S-1130.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5512
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1993 Regular Session
By Senators M. Rasmussen, Erwin, Bluechel, Skratek, Sheldon and Snyder
Read first time 02/01/93. Referred to Committee on Trade, Technology & Economic Development.
AN ACT Relating to study of international trade agreements; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the most recent round of negotiations on the general agreement on trade and tariffs and the North American free trade agreement of 1992 have the potential for significant impact on the state's small manufacturing and export firms.
It is the purpose of this act to provide information to the state's small businesses on the increased opportunities as well as increased competitive threats posed by recent international trade agreements.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The business assistance center in the department of trade and economic development shall undertake a study of the impact of the Uruguay round of the general agreement on trade and tariffs and the North American free trade agreement on the state's small manufacturing and export firms. The study shall:
(a) Focus on the competitive threats and opportunities presented by the trade agreements to the state's ten most significant traded sectors as measured by the number of employees in the sector and the aggregate dollar volume of goods and services traded in the sector;
(b) Identify the competitive advantages and weaknesses of the state's firms in each of the ten sectors;
(c) Identify the competitive advantages and weaknesses of the most competitive firms in each of the ten sectors;
(d) Project the number of jobs which may be created or lost within each of the ten sectors as a result of the agreements;
(e) Project the potential gain or loss of state revenue from each of the ten sectors as a result of the agreements;
(f) Discuss the effect of the agreements on the trade surplus or deficit, whichever is appropriate, for each of the ten sectors, as well as the state's overall balance of trade;
(g) Identify those sectors, or firms within sectors, which exhibit the greatest potential to move their operations offshore;
(h) Identify what measures, if any, can be undertaken domestically to improve the competitiveness of each of these sectors under the agreements; and
(i) Identify traded sectors other than those comprising the ten most significant that are presented with competitive advantages and exhibit significant potential for growth as a result of the agreements.
(2) The department of trade and economic development shall report the findings of the study conducted under this section before July 1, 1994, to the senate committee on trade, technology and economic development and the house of representatives committee on trade, economic development and housing.
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