19 USC § 2102 - Congressional statement of purpose

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t19/s2102"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "19 USC § 2102 - Congressional statement of purpose"
title_number: 19
title_name: "CUSTOMS DUTIES"
section_number: "2102"
section_name: "Congressional statement of purpose"
chapter_number: 12
chapter_name: "TRADE ACT OF 1974"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 93–618, § 2, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1981.)"
---


# § 2102. Congressional statement of purpose

The purposes of this chapter are, through trade agreements affording mutual benefits—

**(1)** to foster the economic growth of and full employment in the United States and to strengthen economic relations between the United States and foreign countries through open and nondiscriminatory world trade;

**(2)** to harmonize, reduce, and eliminate barriers to trade on a basis which assures substantially equivalent competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States;

**(3)** to establish fairness and equity in international trading relations, including reform of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade;

**1** to provide adequate procedures to safeguard American industry and labor against unfair or injurious import competition, and to assist industries, firm,[^1] workers, and communities to adjust to changes in international trade flows;

So in original.

**(5)** to open up market opportunities for United States commerce in nonmarket economies; and

**(6)** to provide fair and reasonable access to products of less developed countries in the United States market.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 93–618, § 2, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1981.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning , , , which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see References in Text note set out under  and Tables.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Statement of Purposes of 1984 Amendment

> **“(1)** to foster the economic growth of, and full employment in, the United States by expanding competitive United States exports through the achievement of commercial opportunities in foreign markets substantially equivalent to those accorded by the United States;
> 
> **“(2)** to improve the ability of the President—
> 
> **“(A)** to identify and to analyze barriers to (and restrictions on) United States trade and investment, and
> 
> **“(B)** to achieve the elimination of such barriers and restrictions;
> 
> **“(3)** to encourage the expansion of—
> 
> **“(A)** international trade in services through the negotiation of agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) which reduce or eliminate barriers to international trade in services, and
> 
> **“(B)** United States service industries in foreign commerce; and
> 
> **“(4)** to enhance the free flow of foreign direct investment through the negotiation of agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) which reduce or eliminate the trade distortive effects of certain investment-related measures.”

, , , provided that: