[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55456-55457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22804]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


The Trade and Investment Partnership for the Middle East and 
North Africa

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In his May 19, 2011, speech on recent developments in the 
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the President called for a 
Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative to explore ways to further 
strengthen economic ties both between the United States and MENA 
countries and among the MENA countries themselves. Over the coming 
months, the United States, partnering where possible with the European 
Union and other key countries and entities, will launch a series of 
initiatives to facilitate more robust trade within the region and 
promote greater MENA integration with U.S. and other markets.
    To ensure that a wide range of priorities and concerns are 
addressed, U.S. Government officials will continue to reach out to 
business, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia and other 
stakeholders in order to elicit ideas for shaping future economic 
engagement with this critical region.
    As part of this process, the U.S. Government welcomes written input 
from members of the public on ideas for deepening economic ties with 
and among MENA countries.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted no later than October 15, 
2011.
    Submissions: To facilitate expeditious handling, the public is 
strongly encouraged to submit documents electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2011-xxxx. Submissions should 
contain the term ``2011 Middle East and North Africa Trade'' in the 
``Type comment & Upload file:'' field on http://www.regulations.gov.
    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. 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 FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sonia Franceski, Director for Middle 
East Affairs, (202) 395-4987, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508.

Background

    The relationship between the United States and countries of the 
Middle East and North Africa is built upon some of the most important 
geostrategic and economic links in the world. In order to further 
reinforce cooperation with, and expand economic ties to, a part of the 
world undergoing profound change, the President on May 19 called for 
the launch of a Trade and Investment Partnership Initiative for the 
MENA region to: (1) Facilitate more trade within the region, (2) build 
on existing agreements to promote integration with U.S. and European 
markets, and (3) open the door for those countries that adopt high 
standards of reform and trade liberalization to construct a regional 
trade arrangement.
    Fostering greater trade and more open economic policies continue to 
represent positive opportunities for U.S. engagement with the region. 
With a growing population of over 400 million, an expanding regional 
GDP topping $2.4 trillion, and $1 trillion in various sovereign 
investment funds, the nations of the MENA region continue to offer 
significant potential opportunities for U.S. exporters and investors. 
Collectively, MENA countries in 2010 ranked as the fifth largest 
destination for U.S. exports, with a total of $60 billion. Although 
economic activity in significant parts of the region is still dominated 
by energy industries, this is by no means universal. Governments in 
many countries are striving to provide greater job opportunities for 
predominantly young workforces and (where appropriate) diversify their 
economies to offset oil/gas price volatility.
    The U.S. strategy for encouraging a more open business climate in 
the MENA region will consist of a series of building blocks, in which 
the United States attempts to consolidate gains already achieved, to 
launch new efforts, where possible, to foster the adoption of modern 
open market policies, and to stimulate greater regional cooperation.
    As it pursues this strategy, the United States will seek to 
intensify its engagement with the EU and other key countries with the 
aim of reducing or eliminating barriers to trade and investment among 
MENA countries, and between MENA and developed country markets.
    The U.S. Government welcomes concrete ideas from interested 
stakeholders for specific government actions that can enhance economic 
integration within the MENA region and increase trade and investment, 
both with--and within--the MENA region. Such ideas can build on efforts 
already underway and may cover a broad range of barriers and sectors. 
Ideally they would identify priorities both for the near and longer 
term. Based on experience to date, and without suggesting any 
limitations, the United States has identified the following general 
areas of focus:
    (a) Technical barriers to trade in goods: reinforcing efforts to 
eliminate or substantially lower, where possible, remaining barriers;
    (b) Services: aiming to substantially improve opportunities for 
services providers (both large and small) and facilitate services trade 
and investment in the region across a wide range of sectors;
    (c) Agriculture: strengthening regulatory cooperation in the field 
of human, plant and animal health issues, including biotechnology, 
while recognizing the importance of continuing to improve our 
respective regulatory processes and of improving our scientific 
cooperation;
    (d) Trade Facilitation: improving trans-border shipment of goods by 
increasing the certainty of how goods will be processed at the border;
    (e) Investment: exploring practical solutions through changes in 
domestic law, policies, or practices that could help boost confidence 
in the rule of law and local institutions in the region and stimulate 
further inward investment across a wide range of sectors;
    (f) Intellectual property: improving IPR protection and reducing 
costs;

[[Page 55457]]

    (g) Transparency: enhancing and promoting public participation in 
economic policy formulation; and
    (h) SMEs: improving support systems and access to export 
opportunities.

L. Daniel Mullaney,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle 
East.
[FR Doc. 2011-22804 Filed 9-6-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P