Bill Text: IL HJR0037 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Enrolled
Bill Title: Creates the International Job Protection Task Force within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity - Office of Trade and Investment to (1) analyze important issues relative to the growth of international trade from and to Illinois; (2) make recommendations to Congress, the United States Trade Representative, and the White House National Trade Council regarding trade policies that best serve Illinois; and (3) promote the protection of Illinois jobs relative to international trade.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-2)
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-31 - Adopted Both Houses [HJR0037 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HJR0037-Enrolled.html
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1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 37
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2 | WHEREAS, According to the United States Census Bureau, | ||||||
3 | Illinois is currently the fifth most populous state in the | ||||||
4 | country, with approximately 12,800,000 residents; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Illinois is the largest exporting state in the | ||||||
6 | Midwest, and the fifth largest exporting state in the United | ||||||
7 | States; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Since 2009, Illinois exports have increased by | ||||||
9 | $26.6 billion, or 64%, outperforming the national average of | ||||||
10 | 53.5%; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Direct Illinois exports accounted for nearly 10% | ||||||
12 | of the Gross State Product (GSP); and
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13 | WHEREAS, The role of Illinois in the global marketplace is | ||||||
14 | currently in flux as a new United States Trade Representative | ||||||
15 | takes office and the new presidential administration has | ||||||
16 | created a White House National Trade Council; and
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17 | WHEREAS, In recent years, the Illinois General Assembly has | ||||||
18 | taken action on issues involving international trade which, if | ||||||
19 | enacted, would almost certainly trigger claims by the World | ||||||
20 | Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States, and |
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1 | possibly the imposition of countervailing duties or | ||||||
2 | retaliatory tariffs by U.S. global trading partners; and
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3 | WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau generates | ||||||
4 | international trade statistics relative to the importation and | ||||||
5 | exportation of products and goods in and to all 50 states and | ||||||
6 | some territories; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Comparative advantage is a concept in | ||||||
8 | international trade law and economics which provides that | ||||||
9 | countries should be encouraged to produce what they are best at | ||||||
10 | producing and export such products and goods, and import those | ||||||
11 | products and goods from a trading partner who is the best at | ||||||
12 | producing that particular product or good; and
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13 | WHEREAS, The most recent trade statistics show that the | ||||||
14 | trade preferences provided to some non-market economies | ||||||
15 | affects the theory of comparative advantage and possibly | ||||||
16 | weakens the role that Illinois plays in the global marketplace; | ||||||
17 | and
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18 | WHEREAS, According to the United Nations, the World Bank, | ||||||
19 | and the International Monetary Fund, the United States is the | ||||||
20 | world's largest economy and China is the second largest economy | ||||||
21 | in the world based upon their respective GDPs; and
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1 | WHEREAS, China's accession to the WTO was complete as of | ||||||
2 | December 11, 2001; and
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3 | WHEREAS, China's accession to the WTO was unique in that | ||||||
4 | China was one of the 23 original contracting parties to the | ||||||
5 | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1948, but | ||||||
6 | withdrew after the Chinese Revolution in 1949, which pitted the | ||||||
7 | ideologies of Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai- Shek; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Under WTO agreements, there are two types of | ||||||
9 | non-discrimination of interest: the Most Favored Nation (MFN) | ||||||
10 | principle, and the National Treatment (NT) principle; under the | ||||||
11 | MFN principle, a WTO member may not discriminate between its | ||||||
12 | trading partners - goods and services and service providers are | ||||||
13 | to be accorded MFN, i.e. equal treatment; at the same time, a | ||||||
14 | WTO member must provide NT - it may not discriminate on its | ||||||
15 | internal market between its own and foreign products, services, | ||||||
16 | and nationals; and
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17 | WHEREAS, China, like all other WTO members, has agreed to | ||||||
18 | abide by all of the WTO agreements, including those provisions | ||||||
19 | requiring application of MFN and National Treatment; and
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20 | WHEREAS, In its Protocol of Accession, China agreed to | ||||||
21 | undertake additional actions in order to ensure the smooth | ||||||
22 | phasing in of these non-discrimination principles; and
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1 | WHEREAS, The WTO system also promotes undistorted trade | ||||||
2 | through the establishment of disciplines on subsidies and | ||||||
3 | dumping, allowing WTO members to respond to unfair trade | ||||||
4 | through the imposition of countervailing or anti-dumping | ||||||
5 | duties; in addition, WTO members are empowered to impose | ||||||
6 | temporary safeguard measures, under strict rules, when faced | ||||||
7 | with a sudden surge in imports causing serious injury to a | ||||||
8 | domestic industry; and
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9 | WHEREAS, In other areas, China has committed to abide by | ||||||
10 | all WTO disciplines relating to subsidies and countervailing | ||||||
11 | measures, anti-dumping, and safeguards; and
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12 | WHEREAS, By joining the WTO, China has committed itself to | ||||||
13 | abide by international treaty rules and the rule of law in the | ||||||
14 | conduct of trade; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Illinois has eight foreign trades zones where | ||||||
16 | foreign and domestic merchandise is considered international | ||||||
17 | trade and not subject to United States customs duties: Chicago, | ||||||
18 | Rockford, Quad Cities, Peoria, Decatur, Granite City, | ||||||
19 | Lawrenceville, and Savanna; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Illinois maintains 10 foreign trade offices: | ||||||
21 | Mexico City, Mexico; Toronto, Canada; Brussels, Belgium; |
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1 | Pretoria, South Africa; Jerusalem, Israel; Sao Paulo, Brazil; | ||||||
2 | Tokyo, Japan; New Delhi, India; and Hong Kong and Shanghai, | ||||||
3 | China; and
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4 | WHEREAS, In 1974, Illinois became the first state to open a | ||||||
5 | trade office in China when it opened an office in Hong Kong; | ||||||
6 | Illinois added an office in Shanghai in 2000; both trade | ||||||
7 | offices are dedicated to promoting Illinois-China business | ||||||
8 | relations; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Illinois ranks fifth among the 50 states for | ||||||
10 | exports to China; Illinois exports to China totaled over $4.71 | ||||||
11 | billion in 2014, a 90.8% increase since 2009; Illinois ranks | ||||||
12 | third among the 50 states in imports from China, totaling $29.5 | ||||||
13 | billion in 2014; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Mexico is a WTO member subject to MFN and NT | ||||||
15 | principles; Illinois exports to Mexico totaled over $7.9 | ||||||
16 | billion in 2014, a 123.0% increase since 2009; Illinois imports | ||||||
17 | from Mexico totaled $13.3 billion in 2014, a 116.8% increase | ||||||
18 | since 2009; Illinois ranks fourth among the 50 states in | ||||||
19 | imports from Mexico and is Mexico's second largest export | ||||||
20 | partner; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Russia is a WTO member subject to MFN and NT | ||||||
22 | principles; Illinois ranks seventh among the 50 states for |
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1 | exports to Russia; Illinois exports to Russia totaled over | ||||||
2 | $448.1 million in 2014, a 79.5% increase since 2009; Illinois | ||||||
3 | ranks seventh among the 50 states in imports from Russia, | ||||||
4 | totaling $790.2 million in 2014; therefore, be it
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5 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
6 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE | ||||||
7 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Trade Policy Task Force is created | ||||||
8 | within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic | ||||||
9 | Opportunity - Office of Trade and Investment; and be it further
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10 | RESOLVED, That the Trade Policy Task Force is charged with | ||||||
11 | the following duties: (1) analyze important issues relative to | ||||||
12 | the growth of international trade from and to Illinois; (2) | ||||||
13 | make recommendations to Congress, the United States Trade | ||||||
14 | Representative, and the White House National Trade Council | ||||||
15 | regarding trade policies that best serve Illinois; and (3) | ||||||
16 | promote the exportation of goods and services from Illinois and | ||||||
17 | the importation of goods and services into Illinois; and be it | ||||||
18 | further
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19 | RESOLVED, That the Trade Policy Task Force shall consist of | ||||||
20 | the following members:
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21 | (1) two appointed by the Speaker of the Illinois House | ||||||
22 | of Representatives - one of which is to be the Chair of the |
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1 | International Trade and Commerce Committee;
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2 | (2) two appointed by the President of the Illinois | ||||||
3 | Senate;
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4 | (3) two appointed by the Minority Leader of the | ||||||
5 | Illinois Senate;
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6 | (4) two appointed by the Minority Leader of the | ||||||
7 | Illinois House of Representatives - one of which is to be | ||||||
8 | the Minority Spokesman of the International Trade and | ||||||
9 | Commerce Committee;
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10 | (5) a representative of a statewide association | ||||||
11 | representing community businesses, appointed by the | ||||||
12 | Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives;
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13 | (6) a representative of a statewide association | ||||||
14 | representing manufacturers, appointed by the Minority | ||||||
15 | Leader of the Illinois Senate;
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16 | (7) four representatives of a statewide association | ||||||
17 | representing unions, two appointed by the Speaker of the | ||||||
18 | Illinois House of Representatives and two appointed by the | ||||||
19 | President of the Illinois Senate;
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1 | (8) a representative of a statewide association | ||||||
2 | representing agriculture, appointed by the Speaker of the | ||||||
3 | Illinois House of Representatives;
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4 | (9) a representative of a statewide association | ||||||
5 | representing the chemical industry, appointed by the | ||||||
6 | Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate;
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7 | (10) a representative of a statewide association | ||||||
8 | representing the coal industry, appointed by the Minority | ||||||
9 | Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives;
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10 | (11) a representative of a statewide association | ||||||
11 | representing international trade, appointed by the | ||||||
12 | President of the Illinois Senate;
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13 | (12) three appointed by the Governor of Illinois;
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14 | (13) one appointed by the Mayor of Chicago;
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15 | (14) one appointed by the Mayor of Rockford;
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16 | (15) one appointed by the Mayor of Peoria;
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17 | (16) one appointed by the Mayor of Granite City;
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1 | (17) one appointed by the Mayor of Lawrenceville; and
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2 | (18) one appointed by the Mayor of Savanna; and be it | ||||||
3 | further
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4 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Commerce and | ||||||
5 | Economic Opportunity - Office of Trade and Investment shall | ||||||
6 | provide administrative support for the Trade Policy Task Force | ||||||
7 | and shall reimburse for their reasonable and prudent expenses; | ||||||
8 | and be it further
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9 | RESOLVED, That the Trade Policy Task Force shall provide a | ||||||
10 | final report by December 31, 2018.
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