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S 486 105th Congress Senate

Fairness in State Trading Act

Official title: A bill to amend the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to clarify the limitation for accession to the GATT and the WTO of foreign countries that have state trading enterprises.

Introduced: March 20, 1997 See on congress.gov
Foreign Trade and International Finance Free tradeGovernment Operations and PoliticsGovernment ownershipGovernment procurement
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International AffairsInternational agenciesNontariff trade barriersTrade agreements
This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 20, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Mar 20, 1997
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2650)
Mar 20, 1997
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action March 20, 1997

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Fairness in State Trading Act - Amends the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to revise provisions requiring the President to make certain determinations before any foreign country (currently, major foreign country) can accede to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization. Requires the President to determine whether state trading enterprises in the foreign country produce or procure a significant share of: (1) the goods exported from, or imported into, such country; or (2) the goods produced domestically in such country. (An affirmative determination, together with another specified affirmative determination, mandates denial of GATT application to such a country.) Requires a country denied GATT application to enter into an agreement with the United States providing that the state trading enterprises will make purchases and sales in international trade based solely on commercial considerations (including price, quality, availability, marketability, and transportation), and on no other basis. Repeals the "in-accordance-with-customary practice" condition on a foreign country's mandate to afford U.S. business firms adequate opportunity to compete for participation in such purchases and sales.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 486: Fairness in State Trading Act. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-486/
MLA
"S. 486: Fairness in State Trading Act." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-486/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 486, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-486/.
Markdown link
[S. 486: Fairness in State Trading Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-486/)
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