                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                      CHAPTER 12--TRADE ACT OF 1974
 
              SUBCHAPTER I--NEGOTIATING AND OTHER AUTHORITY
 
             Part 1--Rates of Duty and Other Trade Barriers
 
Sec. 2119. Staging requirements and rounding authority


(a) Maximum aggregate reductions in rates of duty

    Except as otherwise provided in this section, the aggregate 
reduction in the rate of duty on any article which is in effect on any 
day pursuant to a trade agreement under section 2111 of this title shall 
not exceed the aggregate reduction which would have been in effect on 
such day if--
        (1) a reduction of 3 percent ad valorem or a reduction of one-
    tenth of the total reduction, whichever is greater, had taken effect 
    on the effective date of the first reduction proclaimed pursuant to 
    section 2111(a)(2) of this title to carry out such agreement with 
    respect to such article, and
        (2) a reduction equal to the amount applicable under paragraph 
    (1) had taken effect at 1-year intervals after the effective date of 
    such first reduction.

This subsection shall not apply in any case where the total reduction in 
the rate of duty does not exceed 10 percent of the rate before the 
reduction.

(b) Simplification of computation

    If the President determines that such action will simplify the 
computation of the amount of duty imposed with respect to an article, he 
may exceed the limitation provided by section 2111(b) of this title or 
subsection (a) of this section by not more than whichever of the 
following is lesser:
        (1) the difference between the limitation and the next lower 
    whole number, or
        (2) one-half of 1 percent ad valorem.

(c) Ten-year period for commencement of reductions in rates of duty

    (1) No reduction in the rate of duty on any article pursuant to a 
trade agreement under section 2111 of this title shall take effect more 
than 10 years after the effective date of the first reduction proclaimed 
to carry out such trade agreement with respect to such article.
    (2) If any part of a reduction takes effect, then any time 
thereafter during which any part of the reduction is not in effect by 
reason of legislation of the United States or action thereunder, the 
effect of which is to maintain or increase the rate of duty on an 
article, shall be excluded in determining--
        (A) the 1-year intervals referred to in subsection (a)(2) of 
    this section, and
        (B) the expiration of the 10-year period referred to in 
    paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(Pub. L. 93-618, title I, Sec. 109, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1985; Pub. L. 
96-39, title XI, Sec. 1106(c)(3), July 26, 1979, 93 Stat. 312.)


                               Amendments

    1979--Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 96-39 substituted ``any part of the 
reduction'' for ``such part of the reduction''.


                    Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 96-39 effective July 26, 1979, see section 1114 
of Pub. L. 96-39, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2581 
of this title.


                  Staging of Certain Tariff Reductions

    Section 503 of Pub. L. 96-39 provided that:
    ``(a) In General.--The aggregate reduction in the rate of duty 
applicable to items described in this subsection in effect on any day 
pursuant to a trade agreement entered into under section 101 of the 
Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2111] before January 3, 1980, may exceed 
the limitation in section 109(a) of such Act (19 U.S.C. 2119):
        ``(1) Items amended under section 223(d) of this Act [items 
    402.00 to 413.51 of the Tariff Schedules] to the extent that they 
    apply to articles which the President determines were not imported 
    into the United States before January 1, 1978, and were not produced 
    in the United States before May 1, 1978.
        ``(2)(A) Items to the extent that they apply to articles which 
    the President determines are not import sensitive and are the 
    product of a least developed developing country as defined in the 
    United Nations General Assembly list of ``Least Developed 
    Countries'' and which are beneficiary developing countries under 
    section 502 of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 2462].
        ``(B) The President may at any time suspend the treatment 
    accorded under subparagraph (A) in which case the aggregate 
    reduction in effect for such products shall be the reduction in 
    effect for countries other than least developed developing 
    countries.
        ``(3) Item 628.57. Notwithstanding the first sentence of this 
    subsection, the limitation in section 109(a) of the Trade Act of 
    1974 may be exceeded only to the extent necessary to permit an 
    aggregate reduction of 4.8 percent ad valorem in the rate of duty in 
    effect under such item during the first 1-year period after the 
    effective date of the first reduction in the rate of duty proclaimed 
    for such item.
        ``(4) Items 132.50, 170.10, 170.15, 170.20, 177.62, 186.15, and 
    429.47.
        ``(5) Items 306.31, 306.32, 306.33, and 306.34. Notwithstanding 
    subsection (a), the limitation in section 109(a) of the Trade Act of 
    1974 may be exceeded only to the extent necessary to permit the 
    total reduction proclaimed under section 101 of the Trade Act of 
    1974 relating to such item to take effect within 2 years after the 
    effective date of the first reduction in the rate of duty proclaimed 
    for such item.
        ``(6) Items for which the President determines the effective 
    date of the first reduction will be after June 30, 1980, and before 
    January 1, 1981, to the extent necessary to permit the second 
    reduction to take effect on January 1, 1981.
    ``(b) Opportunity for Comment.--Before making any determination 
under subsection (a)(1) and (2), the President shall provide interested 
parties an opportunity to comment and shall publish his final 
determinations in the Federal Register before July 1, 1980.''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 2134 of this title.
