[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 242 (Friday, December 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75515-75516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27646]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 041119324-4324-01]


Request for Technical Input--U.S.-China Workshop on Standards and 
Conformity Assessment

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Request for workshop recommendations.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
invites interested parties to submit recommendations for focus areas in 
a US-China Workshop on Standards and Conformity Assessment. 
Recommendations should include general policy issues and specific 
sectors and topics where information exchange about the U.S. and 
Chinese systems of standards development, conformity assessment, and 
metrology may facilitate trade. The prospective workshop is tentatively 
scheduled as a two or three day program to be held in late August or 
early September 2005. This notice is not an invitation for proposals to 
fund grants, contracts or cooperative agreements of any kind. NIST will 
consider recommendations based upon which workshop focus areas would be 
most useful to intended audiences.

DATES: Recommendations must be submitted to NIST no later than 5 p.m., 
EST, January 15, 2005.

ADDRESSES: All recommendations must be submitted to Dr. Ajit 
Jillavenkatesa via e-mail ([email protected]) or by mail to 100 
Bureau Drive, Stop 2100, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ajit Jillavenkatesa (301) 975-5089, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed fourth US-China Workshop on 
Standards and Conformity Assessment expands the continuing dialog 
between the U.S. and China to address issues related to development of 
standards, their adoption and/or implementation, and conformity 
assessment procedures impacting trade between the two countries. The 
workshop is designed to provide timely information and facilitate 
dialog between U.S. and Chinese industry and government experts on 
developments both in general policy matters and issues in specific 
sectors, and to explore means for future collaboration.
    The proposed workshop is a two or three day program offering an 
overview of the roles of the Government and private sector in both the 
United States and China, and regional and international organizations 
engaged in standards development and conformity assessment practices. 
Specific workshop objectives are to: (1) Familiarize participants with 
practices in the U.S. and China in the areas of metrology, 
standardization, and conformity assessment; (2) describe and understand 
the roles of the U.S. and Chinese governments and the private sector in 
developing and implementing standards; (3) develop professional 
contacts as a basis for strengthening technical ties and enhancing 
trade; and (4) discuss specific standards and conformity assessment-
related technical barriers.
    Workshop recommendations (maximum 3 pages) must address at minimum 
the following points, in the order noted and labeled accordingly:
    1. Name and description of the recommending organization. Provide 
the primary mailing address and a brief description of the 
organization, including the name, telephone number and e-mail address 
of the primary point of contact.
    2. Industry sector for workshop focus. Provide a description of the 
suggested industrial sector and focus area for break-out sessions 
during the workshop. Consider the goals and potential benefits. Also, 
identify standards and conformity assessment related issues

[[Page 75516]]

that currently or could pose market barriers.
    3. Principal topics. Describe the suggested topics for the 
workshop, for inclusion in a plenary session and break-out sessions.
    4. Please state which venue for holding the workshop, the U.S. 
(Washington, DC area) or China (Beijing), would be most convenient and 
include a brief explanation as to why.
    5. Proposed foreign participants. Provide a representative list of 
the organizations that you would like to see invited to participate in 
the workshop, including a description of their function or business and 
their country of incorporation or origin. Also, please identify 
potential Chinese participants and speakers.
    6. U.S. stakeholder participants (e.g., associations, agencies, 
companies, users, others). Provide a list of the U.S.-based 
organizations that are likely to partner with you for participation in 
the workshop.
    7. Proposed focus area objectives. Describe the intended goals to 
be attained and why they are important.
    Additional information about the first three workshops in this 
series is available at http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/210/gsig/apec1.htm#workshop, http://www.technology.gov/Prel/pr040819.htm, http://www.mac.doc.gov/china/workshop%20summary.htm.

    Dated: December 8, 2004.
Hratch G. Semerjian,
Acting Director.
[FR Doc. 04-27646 Filed 12-16-04; 8:45 am]
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