U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2114b. Provisions relating to international trade in services

(1) The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a service industries development program designed to—

(A) develop, in consultation with other Federal agencies as appropriate, policies regarding services that are designed to increase the competitiveness of United States service industries in foreign commerce;

(B) develop a data base for assessing the adequacy of Government policies and actions pertaining to services, including, but not limited to, data on trade, both aggregate and pertaining to individual service industries;

(C) collect and analyze, in consultation with appropriate agencies, information pertaining to the international operations and competitiveness of United States service industries, including information with respect to—

(i) policies of foreign governments toward foreign and United States service industries;

(ii) Federal, State, and local regulation of both foreign and United States suppliers of services, and the effect of such regulation on trade;

(iii) the adequacy of current United States policies to strengthen the competitiveness of United States service industries in foreign commerce, including export promotion activities in the service sector;

(iv) tax treatment of services, with particular emphasis on the effect of United States taxation on the international competitiveness of United States firms and exports;

(v) treatment of services under international agreements of the United States;

(vi) antitrust policies as such policies affect the competitiveness of United States firms; and

(vii) treatment of services in international agreements of the United States;

(D) conduct a program of research and analysis of service-related issues and problems, including forecasts and industrial strategies; and

(E) conduct sectoral studies of domestic service industries.

(2) For purposes of the collection and analysis required by paragraph (1), and for the purpose of any reporting the Department of Commerce makes under paragraph (3), such collection and reporting shall distinguish between income from investment and income from noninvestment services.

(3) On not less than a biennial basis beginning in 1986, the Secretary shall prepare a report which analyzes the information collected under paragraph (1). Such report shall be submitted to the Congress and to the President by not later than the date that is 120 days after the close of the period covered by the report.

(4) The Secretary of Commerce shall carry out the provisions of this subsection from funds otherwise made available to him which may be used for such purposes.

(5) For purposes of this section, the term “services” means economic activities whose outputs are other than tangible goods. Such term includes, but is not limited to, banking, insurance, transportation, postal and delivery services, communications and data processing, retail and wholesale trade, advertising, accounting, construction, design and engineering, management consulting, real estate, professional services, entertainment, education, health care, and tourism.

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