H.R. 4621: United States-Brazil Ethanol Open Market Agreements Act

112th Congress · introduced 2012-04-25 · Foreign Trade and International Finance · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

federal

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Where it came from: introduced 2012-04-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

United States-Brazil Ethanol Open Market Agreements Act

Plain summary

United States-Brazil Ethanol Open Market Agreements Act - Authorizes the President to enter into negotiations with Brazil to conclude an agreement that achieves the following trade negotiating objectives: (1) open and reciprocal market access for trade in ethanol products between the United States and Brazil; (2) elimination of barriers and distortions imposed by the Government of Brazil or its state governments on trade in ethanol and that decrease market opportunities for U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil; (3) a stable market for U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil by obtaining a binding, enforceable agreement with appropriate dispute settlement procedures; and (4) energy independence and regional stability by preserving existing Caribbean trade preference programs that strengthen the integrated hemispheric ethanol supply chain among Brazil, the Caribbean nations, and the United States. Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend the additional duty on ethanol through January 1, 2015. Authorizes the President to proclaim the suspension of the extension of this additional duty on ethanol beginning on the date the President certifies to Congress that the United States has obtained an enforceable agreement with Brazil that eliminates all tariffs and nontariff barriers on imported U.S. ethanol, including binding Brazil's tariff rate on U.S. ethanol imports at an effective rate of zero. Prescribes a procedure for congressional disapproval by joint resolution of such a certification.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

United States-Brazil Ethanol Open Market Agreements Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [D-NY-15] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Joint resolution: In Texas, the type of measure the Legislature uses to propose a constitutional amendment (marked HJR or SJR). The governor does not sign or veto it; the voters decide. In Congress a joint resolution can also be used like a bill. In Florida, a joint resolution passed by three-fifths of the members of each chamber puts a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr4621.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr4621 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112