The President of the United States is authorized and requested to enter into negotiations with the Governments of Canada and Mexico to determine:

(1)  the need for intergovernmental understandings, agreements, or treaties to protect the interests of the people of Canada, Mexico, and the United States and of any party or parties involved with the construction or operation of deepwater ports; and

(2)  the desirability of undertaking joint studies and investigations designed to insure protection of the environment and to eliminate any legal and regulatory uncertainty, to assure that the interests of the people of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are adequately met.

The President shall report to the Congress the actions taken, the progress achieved, the areas of disagreement, and the matters about which more information is needed, together with his recommendations for further action.