[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 15 (Monday, January 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4480-4482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1515]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning
Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement With Singapore,
Chile, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and Vietnam
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of intent to initiate negotiations on a Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement with Singapore, Chile, New
Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and Vietnam, request for
comments, and notice of public hearing.
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SUMMARY: The United States intends to initiate negotiations on a Trans-
Pacific Partnership free trade agreement with Singapore, Chile, New
Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and Vietnam. The
interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will convene a public
hearing and seek public comment to assist the United States Trade
Representative (USTR) in amplifying and clarifying negotiating
objectives for the proposed agreements and to provide advice on how
specific goods and services and other matters should be treated under
the proposed agreement.
DATES: Persons wishing to testify orally at the hearing must provide
written notification of their intent to testify, as well as their
testimony, by February 25, 2009. A hearing will be held in Washington,
DC, on March 4, 2009, and will continue as necessary on subsequent
days. Written comments are due by noon, March 11, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Notices of intent to testify, testimony and/or written
comments should be submitted electronically via the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. For alternatives to on-line submissions please
contact Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee,
at (202) 395-3475.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning
written comments or participation in the public hearing, contact Gloria
Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395-
3475. All other questions regarding the TPP should be directed to
Douglas Bell, Deputy Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and the Pacific,
at (202) 395-6813.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
The process followed for notifying and consulting on the TPP
negotiation is based on the procedures outlined under section 2104 of
the Trade Act of 2002 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 3804). Under these
procedures, the President must provide the Congress with at least 90
calendar days written notice of his intent to enter into negotiations
and identify the specific objectives for the negotiation and, before
and after submission of the notice, consult with appropriate
Congressional committees regarding the negotiations. Under the Trade
Act of 1974, as amended, the President must (i) afford interested
persons an opportunity to present their views regarding any matter
relevant to any proposed agreement, (ii) designate an agency or inter-
agency committee to hold a public hearing regarding any proposed
agreement, and (iii) seek the advice of the U.S. International Trade
Commission (ITC) regarding the probable economic effects on U.S.
industries and consumers of the removal of tariffs and non-tariff
barriers on imports pursuant to any proposed agreement.
On September 22, 2008 (for Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Brunei
Darussalam) and December 30, 2008 (for Australia, Peru and Vietnam),
after consulting with relevant Congressional committees, the USTR
notified the Congress that the President intends to initiate free trade
agreement negotiations with these Trans-Pacific countries and
identified specific objectives for the negotiations. In addition, the
USTR is requesting that the ITC provide its advice on probable economic
effects of the free trade agreement. This notice solicits views from
the public on these negotiations and provides information on a hearing
that will be conducted based on the requirements of the Trade Act of
1974.
2. Public Comments and Testimony
To assist the Administration as it continues to develop its
negotiating objectives for the proposed agreements,
[[Page 4481]]
the Chairman of the TPSC invites the written comments and/or oral
testimony of interested persons at a public hearing. Comments and
testimony may address the reduction or elimination of tariffs or non-
tariff barriers on any articles provided for in the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) that are products of the
participating Trans-Pacific countries, any concession that should be
sought by the United States, or any other matter relevant to the
proposed agreement. The TPSC invites comments and testimony on all of
these matters and, in particular, seeks comments and testimony
addressed to:
(a) General and commodity-specific negotiating objectives for the
proposed plurilateral agreement.
(b) Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of
removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on articles traded with the
seven Trans-Pacific countries.
(c) Treatment of specific goods (described by HTSUS numbers) under
the proposed agreement, including comments on:
(1) Product-specific import or export interests or barriers,
(2) Experience with particular measures that should be addressed in
the negotiations, and
(3) In the case of articles for which immediate elimination of
tariffs is not appropriate, a recommended staging schedule for such
elimination.
(d) Adequacy of existing customs measures to ensure that imported
goods originate from the seven Trans-Pacific countries, and appropriate
rules of origin for goods entering the United States under the proposed
agreement.
(e) Existing sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical
barriers to trade imposed by the seven Trans-Pacific countries that
should be addressed in the negotiations.
(f) Existing barriers to trade in services between the United
States and the Trans-Pacific countries that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
(g) Relevant electronic commerce issues that should be addressed in
the negotiations.
(h) Relevant trade-related intellectual property rights issues that
should be addressed in the negotiations.
(i) Relevant investment issues that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
(j) Relevant competition-related matters that should be addressed
in the negotiations.
(k) Relevant government procurement issues that should be addressed
in the negotiations.
(l) Relevant environmental issues that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
(m) Relevant labor issues that should be addressed in the
negotiations.
Comments identifying as present or potential trade barriers laws or
regulations that are not primarily trade-related should address the
economic, political, and social objectives of such laws and regulations
and the degree to which they discriminate against foreign producers. At
a later date, the USTR, through the TPSC, will publish notice of
reviews regarding (a) the possible environmental effects of the
proposed agreement and the scope of the U.S. environmental review of
the proposed agreement, and (b) the impact of the proposed agreement on
U.S. employment and labor markets.
A hearing will be held on March 4, 2009, in Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F
Street, NW., Washington, DC. Persons wishing to testify at the hearing
must provide written notification of their intent to testify by
February 25, 2009. The notification should include: (1) The name,
address, and telephone number of the person presenting the testimony;
and (2) a short (one or two paragraphs) summary of the presentation,
including the subject matter and, as applicable, the product(s) (with
HTSUS numbers), service sector(s), or other subjects (such as
investment, intellectual property, and/or government procurement) to be
discussed. A copy of the testimony must accompany the notification.
Remarks at the hearing should be limited to no more than five minutes
to allow for possible questions from the TPSC. Persons with mobility
impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the
hearing should contact the TPSC Executive Secretary.
Interested persons, including persons who participate in the
hearing, may submit written comments by noon, March 11, 2009. Written
comments may include rebuttal points demonstrating errors of fact or
analysis not pointed out in the hearing. All written comments must
state clearly the position taken, describe with particularity the
supporting rationale, and be in English. The first page of written
comments must specify the subject matter, including, as applicable, the
product(s) (with HTSUS numbers), service sector(s), or other subjects
(such as investment, intellectual property and/or government
procurement).
3. Requirements for Submissions
Persons submitting an intent to testify and testimony and/or
comments must do so in English and must identify (on the first page of
the submission) the ``United States--Trans-Pacific Partnership Free
Trade Agreement.'' Notice of intent to testify and testimony must be
received by February 25, 2009. Written comments must be received by
March 11, 2009.
In order to ensure the most timely and expeditious receipt and
consideration of testimony and/or comments, USTR has arranged to accept
on-line submissions via www.regulations.gov. To submit testimony and
comments via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2009-0002 on
the home page and click ``go''. The site will provide a search-results
page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a
reference to this notice by selecting ``Notice'' under ``Document
Type'' on the left side of the search-results page, and click on the
link entitled ``Send a Comment or Submission.'' (For further
information on using the http://www.regulations.gov/ Web site, please
consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on ``How to
Use This Site'' on the left side of the home page.)
The www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of making
submissions by filling in a ``General Comments'' field, or by attaching
a document. We expect that most submissions will be provided in an
attached document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type
``See attached'' in the ``General Comments'' field.
Submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) are
preferred. If an application other than those two is used, please
identify in your submission the specific application used. For any
comments submitted electronically containing business confidential
information, the file name of the business confidential version should
begin with the characters ``BC''. Any page containing business
confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page. Filers of submissions
containing business confidential information must also submit a public
version of their comments. 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. Filers submitting comments containing no business
confidential information should name their file using the character
``P'', followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the
comments or reply comments. Electronic submissions should not contain
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 a
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submission should be included in the same file as the submission itself
and not as separate files. All non-confidential comments and reply
comments will be placed on the USTR Web site, http://www.USTR.gov
pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.5.
We strongly urge submitters to avail themselves of the electronic
filing, if at all possible. If an on-line submission is impossible,
alternative arrangements must be made with Ms. Blue prior to delivery
for the receipt of such submissions. Ms. Blue should be contacted at
(202) 395-3475. General information concerning the Office of the United
States Trade Representative may be obtained by accessing its Internet
Web site (http://www.ustr.gov).
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E9-1515 Filed 1-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W9-P