To enter into force, the agreement mustbe approved by the enactment of a joint resolution of Congress. Implementing Procedure

The statutory requirements and legislative procedure leading to the enactment and entry into force of a trade agreement with a nonmarket economy (NME)country, including Vietnam, are set out in detail in Sections 151, 404, 405, and 407 of the Trade Act of 1974 ( P.L.93-618 ), as amended. Functionally, the consideration and enactment of the approval resolution and the implementation of the agreement follow a specific expedited ("fast-track")procedure explained below. A notice of the effective date of the agreement is published by the U.S. Trade Representativein the Federal Register .
The procedure leading to the entry into force of the U.S. trade agreement with Vietnam, including a reciprocalextension of nondiscriminatory treatment. calls for its approval by the enactment of a joint resolution of Congress,considered under a specific fast-track procedurewith deadlines for its various stages, with mandatory language and no amendments. After favorable reports on thelegislation in both houses, H.J.Res. 51,approving the nondiscriminatory treatment, was enacted on October 16, 2001; the agreement also was ratified byVietnam on December 4, 2001, and entered intoforce by exchange of notices of acceptance between the two parties on December 10, 2001. The functional sequenceof the legislative and executive steps involvedin the implementation of the agreement is described in this report.