1 108TH CONGRESS WMCP: " ! 1st Session COMMITTEE PRINT 108–8 SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRADE OF THE COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WRITTEN COMMENTS ON EXTENSION OF PERMANENT NOR- MAL TRADE RELATIONS STATUS TO ARMENIA, MOLDOVA, AND LAOS APRIL 21, 2003 Printed for the use of the Committee on Ways and Means U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 89–609 WASHINGTON : 2003 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate jul 14 2003 03:36 Dec 11, 2003 Jkt 089609 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5012 Sfmt 5012 E:\HR\OC\A89609.XXX A89609 congress.#13 COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS BILL THOMAS, California, Chairman PHILIP M. CRANE, Illinois CHARLES B. RANGEL, New York E. CLAY SHAW, JR., Florida FORTNEY PETE STARK, California NANCY L. JOHNSON, Connecticut ROBERT T. MATSUI, California AMO HOUGHTON, New York SANDER M. LEVIN, Michigan WALLY HERGER, California BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland JIM MCCRERY, Louisiana JIM MCDERMOTT, Washington DAVE CAMP, Michigan GERALD D. KLECZKA, Wisconsin JIM RAMSTAD, Minnesota JOHN LEWIS, Georgia JIM NUSSLE, Iowa RICHARD E. NEAL, Massachusetts SAM JOHNSON, Texas MICHAEL R. MCNULTY, New York JENNIFER DUNN, Washington WILLIAM J. JEFFERSON, Louisiana MAC COLLINS, Georgia JOHN S. TANNER, Tennessee ROB PORTMAN, Ohio XAVIER BECERRA, California PHIL ENGLISH, Pennsylvania LLOYD DOGGETT, Texas J.D. HAYWORTH, Arizona EARL POMEROY, North Dakota JERRY WELLER, Illinois MAX SANDLIN, Texas KENNY C. HULSHOF, Missouri STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES, Ohio SCOTT MCINNIS, Colorado RON LEWIS, Kentucky MARK FOLEY, Florida KEVIN BRADY, Texas PAUL RYAN, Wisconsin ERIC CANTOR, Virginia Allison H. Giles, Chief of Staff Janice Mays, Minority Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRADE PHILIP M. CRANE, Illinois, Chairman E. CLAY SHAW, JR., Florida SANDER M. LEVIN, Michigan AMO HOUGHTON, New York CHARLES B. RANGEL, New York DAVE CAMP, Michigan RICHARD E. NEAL, Massachusetts JIM RAMSTAD, Minnesota WILLIAM J. JEFFERSON, Louisiana JENNIFER DUNN, Washington XAVIER BECERRA, California WALLY HERGER, California JOHN S. TANNER, Tennessee PHIL ENGLISH, Pennsylvania JIM NUSSLE, Iowa Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public hearing records of the Committee on Ways and Means are also published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process of converting between various electronic formats may introduce unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the current publication process and should diminish as the process is further refined. (II) VerDate jul 14 2003 03:36 Dec 11, 2003 Jkt 089609 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\A89609.XXX A89609 C O N T E N T S Page Advisory of Wednesday, March 5, 2003, announcing request for written com- ments on the Extension of Permanent Normal Trade Relations Status to Armenia, Moldova, and Laos ............................................................................... 1 Aid to Artisans, Hartford, CT, Clare Brett Smith, letter ..................................... 2 Agarwal, Sumit, Providence, RI, and Souphala Chomsisengphet, Chevy Chase, MD, letter ................................................................................................. 37 Akkhamountry, Kaykeo, Oslo, Norway; Bounlom Keobouahom, Bergen, Nor- way; Sitthiroth Rasphone, Norwich, UK; Xayadeth Phouyavong, Ange, Swe- den; Silavanh Sawathvong, Umea˚, Sweden; Vilachith Phommasack, Uppsala, Sweden; Phonephet Chounlamountry, Ta¨by, Sweden; Khambou Hagberg, Skarpna¨ck, Sweden; Vanthong Phengvichith, Uppsala, Sweden; Vanvilay Phalamixay, Va¨llingby, Sweden; Amphone Souvannasy, Jokkmok, Sweden; and Viengphet Vanthanouvong, Uppsala, Sweden, letter ................. 3 Aloun Farms, Kapolei, HI, Alec Sou, letter and attachment ............................... 4 Alton, Charles, Vientiane, Lao PDR, letter ........................................................... 7 American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, Singapore, Kristin E. Paulson, letter ...................................................................................................................... 8 American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand, Ellen Devlin, letter ......................................................................................................... 9 American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, PA, David Elder, letter ... 10 Andersen, Phaeng Toommaly, United Laotian Community, Oakland, CA, let- ter and attachment .............................................................................................. 184 Armenian Assembly of America, Hirair Hovnanian and Peter Vosbikian, let- ter .......................................................................................................................... 10 Armenian National Committee of America, Glendale, CA, Aram S. Hamparian, letter ................................................................................................ 12 Armstrong, Mark, Woodbridge, VA, letter (identical letter received from 163 other individuals) ................................................................................................. 14 Association Boun enfants des rizie`res, Marseille, France, Boun Siyavong, letter ...................................................................................................................... 14 Association Le Fragipanier, Mende, France, Khamsing Phothirath, M.D., joint letter (See listing under Fraternite France-Laos, Le Vigan, France) .............. 52 Autor, Erik O., National Retail Federation, letter ................................................ 141 Bassett, Elizabeth, Charlotte, VT, letter ............................................................... 14 Baynham, Kirsten, PhonTong Handicrafts Cooperative, Vientiane, Lao PDR, letter ...................................................................................................................... 154 Benson, Sally, letter ................................................................................................ 14 Beri, Ti M., Falls Church, VA, letter ..................................................................... 15 Berk, Marvin, Long Island City, NY, letter (identical letter received from 11 other individuals) ............................................................................................ 16 Bledowski, Gary Lee, Belleville, MI, letter (identical letter received from 113 other individuals) .......................................................................................... 16 Bliatout, Sam, Fresno, CA, letter ........................................................................... 17 Bliayang, et al., Moua Sao, Lanxang Democracy, Inc., Roseville, MN, letter .... 67 Boualouang, Sonelay, Saint Paul, MN, letter ....................................................... 17 Bounsouaysana, Prasith Sid, Dallas, TX, letter .................................................... 18 Boutah, Anola, Arlington, VA, letter ...................................................................... 18 Bower, Ernest Z., US-ASEAN Business Council, letter and attachment ........... 194 Braun, Caristan, South Riping, VA, letter (identical letters received from 113 individuals) .................................................................................................... 19 California-Asia Business Council (Cal-Asia), Alameda, CA, Jeremy W. Potash, letter ...................................................................................................................... 20 Cardin, Hon. Benjamin L., Commission on Security and Cooperation in Eu- rope, letters ........................................................................................................... 38 (III) VerDate jul 14 2003 03:36 Dec 11, 2003 Jkt 089609 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0486 E:\HR\OC\A89609.XXX A89609 IV Page Carroll, Mark and Janice Carroll, Big Lake, MN, letter ...................................... 20 Caterpillar Asia, Singapore, Mark Schoeneman, letter ........................................ 21 CFCO International, Tony R. Culley-Foster, letter and attachments ................. 21 Chagnon, Jacquelyn, and Reverend Roger Rumpf, Warrensburg, MI, letter and attachment .................................................................................................... 25 Chaleunrath, Vilay, Alexandria, VA, letter ........................................................... 27 Chang, Charlie J., Laotian Multi-Ethnic Alliance for U.S.A.-Laos Friendship, Washington State Representation, Seattle, WA, letter and attachment ......... 123 Chanthavong, Kommaly, PhonTong-CAMA Handicraft Cooperative, Vientiane, Lao PDR, letter .................................................................................................... 155 Chanthyasack, ‘‘Sirch’’ Sourichanh, Jersey City, NJ, letter and attachments ... 27 Childress, Richard T., Flat Rock, NC, letter ......................................................... 36 Chomsisengphet, Souphala, Chevy Chase, MD and Sumit Agarwal, Provi- dence, RI, letter .................................................................................................... 37 Chounlamountry, Phonephet, et al., Ta¨by, Sweden, letter .................................. 3 Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Hon.