(a) Tobacco Trade Policy. In the implementation of international trade policy, executive departments and agencies shall not promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products, or seek the reduction or removal of foreign government restrictions on the marketing and advertising of such products, provided that such restrictions are applied equally to all tobacco or tobacco products of the same type. Departments and agencies are not precluded from taking necessary actions in accordance with the requirements and remedies available under applicable United States trade laws and international agreements to ensure nondiscriminatory treatment of United States products. Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed (1) to modify the annual executive branch guidance to United States diplomatic posts on health, trade, and commercial aspects of tobacco, or (2) to affect any negotiating position of the United States on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
(b) The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Role in Tobacco Trade Policy Deliberations. The HHS shall be included in all deliberations of interagency working groups, chaired by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), that address issues relating to trade in tobacco and tobacco products. Through such participation, HHS shall advise the USTR, and other interested Federal agencies, of the potential public health impact of any tobacco-related trade action that is under consideration. Upon conclusion of a trade agreement that includes provisions specifically addressing tobacco or tobacco products, the USTR shall produce and make publicly available a summary describing those provisions.
(c) International Tobacco Control Needs Assessment. The HHS, with the cooperation of the Departments of State, Commerce, and Agriculture, and in consultation with the appropriate national Ministry of Health, shall conduct a pilot assessment of tobacco use in a country other than the United States. Such assessment will be carried out through a compilation and review of surveys and other needs assessments already available and include:
(1) initial estimates of the burden of disease and other public health consequences of tobacco use;
(2) the status of tobacco control regulatory measures in place to curtail tobacco consumption and tobacco related disease; and
(3) an analysis of the marketing, distribution, and manufacturing practices of tobacco companies in given regions, and the impact of those practices on smoking rates, particularly among women and children. Such assessment shall be prepared and provided to interested agencies and other parties not later than December 31, 2001, and be updated as practicable.
(d) Research and Training in Tobacco Control. The HHS will develop a research and training program linking institutions in the United States and certain other countries in the field of tobacco control. Emphasis will be placed on the collection of standardized and comparable surveillance data; networks for communication, information and best practices; and the development and evaluation of culturally-targeted approaches to preventing tobacco use and increasing quit rates, especially among women and children.