Congress: 99 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Israel
Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).
Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for S 1114.
Sponsor: Packwood, Bob (R-OR)
United States-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 - Expresses congressional approval of: (1) the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel; and (2) the statement of administrative action proposed to implement the Agreement. Authorizes the President, subject to a specified exception, to proclaim such changes in existing duties, such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties as necessary to carry out the Agreement. Authorizes the President, subject to a specified exception, to proclaim additional tariff modifications as necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel. Sets forth the relationship between U.S. law and the Agreement.
Approves a free trade agreement between the US and Israel and authorizes the President to eliminate tariffs and modify duties to implement it. The agreement removes trade barriers between the two countries and establishes reciprocal tariff concessions. The bill gives the President broad authority to adjust US import duties on Israeli goods and Israeli duties on US goods as needed to carry out the deal.
This establishes preferential trade access for Israel, deepening economic integration between the two countries. The bill represents a major institutional investment in the US-Israel relationship through commerce rather than aid, locking in favorable trade terms that benefit Israeli exporters.