THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
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For Immediate Release May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY
FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Section 501 of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement
Implementation Act (the "Act"), Public Law 110-138, calls for the
establishment of an interagency committee with responsibility for
overseeing the implementation of Annex 18.3.4 of the United States-Peru
Trade Promotion Agreement (the "Agreement") within 90 days after the
date on which the Agreement enters into force. The Agreement entered
into force on February 1, 2009. Therefore, by the authority vested in
me as President under the Constitution and the laws of the United
States, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and
section 501 of the Act, I order as follows:
Section 1. Establishment of Interagency Committee. The
Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru (Committee)
is hereby established to oversee the implementation of Annex 18.3.4 of
the Agreement, including by undertaking such actions and making such
determinations provided for in section 501 of the Act that are not
otherwise authorized under law.
Sec. 2. Membership. The Committee shall be composed of
representatives of the Departments of State, Justice, the Interior, and
Agriculture, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative
(USTR), and all representatives shall be officers of the United States.
The USTR's representative shall serve as chair. Representatives of the
Department of Homeland Security and the United States Agency for
International Development shall participate on the Committee as
observers. The chair may invite representatives from other departments
or agencies, as appropriate, to participate as observers.
Sec. 3. Assignment of Function. The function vested in the President by section 501(h) of the Act is assigned to the USTR.
Sec. 4. Committee Decision-making. The Committee shall
endeavor to make any decision on an action or determination under
section 501 of the Act by consensus, which shall be deemed to exist
where no Committee member objects to the proposed action or
determination. If the Committee is unable to reach a consensus on a
proposed action or determination and the chair determines that
allotting further time will cause a decision to be unduly delayed, the
Committee shall decide the matter by majority vote of its members.
Sec. 5. Implementing Measures. The Secretaries of the
Treasury, the Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security are directed
to issue, in consultation with the USTR, such regulations and other
measures as are necessary or appropriate to implement section 501 of
the Act.
Sec. 6. General Provisions.
(a) Each department and agency shall bear its own expenses incurred
in connection with the Committee's functions, including expenses it
incurs in carrying out verification visits described in section
501(c)(3) of the Act.
(b) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(c) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(d) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any
right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in
equity by any party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other
person.
Sec. 7. Publication. The USTR is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
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