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WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A U.S. coalition applauded todays early morning Senate vote supporting a bipartisan resolution that expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the conditions for the U.S. to become a signatory to any multilateral agreement on trade resulting from next months World Trade Organizations Doha Development Round in Hong Kong. Joe Mayer, the Chairman of The Committee to Support U.S. Trade Laws (CSUSTL), said, "The current international trade setting makes it imperative that our trade laws not be weakened in any way. We are particularly grateful to Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and John Rockefeller (D-WV) for their efforts in introducing the resolution and guiding it to the floor for a vote." Senate Concurrent Resolution 55 identifies any proposals of a foreign government that would lessen the effectiveness of domestic and international disciplines on unfair trade as a condition for the U.S. to not sign any trade agreement. These include proposals mandating unfair trade orders terminate after a set number of years even if unfair trade and injury are likely to recur; trade remedy duties reflecting less than the full margin of dumping or subsidization; and higher de minimus levels of unfair trade. According to Mayer, who is President and General Counsel of the Copper & Brass Fabricators Council, Inc., Washington, D.C., "Strong and growing pressure by foreign governments for weaker trade rules and a desire by government negotiators to achieve progress in Hong Kong pose the most serious threats to date to the Congress key negotiating objective of maintaining strong, effective laws against unfair trade. Thus, the direction dictated by S. Res. 55 -- to withstand the pressure within the Doha Round and maintain effective rules-based trade -- is more important than ever." CSUSTL is an organization of companies, trade associations, labor unions, workers, and individuals committed to preserving and enhancing U.S. trade laws. Its membership spans all sectors including manufacturing, technology, agriculture, mining and energy, and services. It is committed to ensuring the unfair trade laws are not weakened through legislation or policy decisions in Washington, in international negotiations, or through dispute settlement processes at the WTO and elsewhere.