Fast-Track in the United States

Fast-Track in International Trade

In this context, a concept of Fast-Track (Christopher Mark, 1993) is the following: Legislative procedures, originally set forth in Section 151 of the Trade Act of 1974 and extended in the Trade Act of 1988, designed to assure foreign governments that Congress will act expeditiously on a trade agreement negotiated with the United States, and will not “re-negotiate” the agreement by accepting pans of the deal while rejecting others. These procedures stipulate that once the President formally submits a bill to implement an international agreement concerning nontariff trade barriers2 negotiated under the Act’s authority , both Houses must vote on the bill within 90 days through an up-or-down vote, without possibility of amendments. Fast-track negotiating authority currently extends through 16 April 1994.