade policies that best serve Illinois; and (3)
2promote the exportation of goods and services from Illinois and
3the importation of goods and services into Illinois; and be it
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That the Trade Policy Task Force shall consist of
6the following members:
 
7        (1) two appointed by the Speaker of the Illinois House
8    of Representatives - one of which is to be the Chair of the
9    International Trade and Commerce Committee;
 
10        (2) two appointed by the President of the Illinois
11    Senate;
 
12        (3) two appointed by the Minority Leader of the
13    Illinois Senate;
 
14        (4) two appointed by the Minority Leader of the
15    Illinois House of Representatives - one of which is to be
16    the Minority Spokesman of the International Trade and
17    Commerce Committee;
 
18        (5) a representative of a statewide association
19    representing community businesses, appointed by the
20    Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives;
 

 

 

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1        (6) a representative of a statewide association
2    representing manufacturers, appointed by the Minority
3    Leader of the Illinois Senate;
 
4        (7) four representatives of a statewide association
5    representing unions, two appointed by the Speaker of the
6    Illinois House of Representatives and two appointed by the
7    President of the Illinois Senate;
 
8        (8) a representative of a statewide association
9    representing agriculture, appointed by the Speaker of the
10    Illinois House of Representatives;
 
11        (9) a representative of a statewide association
12    representing the chemical industry, appointed by the
13    Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate;
 
14        (10) a representative of a statewide association
15    representing the coal industry, appointed by the Minority
16    Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives;
 
17        (11) a representative of a statewide association
18    representing international trade, appointed by the
19    President of the Illinois Senate;
 

 

 

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1        (12) three appointed by the Governor of Illinois;
 
2        (13) one appointed by the Mayor of Chicago;
 
3        (14) one appointed by the Mayor of Rockford;
 
4        (15) one appointed by the Mayor of Peoria;
 
5        (16) one appointed by the Mayor of Granite City;
 
6        (17) one appointed by the Mayor of Lawrenceville; and
 
7        (18) one appointed by the Mayor of Savanna; and be it
8    further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Commerce and
10Economic Opportunity - Office of Trade and Investment shall
11provide administrative support for the Trade Policy Task Force
12and shall reimburse for their reasonable and prudent expenses;
13and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That the Trade Policy Task Force shall provide a
15final report by December 31, 2018."