[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20195-20196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-9959]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket No. WTO/DS-204]


WTO Dispute Settlement Regarding Telecommunications Trade 
Barriers in Mexico

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative 
(``USTR'') is providing notice that, on April 17, 2002, the Dispute 
Settlement Body (``DSB'') of the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') 
established a dispute settlement panel to examine U.S. claims regarding 
certain Mexican Government measures affecting basic telecommunications 
services and the consistency of such measures with Mexico's commitments 
under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (``GATS''). The United 
States requested establishment of a panel on February 13, 2002. USTR 
invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised 
in this dispute.

DATES: Although the USTR will accept any comments received during the 
course of the dispute settlement proceedings, comments should be 
submitted on or before May 25, 2002 to be assured of timely 
consideration by USTR.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Sandy McKinzy, Monitoring and Enforcement 
Unit, Room 122, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 
17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20508, Attn: Mexico Telecommunications 
Dispute. Telephone: (202) 395-3582.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetrios J. Marantis, Associate 
General Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 
17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, (202) 395-7305.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 127(b) of the Uruguay 
Round Agreements Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C. 3537(b)(1)), the USTR is 
providing notice that, on April 17, 2002, the WTO DSB established a 
dispute settlement panel at the request of the United States to examine 
Mexican measures affecting basic telecommunications services. The 
United States requested establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel 
on February 13, 2002. The United States previously invited comments 
from the public after the United States requested consultations with 
Mexico regarding telecommunications trade barriers in August 2000.\1\ 
USTR is hereby providing additional opportunity for comment on the 
issues identified in the February 13, 2002 panel request and described 
below.
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    \1\ 65 FR 52469 (August 29, 2000).
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Major Issues Raised by the United States

    Mexico maintains measures--largely as a result of its 
``International Long Distance Rules''--that the United States considers 
to be inconsistent with Mexico's commitments under the GATS. For 
instance the current ``interconnection'' rate that all Mexican carriers 
must charge their foreign counterparts for connecting their calls to 
Mexico is 13.5 U.S. cents per minute. This rate exceeds the cost of 
providing this service by over 200 percent even though Mexico committed 
under the WTO Reference Paper to ensure that its dominant phone company 
provides ``interconnection'' at rates that are ``basadas en costos,'' 
or ``based on cost.''
    Moreover, Mexican measures grant Mexico's dominant phone company 
the exclusive authority to negotiate this cross-border 
``interconnection'' rate. Such measures empower Mexico's dominant phone 
company to set monopoly rates even though Mexico has an obligation 
under the WTO Reference Paper to maintain measures to prevent this 
company from engaging in anti-competitive practices.
    Mexico's measures also discriminate against foreign suppliers by 
preventing them from sending calls into and out of Mexico over leased 
lines. However, Mexico has committed under the GATS to permit the 
supply of basic telecommunications services over leased lines on a 
national treatment basis and committed under the GATS Annex on 
Telecommunications to ensure that foreign basic telecommunications 
service suppliers have access to and use of leased lines to provide 
scheduled services.

Procedural Background

    On August 17, 2000, the United States requested consultations with 
the Government of Mexico pursuant to Article 4 of the WTO Understanding 
on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU) and 
Article XXIII of the GATS regarding a wide range of measures affecting 
telecommunications services. The United States and Mexico held these 
consultations on October 10, 2000. The consultations provided helpful 
clarifications but did not resolve the dispute.
    On November 10, 2000, the United States requested the establishment 
of a panel pursuant to Article 6 of the DSU. The DSB considered this 
request at its meeting on December 12, 2000, at which time the 
Government of Mexico objected to the establishment of a panel. On 
November 10, 2000, the United States also requested additional 
consultations with the Government of Mexico pursuant to Article 4 of 
the DSU and Article XXIII of the GATS regarding additional measures 
affecting telecommunications services. These consultations, held on 
January 16, 2001,

[[Page 20196]]

provided additional clarifications but did not resolve the dispute.
    Since the United States initially requested consultations, the 
Government of Mexico has taken steps to address several of the issues 
on which the United States and Mexico consulted. However, Mexico has 
not yet taken steps to address U.S. concerns regarding measures 
affecting Mexico's international telecommunications market, notably the 
International Long Distance Rules.

Public Comment: Requirements for Submissions

    Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
concerning the issues raised in the dispute. Comments must be in 
English and provided in fifteen copies to Sandy McKinzy at the address 
provided above. A person requesting that information contained in a 
comment submitted by that person be treated as confidential business 
information must certify that such information is business confidential 
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitting 
person. Confidential business information must be clearly marked 
``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' in a contrasting color ink at the top of each 
page of each copy.
    Information or advice contained in a comment submitted, other than 
business confidential information, may be determined by USTR to be 
confidential in accordance with section 135(g)(2) of the Trade Act of 
1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155(g)(2)). If the submitter believes that information 
or advice may qualify as such, the submitter--
    (1) Must so designate the information or advice;
    (2) Must clearly mark the material as ``SUBMITTED IN CONFIDENCE' in 
a contrasting color ink at the top of each page of each copy; and
    (3) Is encouraged to provide a non-confidential summary of the 
information or advice.
    Pursuant to section 127(e) of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3537(e)), USTR 
will maintain a file on this dispute settlement proceeding, accessible 
to the public, in the USTR Reading Room: USTR Reading Room, which is 
located at 1724 ``F'' St., NW., Washington, DC 20508. The public file 
will include a listing of any comments received by USTR from the public 
with respect to the dispute; if a dispute settlement panel is convened, 
the U.S. submissions to that panel, the submissions, or non-
confidential summaries of submissions, to the panel received from other 
participants in the dispute, as well as the report of the panel; and, 
if applicable, the report of the Appellate Body. An appointment to 
review the public file (Docket WTO/DS-204, Mexico Telecom Dispute) may 
be made by calling the USTR Reading Room at (202) 395-6186. The USTR 
Reading Room is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. 
to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Bruce Hirsh,
Acting Assistant United States Trade Representative for Monitoring and 
Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 02-9959 Filed 4-23-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P