[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66720-66722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29841]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Trans-Pacific
Partnership Trade Agreement
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
ACTION: Notice of intent to enter into negotiations on a Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The United States intends to enter into negotiations on a TPP
trade agreement with the objective of shaping a high-standard, broad-
based regional agreement. USTR is seeking public comments on all
elements of the agreement in order to develop U.S. negotiating
positions.
DATES: Written comments are due by January 25, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov. For
alternatives to on-line submissions please contact Gloria Blue,
Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), at (202) 395-
3475.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning
written comments, please contact Gloria Blue at the above number. All
other questions regarding the TPP trade agreement should be directed to
David Bisbee, Deputy Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and Pacific, at
(202) 395-6813.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
USTR is observing the relevant procedures of the Bipartisan Trade
Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804), which apply to
agreements entered into before July 1, 2007, with respect to notifying
and consulting with Congress regarding the TPP trade agreement
negotiations. These procedures include providing Congress with 90 days
advance written notice of the President's intent to enter into
negotiations and consulting with appropriate Congressional committees
regarding the negotiations. To that end, on December 14, 2009, after
having consulted with relevant Congressional committees, the USTR
notified Congress that the President intends to enter into negotiations
of the agreement with the TPP countries with the objective of shaping a
high-standard, 21st century agreement with a membership and coverage
that provides economically significant market access opportunities for
America's workers, farmers, ranchers, service providers, and small
businesses. Our initial TPP negotiating partners include Australia,
Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The
U.S. objective is to expand on this initial group to include additional
countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C.
2151, 2153), in the case of an agreement such as the proposed TPP trade
agreement, the President must (i) afford interested persons an
opportunity to present their views regarding any matter relevant to the
proposed agreement, (ii) designate an agency or inter-agency committee
to hold a public hearing regarding the proposed agreement, and (iii)
seek the advice of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)
regarding the
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probable economic effects on U.S. industries and consumers of the
removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on imports pursuant to the
proposed agreement.
USTR held a public hearing regarding the proposed TPP trade
agreement on March 4, 2009, and intends to hold additional public
hearings on specific issues pertaining to the proposed negotiations in
early 2010. In addition, USTR has requested the ITC to provide advice
to USTR on the probable economic effects of an agreement.
2. Public Comments
The TPSC Chair invites interested parties to submit written
comments to assist USTR as it develops its negotiating objectives for
the proposed regional agreement. Comments may address the reduction or
elimination of tariffs or non-tariff barriers on any articles provided
for in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) that
are products of a TPP country, any concession that should be sought by
the United States, or any other matter relevant to the proposed
agreement. The TPSC Chair invites comments on all of these matters and,
in particular, seeks comments addressed to:
(a) General and product-specific negotiating objectives for the
proposed regional agreement.
(b) Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of
removal of tariffs and removal or reduction in non-tariff barriers on
articles traded with the seven TPP countries.
(c) Treatment of specific goods (described by HTSUS numbers) under
the proposed regional agreement, including comments on--
(1) Product-specific import or export interests or barriers,
(2) Experience with particular measures that should be addressed in
the negotiations, and
(3) Approach to tariff negotiations, including recommended staging
and ways to address export priorities and import sensitivities in the
context of this regional agreement.
(d) Adequacy of existing customs measures to ensure that imported
goods originate from the TPP countries, and appropriate rules of origin
for goods entering the United States under the proposed regional
agreement.
(e) Existing sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical
barriers to trade imposed by any of the TPP countries that should be
addressed in the negotiations.
(f) Existing barriers to trade in services between the United
States and any of the TPP countries that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
(g) Relevant electronic commerce issues that should be addressed in
the negotiations.
(h) Relevant trade-related intellectual property rights issues that
should be addressed in the negotiations.
(i) Relevant investment issues that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
(j) Relevant competition-related matters that should be addressed
in the negotiations.
(k) Relevant government procurement issues that should be addressed
in the negotiations.
(l) Relevant environmental issues that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
(m) Relevant labor issues that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
In commenting on these matters, USTR invites interested parties to
take into account the objective of expanding the TPP trade agreement to
include other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition to the matters described above, USTR is considering
addressing new and emerging issues in this regional agreement.
Accordingly, the TPSC Chair invites comments on approaches that would
promote innovation and competitiveness, encourage new technologies and
emerging economic sectors, increase the participation of small- and
medium-sized businesses in trade, and support the development of
efficient production and supply chains that include U.S. firms in order
to encourage firms to invest and produce in the United States. The TPSC
Chair also invites comments on ways to address other trade-related
priorities in this regional agreement, including environmental
protection and conservation, transparency, workers rights and
protections, development, and other issues. Finally, because the TPP
trade agreement will be a regional agreement, the TPSC Chair also
invites comments on ways to use the agreement to facilitate trade and
promote regulatory coherence and cooperation within the region.
At a later date, USTR, through the TPSC, will publish notice of
reviews regarding (a) the possible environmental effects of the
proposed agreement and the scope of the U.S. environmental review of
the proposed agreement, and (b) the impact of the proposed agreement on
U.S. employment and labor markets.
3. Requirements for Submissions
Persons submitting comments must do so in English and must identify
(on the first page of the submission) the ``United States--Trans-
Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement.'' In order to be assured of
consideration, comments should be submitted by January 25, 2010.
In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line
submissions, using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments
should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2009-0041. To find
the docket, enter the docket number in the ``Enter Keyword or ID''
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further
information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult
the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the ``Help''
tab.)
The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached
document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See
attached'' in the ``Type comment & Upload File'' field. USTR prefers
submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the
submission is in an application other than those two, please indicate
the name of the application in the ``Comments'' field.
For any comments submitted electronically containing business
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential
version should begin with the characters ``BC''. Any page containing
business confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page. Filers of submissions
containing business confidential information must also submit a public
version of their comments. The file name of the public version should
begin with the character ``P''. The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be followed
by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments or reply
comments. Filers submitting comments containing no business
confidential information should name their file using the character
``P'', followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the
comments.
Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent
possible, please include any exhibits,
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annexes, or other attachments in the same file as the submission
itself, not as separate files.
USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through
regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements must
be made with Ms. Blue in advance of transmitting a comment. Ms. Blue
should be contacted at (202) 395-3475. General information concerning
USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E9-29841 Filed 12-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W0-P