[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26334-26335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11049]


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OFFICE OF THE TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments on Possible Negotiations in the World Trade 
Organization To Expand the Information Technology Agreement, Including 
Its Product Coverage

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is 
requesting comments from the public on whether the United States should 
undertake negotiations to expand the Information Technology Agreement 
(ITA) and, if so: (1) Which additional information and communications 
technology (ICT) products the United States should seek to include and 
provide duty-free treatment under the ITA, including both products that 
existed when the ITA was concluded in 1996 but that were not covered 
under the agreement as well as products that have been developed since 
then; and (2) which U.S. trading partners that are significant 
producers or consumers of ICT products that are not currently 
participants in the ITA the United States should seek to have join the 
ITA. The TPSC will consider public comments in formulating U.S. 
positions and objectives regarding possible negotiations to expand the 
ITA.

DATES: Public comments are due by noon, June 13, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Pietan (Director for Industrial 
Trade Policy) or Mary Thornton (Director for Tariff Affairs), Office of 
Small Business, Market Access, and Industrial Competitiveness, Office 
of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), 600 17th St., NW., 
Washington, DC 20508, telephone (202) 395-5656, Fax (202) 395-9674.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any amendments to the ITA resulting from 
negotiations to expand the agreement will be subject to approval by its 
current participants.

Background Information

    In December 1996, United States and 36 other countries and separate 
customs territories reached agreement to eliminate tariffs on a wide 
range of ICT products. The resulting agreement, the Ministerial 
Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (also termed 
the Information Technology Agreement, or ITA) was implemented under the 
auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The number of ITA 
participants has since grown to 73, reflecting a significant increase 
in participation by developing countries, and currently representing 
approximately 97 percent of world trade in ITA products. However, many 
countries still remain outside of the agreement. Current participants 
include: Albania; Australia; Bahrain; Canada; China; Chinese Taipei; 
Costa Rica; Croatia; Dominican Republic; Egypt; El Salvador; European 
Union (on behalf of its 27 Member States); Georgia; Guatemala; 
Honduras; Hong Kong; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Israel; Japan; Jordan; 
Korea; Kuwait; Kyrgyz Republic; Macao; Malaysia; Mauritius; Moldova; 
Morocco; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Panama; Peru; 
Philippines; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Switzerland and Liechtenstein; 
Thailand; Turkey; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United States; and 
Vietnam. Any WTO Member or any State or separate customs territory in 
the process of acceding to the WTO may become a participant in the ITA.
    The ITA requires participants to eliminate import duties on covered 
products. The elimination of duties under the agreement has helped to 
generate substantial growth in ICT trade. Industry sources estimate 
that global trade in products currently covered under the ITA grew from 
$1.2 trillion in 1996 to $4.0 trillion in 2008.
    The ITA currently covers computers and computer equipment, 
semiconductors and integrated circuits, computer software products, 
telecommunications equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, 
and computer-based analytical instruments. The list of covered products 
has not been expanded since the ITA was concluded in 1996. Detailed 
information on the ITA, including the text of the agreement and its 
annexes specifying the products the agreement covers, can be found 
online at: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/inftec_e/inftec_e.htm.

Comments From the Public

    The TPSC, led by USTR, is considering a proposal by industry 
stakeholders to expand the scope of the ITA significantly to provide 
duty-free treatment for a broader range of products and encourage wider 
participation in the agreement.

[[Page 26335]]

Interested persons are invited to submit comments, by noon, June 13, 
2011, on the desirability of engaging in negotiations to expand the 
ITA. Comments are invited in particular on: (1) Additional ICT products 
that the United States should seek to include under the ITA, and (2) 
U.S. trading partners that are significant producers or consumers of 
ICT products that are not currently participants in the ITA and that 
the United States should to seek to have join the ITA. Comments on 
proposed additional ICT products may address products that existed when 
the ITA was concluded in 1996 but that were not covered under the 
agreement as well as products that have been developed since that time. 
Those comments should include a detailed description of the specific 
product(s) and, whenever appropriate, the six-digit (or 8-digit, where 
applicable) Harmonized System tariff classification number for the 
product(s) concerned. The TPSC requests this advice pursuant to 19 
U.S.C. 2155.

Requirements for Submissions

    All comments must be submitted in English and must identify (on the 
first page of the submission) the subject matter of the comment as the 
``Possible Expansion of the Information Technology Agreement.'' In 
order to be assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by 
noon, June 13, 2011.
    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-2011-0003. 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 http://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.'' The top of any page 
containing business confidential information must be clearly marked 
``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL.'' Any person filing comments that contain 
business confidential information must also file in a separate 
submission a public version of the 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. If a comment contains no business confidential 
information, the file name should begin with the character ``P,'' 
followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comment.
    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, annexes, or other attachments in 
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.

Public Inspection of Submissions

    Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection 
pursuant to 15 CFR 2006.13, except confidential business information 
exempt from public inspection in accordance with 15 CFR 2006.15. 
Comments may be viewed on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site by 
entering docket number USTR-2011-0003 in the search field on the home 
page.
    USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements must 
be made with Anita Kyler in advance of transmitting a comment. Ms. 
Kyler should be contacted at (202) 395-9665. General information 
concerning USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.

Donald W. Eiss,
Acting Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2011-11049 Filed 5-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P