[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8506-8507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4646]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Trade Policy Staff Committee; Public Comments on the Accession of 
Vietnam to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and on U.S. 
Participation in Negotiations for the Terms of Those Accessions

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting written 
public comments concerning U.S. commercial interests and other issues 
related to the accession of Vietnam to the WTO. Public comments should 
include, but not be limited to, information concerning that country's 
current trade policies and practices which affect (A) market access for 
U.S. exports, e.g., tariffs, non-tariff measures; (B) trade and 
investment in services, (C) other aspects of its trade regime affecting 
U.S. trade interests subject to WTO provisions, and (D) conditions or 
practices that impair the ability of WTO provisions to be applied on a 
reciprocal basis in Vietnam's trade regime. Comments received will be 
considered in developing U.S. positions and objectives for the 
multilateral and bilateral negotiations that will determine the terms 
of WTO accession for Vietnam to the World Trade Organization.

DATES: Public comments are due by noon on Friday, March 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, 
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barbara Chattin, Director for Tariff Negotiations (202-395-5097), Peter 
Collins, Deputy Assistant USTR for Services and Investment (202-395-
7271), Joe Damond, Director for South East Asia (202-395-6813), or 
Cecilia Leahy Klein, Director for WTO Accessions (202-395-9437), Office 
of the U.S. Trade Representative.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chairman of the Trade Policy Staff 
Committee invites written comments from the public on market access and 
other issues to be addressed in the course of negotiations with Vietnam 
to the WTO. Vietnam applied for WTO accession in January 1995. At that 
time, a Working Party was established by the WTO General Council to 
review the application and to conduct negotiations with Vietnam for the 
terms of its WTO membership. The United States will participate in the 
Working Party deliberations and in bilateral negotiations with Vietnam 
as part of the accession process. All comments received will be 
considered in developing U.S. positions and objectives for 
participation in these negotiations, the establishment of schedules of 
commitments and concessions in the areas of agriculture, industrial 
goods, and trade and investment in services, and for the development of 
the elements of the protocol of accession for Vietnam to the WTO.
    The Committee is seeking public comments on the possible affect on 
U.S. trade of the accession of Vietnam to the WTO, with reference to 
tariffs applied to imports and any other trade measures currently 
applied by that country that could be subject to the provisions of the 
WTO; particularly market access issues for goods and services, or 
practices that could affect the competitiveness of U.S. goods and 
services in that market. Issues of interest to the TPSC include, but 
are not limited to: (a) comments on possible tariff reductions and the 
removal of border measures such as quotas or import licensing 
requirements; (b) uniform application of the trading system; (c) the 
provision of national treatment and nondiscriminatory treatment for 
imports, especially in the area of domestic taxation; (d) transparency 
in application of trade laws and regulations; (e) right of appeal in 
cases involving application of trade laws and other laws relating to 
WTO provisions, such as protection and enforcement of intellectual 
property rights (IPR) and services; (f) customs processing issues, such 
as document certification prior to export, fees, customs valuation, and 
certification requirements; (g) industrial export and

[[Page 8507]]

domestic subsidies; (h) agricultural export subsidies and domestic 
supports and incentives; (i) safeguard and unfair trade practice 
procedures applied to imports; (j) plant, animal, and human health and 
safety requirements; (k) requirements for and restrictions on the right 
to import and export goods: (l) technical barriers to trade; (m) 
utilization of preshipment inspection services; (n) activities of state 
trading enterprises, including restrictions and other trade-distorting 
practices made effective through state trading; (o) price controls, 
two-tier pricing, and other price policies; (p) foreign exchange 
controls that act as barriers to trade and investment; (q) membership 
in preferential trade arrangements, free trade arrangements, or customs 
unions; (r) government procurement practices; (s) policies concerning 
trade in civil aircraft; (t) the trade-related aspects of investment 
policies, and (u) the protection and enforcement of intellectual 
property. Market access issues for services include, but are not 
limited to, the right of establishment for U.S. services providers, the 
right to purchase services abroad, the ability to provide services on a 
cross-border basis, and the ability of persons to enter temporarily to 
provide services.
    Information on products or practices subject to these negotiations 
should include, whenever appropriate, the import or export tariff 
classification number used by Vietnam for the product concerned.
    All comments on the above subject matter that were already provided 
in response to FR 61 59920 published on November 25, 1996 (requesting 
comments on the Negotiation of a Bilateral Trade Agreement Between the 
United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), will be 
considered as having also been submitted in response to this request, 
absent notification to the contrary. Supplementary comments to such 
earlier submissions will also be considered if submitted in response to 
this notice.

WRITTEN COMMENTS: All written comments should be addressed to: Gloria 
Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the 
United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street N.W., Room 501, 
Washington, D.C. 20508.
    All submissions must be in English and should conform to the 
information requirements of 15 CFR 2003.
    A party must provide ten copies of its submission which must be 
received at USTR no later than noon, Friday, March 28, 1997. If the 
submission contains business confidential information, ten copies of a 
non-confidential version must also be submitted. A justification as to 
why the information contained in the submission should be treated 
confidentially must be included in the submission. In addition, any 
submissions containing business confidential information must be 
clearly marked ``confidential'' at the top and bottom of the cover page 
(or letter) and of each succeeding page of submission. The version that 
does not contain confidential information should also be clearly 
marked, at the top and bottom of each page, ``public version'' or 
``non-confidential.''
    Written comments submitted in connection with this request, except 
for information granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 
CFR 2003.6, will be available for public inspection shortly after the 
filing deadline. Inspection is by appointment only with the staff of 
the USTR Public Reading Room and can be arranged by calling (202) 395-
6186.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 97-4646 Filed 2-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M