[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 19423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8931]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Request for Public Views

April 3, 2000.
AGENCIES:  Office of the United States Trade Representative and 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION:  Request for public views on procedures for obtaining trade 
policy advice from nongovernmental organizations.

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SUMMARY:  Recently the United States Trade Representative (the USTR) 
and the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) announced a joint 
initiative to enhance opportunities for nongovernmental organizations 
to provide their views to the Administration on key trade issues. As 
part of that initiative USTR and Commerce are seeking comments and 
suggestions from the public on ways to strengthen channels of 
communication between these groups and the Administration on trade 
policy matters.

DATES:  Written comments should be sent no later than July 10, 2000 to 
the Office of the United States Trade Representative at the address 
indicated below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:  Contact Pate Felts, Assistant USTR for 
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison ((202) 395-6120), or 
Patrick Morris, Director of the Office of Export Promotion 
Coordination, Department of Commerce ((202) 482-4501).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Congress and the Administration have 
established a variety of advisory committees from which the Executive 
Branch solicits and obtains advice on trade policy matters, including 
from environmental, labor, and consumer groups. Section 2155 of title 
19, U.S. Code, establishes a three-tier trade policy advisory committee 
system, with one committee addressing overall policy advice, several 
committees providing advice on more specific policy issues, and a 
larger number of committees covering sectoral, technical, or functional 
issues.
    The Administration seeks trade policy advice from environmental, 
labor, consumer, and other groups through three advisory committees. 
Specifically, the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations 
(ACTPN) provides the President and the USTR with broad advice on trade 
matters. The ACTPN membership is drawn from chief executive officers of 
agriculture, consumer, environment, industry, and labor groups. The 
President has also established a Trade and Environment Policy Advisory 
Committee (TEPAC), which primarily addresses trade and environment 
issues. TEPAC members are drawn from agriculture, consumer, 
environmental, industry, and labor groups, and from non-federal 
governments. A Labor Advisory Committee (LAC) provides advice on trade 
issues and labor. The LAC is administered by the Department of Labor 
and is composed exclusively of labor union representatives.
    The Administration seeks trade policy advice on environmental, 
labor, consumer, and other issues in other ways as well. For example, 
in formulating specific U.s. objectives in major trade negotiations, 
USTR routinely solicits written comments from the public, consults with 
interested constituencies, holds public hearings, and meets with a 
broad spectrum of non-governmental groups at their request.
    On January 11, 2000, the Secretary and the USTR announced an 
initiative to seek views from the public on ways to enhance the 
effectiveness of Administration efforts to obtain advice from non-
governmental organizations on important trade policy matters. Through 
this notice, USTR and Commerce are seeking comments from the public on 
changes to the advisory committee system that would help to ensure that 
the Administration obtains timely, relevant trade policy advice from 
consumer, environmental, labor, and other non-governmental 
organizations.

Public Comments

    Persons wishing to submit written comments should provide twenty 
(20) typed copies no later than July 10, 2000 to Gloria Blue, Office of 
the U.S. Trade Representative, Room 122, 600 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20508.
    Written comments submitted in connection with this request will be 
available for inspection in the USTR Reading Room. An appointment to 
review the file at USTR may be made by calling Brenda Webb (202) 395-
6186. The USTR Reading Room is located at the Office of the United 
States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC and is 
open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4 
p.m., Monday through Friday.

Pate Felts,
Assistant United States Trade Representative, Intergovernmental Affairs 
and Public Liaison.
Michael J. Copps,
Assistant Secretary for Trade Development, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 00-8931 Filed 4-10-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M