[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66720-66722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29841]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Trans-Pacific 
Partnership Trade Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

ACTION: Notice of intent to enter into negotiations on a Trans-Pacific 
Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States intends to enter into negotiations on a TPP 
trade agreement with the objective of shaping a high-standard, broad-
based regional agreement. USTR is seeking public comments on all 
elements of the agreement in order to develop U.S. negotiating 
positions.

DATES: Written comments are due by January 25, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov. For 
alternatives to on-line submissions please contact Gloria Blue, 
Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), at (202) 395-
3475.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
written comments, please contact Gloria Blue at the above number. All 
other questions regarding the TPP trade agreement should be directed to 
David Bisbee, Deputy Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and Pacific, at 
(202) 395-6813.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    USTR is observing the relevant procedures of the Bipartisan Trade 
Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (19 U.S.C. 3804), which apply to 
agreements entered into before July 1, 2007, with respect to notifying 
and consulting with Congress regarding the TPP trade agreement 
negotiations. These procedures include providing Congress with 90 days 
advance written notice of the President's intent to enter into 
negotiations and consulting with appropriate Congressional committees 
regarding the negotiations. To that end, on December 14, 2009, after 
having consulted with relevant Congressional committees, the USTR 
notified Congress that the President intends to enter into negotiations 
of the agreement with the TPP countries with the objective of shaping a 
high-standard, 21st century agreement with a membership and coverage 
that provides economically significant market access opportunities for 
America's workers, farmers, ranchers, service providers, and small 
businesses. Our initial TPP negotiating partners include Australia, 
Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The 
U.S. objective is to expand on this initial group to include additional 
countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
    In addition, under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 
2151, 2153), in the case of an agreement such as the proposed TPP trade 
agreement, the President must (i) afford interested persons an 
opportunity to present their views regarding any matter relevant to the 
proposed agreement, (ii) designate an agency or inter-agency committee 
to hold a public hearing regarding the proposed agreement, and (iii) 
seek the advice of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) 
regarding the

[[Page 66721]]

probable economic effects on U.S. industries and consumers of the 
removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers on imports pursuant to the 
proposed agreement.
    USTR held a public hearing regarding the proposed TPP trade 
agreement on March 4, 2009, and intends to hold additional public 
hearings on specific issues pertaining to the proposed negotiations in 
early 2010. In addition, USTR has requested the ITC to provide advice 
to USTR on the probable economic effects of an agreement.

2. Public Comments

    The TPSC Chair invites interested parties to submit written 
comments to assist USTR as it develops its negotiating objectives for 
the proposed regional agreement. Comments 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 a TPP country, any concession that should be sought by 
the United States, or any other matter relevant to the proposed 
agreement. The TPSC Chair invites comments on all of these matters and, 
in particular, seeks comments addressed to:
    (a) General and product-specific negotiating objectives for the 
proposed regional agreement.
    (b) Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of 
removal of tariffs and removal or reduction in non-tariff barriers on 
articles traded with the seven TPP countries.
    (c) Treatment of specific goods (described by HTSUS numbers) under 
the proposed regional 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) Approach to tariff negotiations, including recommended staging 
and ways to address export priorities and import sensitivities in the 
context of this regional agreement.
    (d) Adequacy of existing customs measures to ensure that imported 
goods originate from the TPP countries, and appropriate rules of origin 
for goods entering the United States under the proposed regional 
agreement.
    (e) Existing sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical 
barriers to trade imposed by any of the TPP countries that should be 
addressed in the negotiations.
    (f) Existing barriers to trade in services between the United 
States and any of the TPP 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.
    In commenting on these matters, USTR invites interested parties to 
take into account the objective of expanding the TPP trade agreement to 
include other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
    In addition to the matters described above, USTR is considering 
addressing new and emerging issues in this regional agreement. 
Accordingly, the TPSC Chair invites comments on approaches that would 
promote innovation and competitiveness, encourage new technologies and 
emerging economic sectors, increase the participation of small- and 
medium-sized businesses in trade, and support the development of 
efficient production and supply chains that include U.S. firms in order 
to encourage firms to invest and produce in the United States. The TPSC 
Chair also invites comments on ways to address other trade-related 
priorities in this regional agreement, including environmental 
protection and conservation, transparency, workers rights and 
protections, development, and other issues. Finally, because the TPP 
trade agreement will be a regional agreement, the TPSC Chair also 
invites comments on ways to use the agreement to facilitate trade and 
promote regulatory coherence and cooperation within the region.
    At a later date, 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.

3. Requirements for Submissions

    Persons submitting comments must do so in English and must identify 
(on the first page of the submission) the ``United States--Trans-
Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement.'' In order to be assured of 
consideration, comments should be submitted by January 25, 2010.
    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments 
should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2009-0041. To find 
the docket, enter the docket number in the ``Enter Keyword or ID'' 
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click 
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all 
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice 
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results 
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further 
information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult 
the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the ``Help'' 
tab.)
    The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of 
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a 
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached 
document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See 
attached'' in the ``Type comment & Upload File'' field. USTR prefers 
submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the 
submission is in an application other than those two, please indicate 
the name of the application in the ``Comments'' field.
    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.
    Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic 
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a 
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits,

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annexes, or other attachments in the same file as the submission 
itself, not as separate files.
    USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements must 
be made with Ms. Blue in advance of transmitting a comment. Ms. Blue 
should be contacted at (202) 395-3475. General information concerning 
USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E9-29841 Filed 12-15-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W0-P