§ 4712. — Barter and countertrade.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC4712]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 73--EXPORT ENHANCEMENT
SUBCHAPTER II--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 4712. Barter and countertrade
(a) Interagency group
(1) Establishment
The President shall establish an interagency group on
countertrade, to be composed of representatives of such departments
and agencies of the United States as the President considers
appropriate. The Secretary of Commerce shall be the chairman of the
interagency group.
(2) Functions
It shall be the function of the interagency group to--
(A) review and evaluate--
(i) United States policy on countertrade and offsets, in
light of current trends in international countertrade and
offsets and the impact of those trends on the United States
economy;
(ii) the use of countertrade and offsets in United
States exports and bilateral United States foreign economic
assistance programs; and
(iii) the need for and the feasibility of negotiating
with other countries, through the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development and other appropriate
international organizations, to reach agreements on the use
of countertrade and offsets; and
(B) make recommendations to the President and the Congress
on the basis of the review and evaluation referred to in
subparagraph (A).
(3) Sharing of information
Other departments and agencies of the United States shall
provide to the interagency group such information available to such
departments and agencies as the interagency group may request,
except that the requirements, including penalties for violation
thereof, for preserving the confidentiality of such information
which are applicable to the officials, employees, experts, or
consultants of such departments and agencies shall apply in the same
manner to each member of the interagency group and to any other
person performing any function under this subsection.
(b) Office of Barter
(1) Establishment
There is established, within the International Trade
Administration of the Department of Commerce, the Office of Barter
(hereafter in this section referred to as the ``Office'').
(2) Director
There shall be at the head of the Office a Director, who shall
be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.
(3) Staff
The Secretary of Commerce shall transfer such staff to the
Office as the Secretary determines is necessary to enable the Office
to carry out its functions under this section.
(4) Functions
It shall be the function of the Office to--
(A) monitor information relating to trends in international
barter;
(B) organize and disseminate information relating to
international barter in a manner useful to business firms,
educational institutions, export-related Federal, State, and
local government agencies, and other interested persons,
including publishing periodic lists of known commercial
opportunities for barter transactions beneficial to United
States enterprises;
(C) notify Federal agencies with operations abroad of
instances where it would be beneficial to the United States for
the Federal Government to barter Government-owned surplus
commodities for goods and services purchased abroad by the
Federal Government; and
(D) provide assistance to enterprises seeking barter and
countertrade opportunities.
(Pub. L. 100-418, title II, Sec. 2205, Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1332.)
Composition of Interagency Group
For composition of Interagency Group on Countertrade, see section 2-
101 of Ex. Ord. No. 12661, Dec. 27, 1988, 54 F.R. 779, set out as a note
under section 2901 of Title 19, Customs Duties.
