[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 235 (Monday, December 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68444-68445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-30375]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments Concerning Compliance With 
Telecommunications Trade Agreements

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and reply comment.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (``section 1377''), the 
Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is 
reviewing, and requests comments on: the operation and effectiveness of 
and the implementation of and compliance with the World Trade 
Organization (``WTO'') Basic Telecommunications Agreement; other WTO 
agreements affecting market opportunities for telecommunications 
products and services of the United States; the telecommunications 
provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA''); 
Chile and

[[Page 68445]]

Singapore Free Trade Agreements; and, other telecommunications trade 
agreements. The USTR will conclude the review on March 31, 2004.

DATES: Comments are due by noon on January 5, 2004 and reply comments 
are due by noon on January 23, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted to Gloria Blue, Executive 
Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, ATTN: Section 1377 Comments, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Schagrin, Office of Industry 
and Telecommunications (202) 395-5663; or Jim Kelleher, Office of the 
General Counsel (202) 395-3858.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1377 requires the USTR to review 
annually the operation and effectiveness of all U.S. trade agreements 
regarding telecommunications products and services of the United States 
that are in force with respect to the United States. The purpose of the 
review is to determine whether any act, policy, or practice of a 
country that has entered into a telecommunications trade agreement with 
the United States is inconsistent with the terms of such agreement, or 
otherwise denies to U.S. firms, within the context of the terms of such 
agreements, mutually advantageous market opportunities. For the current 
review, the USTR seeks comments on:
    (1) Whether any WTO member is acting in a manner that is 
inconsistent with its commitments under the WTO Basic 
Telecommunications Agreement or with other WTO obligations, e.g., the 
WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (``GATS''), including the 
Annex on Telecommunications and the Reference Paper on Pro-Competitive 
Regulatory Principles, that affect market opportunities for U.S. 
telecommunications products and services;
    (2) Whether Canada or Mexico has failed to comply with their 
telecommunications commitments or obligations under NAFTA;
    (3) Whether Chile or Singapore has failed to comply with their 
telecommunications commitments or obligations under the respective free 
trade agreements with those countries;
    (4) Whether other countries have failed to comply with their 
commitments under additional telecommunications agreements with the 
United States, i.e., Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for 
Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment: Mutual 
Recognition Agreements regarding telecommunications equipment trade 
with the European Union (1997), APEC countries (1998), and CITEL 
countries (1999).
    (5) Whether there remains outstanding issues from previous Section 
1377 reviews on those countries or issues previously cited. Last year's 
review can be found at http://www.ustr.gov.
    See 63 FR 1140 (January 8, 1998) for further information concerning 
the agreements listed below and USTR Press Release 2003-23 available at 
http://www.ustr.gov, for the results of the 2003 section 1377 review 
concerning these agreements.

Public Comment and Reply Comment: Requirements for Submissions

    USTR requests comments on: the operation and effectiveness of--
including implementation of and compliance with--the WTO Basic 
Telecommunications Agreement; other WTO agreements affecting market 
opportunities for telecommunications products and services of the 
United States; the NAFTA; the Chile and Singapore Free Trade 
Agreements; and other telecommunications trade agreements with APEC 
members, CITEL members, the EU, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Taiwan. All 
comments must be in English, identify on the first page of the comments 
the telecommunications trade agreement(s) discussed therein, be 
addressed to Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, TPSC, ATTN: Section 1377 
Comments, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and be submitted in 
15 copies by noon on January 5, 2004. Reply Comments will also require 
15 copies by noon on January 23, 2004.
    In order to ensure the most timely and expeditious receipt and 
consideration of comments and reply comments, USTR has arranged to 
accept submissions in electronic format (e-mail). Comments should be 
submitted electronically to [email protected]. An automatic reply 
confirming receipt of e-mail submission will be sent. E-mail 
submissions in Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect are preferred. If a 
word processing application other than those two is used, please 
include in your submission the specific application used. For any 
document containing business confidential information submitted 
electronically, the file name of the business confidential version 
should begin with the characters ``BC'', and 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. Interested persons who make submissions 
electronically should not provide separate cover letters; rather, 
information that might appear in a cover letter should be included in 
the submission itself. Similarly, to the extent possible, any 
attachments to the submission should be included in the same file as 
the submission itself, and not as separate files.
    We strongly urge people to avail themselves of the electronic 
filing, if at all possible. If an e-mail submission is impossible, 15 
copies may be submitted in accordance with the procedures listed below, 
and if not filed electronically must be delivered via private 
commercial courier, and arrangements must be made with Ms. Blue prior 
to delivery for their receipt. Ms. Blue should be contacted at (202) 
395-3475.
    All non-confidential comments and reply comments will be placed on 
the USTR Web site, http://www.USTR.gov and in the USTR Reading Room for 
inspection shortly after the filing deadline, except business 
confidential information exempt from public inspection in accordance 
with 15 CFR 2003.6. Confidential information submitted in accordance 
with 15 CFR 2003.6, must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' in 
a contrasting color ink at the top of each page on each of 15 copies, 
and must be accompanied by 15 copies of a nonconfidential summary of 
the confidential information. The nonconfidential summary will be 
placed in the USTR Public Reading Room. Since comments and reply 
comments will be posted on USTR's Web site, those persons not availing 
themselves of electronic filing must submit their 15 copies with a 
diskette. USTR will post the non-confidential version of the filing, 
therefore the non-confidential version must be clearly marked on the 
diskette.
    An appointment to review the comments 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 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, and is located in Room 3 of 1724 F Street., NW.

    Dated: December 3, 2003.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 03-30375 Filed 12-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W3-P