[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9011-9012]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4936]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Free Trade Area of the Americas; Notice and Request for Views
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity to provide views on U.S. objectives for
the free trade area of the Americas.
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SUMMARY: The Trade Policy Staff Committee is issuing this notice to
request advice and information useful in the preparation for the
meeting of Western Hemisphere trade ministers, to be held on May 16,
1997 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. At the Summit of the Americas, leaders
of the Western Hemisphere agreed that countries should conclude
negotiation of a ``Free Trade Area of the Americas'' by 2005. The trade
ministers were asked to oversee the negotiation.
DATES: In order to receive full consideration, comments must be
received no later than: March 24, 1997. This will make them timely for
consideration as U.S. positions for the Ministerial meeting are
developed. Any comments, however brief, would be welcome. The U.S.
Government will continue to welcome advice as work on the FTAA
proceeds.
ADDRESSES: Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff
Committee, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th
Street, NW, Room 501, Washington, D.C. 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen James Chopra (202) 395-5190.
[[Page 9012]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The 34 democratically-elected leaders of the Western Hemisphere
gathered at the first Summit of the Americas in Miami in December 1994.
At the Summit, leaders agreed that countries should conclude
negotiation of a ``Free Trade Area of the Americas'' (FTAA) by 2005 and
make concrete progress towards that goal by 2000. They directed their
trade ministers to oversee the process of constructing the FTAA.
The first Western Hemisphere Trade Ministerial was held in Denver
in June 1995. The United States Trade Representative and the other 33
Ministers in the Hemisphere responsible for trade agreed to the Denver
``Joint Declaration.'' This advanced the Summit of the America's
objective of establishing the FTAA by 2005. The Denver Declaration
adopted a set of principles and created a work program to prepare for
negotiation of the FTAA--including the establishment of seven working
groups. Four more working groups were created at the second Western
Hemisphere Trade Ministerial, which was held in Cartagena, Colombia in
March 1996. The eleven working groups established to date are:
Investment, Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade, Subsidies/Anti-
dumping/Countervailing Duties, Smaller Economies, Government
Procurement, Intellectual Property Rights, Services, Competition
Policy, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures, Customs Procedures
and Rules of Origin, and Market Access.
In the Cartagena ``Joint Declaration'', the Ministers mandated that
Vice Ministers make recommendations on when and how to launch the FTAA
negotiations and on the approach to negotiations. Also, concrete
proposals on near-term practical steps toward hemispheric economic
integration (e.g. business facilitation actions) are to be reported to
the Ministers at the next Ministerial. The Ministers provided overall
guidance to further the FTAA process and another detailed plan of work
for the eleven working groups. Copies of the Miami, Denver and
Cartagena Declarations can be found on the Internet at: http://
www.ustr.gov/index.html.
The third Western Hemisphere Trade Ministerial will take place on
May 16 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Ministers have requested that Vice
Ministers prepare recommendations on how and when to launch the
negotiations to construct the FTAA.
Key Issues
To make preparations for the Belo Horizonte Ministerial as relevant
as possible, the U.S. Government is seeking advice and views from the
public. Any views on the FTAA process are welcome, but of particular
interest would be input on the following issues:
What should U.S. objectives be for the FTAA process as a
whole, and what should we seek to achieve at the next meeting in Belo
Horizonte to make progress towards that objective?
What major issues are not currently addressed adequately
by international disciplines that could be addressed in the FTAA?
Are there particular advantages/disadvantages to
negotiating or implementing certain agreements or codes affecting
either specific sectors (e.g. telecommunications) or disciplines (e.g.
investment) before the FTAA negotiations are completed in the year
2005?
What concrete steps toward economic integration would most
benefit U.S. interests overall or the interests of specific industries
or groups?
What impediments are most detrimental to the U.S.
companies doing business and how can hemispheric disciplines remove
them?
Has your company or organization experienced particular
problems in the region of which the U.S. Government should be aware as
it goes through the FTAA process?
To what extent have the subregional arrangements
(Mercosur, Andean Pact, Central American Common Market, Caribbean
Community) affected your interests in or exports to Latin America and
the Caribbean?
What measures should the ministers consider to ensure that
private sector advice from throughout the Hemisphere is received and
incorporated into the FTAA process?
Do you have any concrete proposals for near-term practical
steps toward hemispheric economic integration (e.g. business
facilitation actions)?
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, NW, 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 March 24, 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 the 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. 97-4936 Filed 2-26-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P