HR0011enr 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0011 Enrolled LRB099 03517 GRL 23525 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION 11

WHEREAS, For almost 40 years, the United States Congress has pursued expansion of trade opportunities with other countries through free trade agreements that eliminate barriers, create transparency, and set rules to ensure fair trading terms for the United States; and

WHEREAS, As of January 1, 2014, the United States has 14 free trade agreements with 20 partner countries, including: Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Morocco, Canada, Mexico, Oman, Panama, Peru, and Singapore; and

WHEREAS, In 2012, the United States' current free trade agreements supported nearly 46% of the country's merchandise exports, totaling approximately $718 billion; and

WHEREAS, In July of 2013, the United States began negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) free trade agreement with the European Union; and

WHEREAS, The European Union was the United States' largest export market in 2012 and has 28 member countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, In 2011, the United States and the European Union maintained approximately $3.7 trillion in investment in each other's economies; and

WHEREAS, The United States and the European Union together generate approximately half of the world's gross domestic product output; and

WHEREAS, The goals of the T-TIP agreement include a plan to expand the European markets for trade with the United States, thereby strengthening the world's largest investment relationship; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, the United States' current free trade agreements benefited the State of Illinois by accounting for nearly 54% of goods exported from the State, totaling approximately $35.7 billion; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' largest merchandise export categories are machinery, transportation equipment, chemicals, computer and electronic products, and petroleum and coal products; and

WHEREAS, Illinois' top industrial goods exported to the European Union include machinery products with an approximate tariff rate of 9.7%, chemicals with an approximate tariff rate of 6.5%, and automotive products with an approximate tariff rate of 22%; and

WHEREAS, The elimination of tariffs through T-TIP will allow Illinois to gain greater market access for all goods exported to the European Union and its trade partners by enhancing the State's competitiveness in the global marketplace; and

WHEREAS, Any "Fast Track" or Trade Promotion Authority legislation filed before Congress must have greater openness, robust opportunities for citizen and Congressional participation in trade negotiations, and clear accountability mechanisms to ensure the executive branch brings back trade deals that will have a positive impact on the United States trade balance by creating good, family-wage jobs, promoting transparency in maintaining health, safety, and environmental protections, addressing localized discriminatory practices, and ensuring that state and local governments can continue to legislate and regulate in the public interest; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to use its authority under Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, to "regulate Commerce with foreign Nations" if any "Fast Track" or "Trade Promotion Authority" legislation fails to meet the aforementioned requirements; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Trade Representative to negotiate the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) in a fair and transparent way that will have a positive impact on the United States trade balance; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the President of the United States, the United States Trade Representative, the United States Senate Majority Leader, and the United States Senate Minority Leader.