[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 161 (Monday, August 20, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50206-50207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20430]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning 
China's Compliance With WTO Commitments

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments and notice of public hearing concerning 
China's compliance with its WTO commitments.

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SUMMARY: The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will 
convene a public hearing and seek public comment to assist the Office 
of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the preparation of 
its annual report to the Congress on China's compliance with the 
commitments made in connection with its accession to the World Trade 
Organization (WTO).

DATES: Persons wishing to testify at the hearing must provide written 
notification of their intention, as well as a copy of their testimony, 
by noon, Wednesday, September 19, 2012. Written comments are due by 
noon, Monday, September 24, 2012. A hearing will be held in Washington, 
DC, on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Notifications of intent to testify and written comments 
should be submitted electronically via the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. For alternatives to on-line submissions, please 
contact Donald W. Eiss, 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 Donald 
W. Eiss, (202) 395-3475. All other questions should be directed to 
Terrence J. McCartin, Deputy Assistant United States Trade 
Representative for China Enforcement, (202) 395-3900, or Katherine C. 
Tai, Chief Counsel for China Enforcement, (202) 395-3150.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    China became a Member of the WTO on December 11, 2001. In 
accordance with section 421 of the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 
(Pub. L. 106-286), USTR is required to submit, by December 11 of each 
year, a report to Congress on China's compliance with commitments made 
in connection with its accession to the WTO, including both 
multilateral commitments and any bilateral commitments made to the 
United States. In accordance with section 421, and to assist it in 
preparing this year's report, the TPSC is hereby soliciting public 
comment. Last year's report is available on USTR's Internet Web site 
(http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/3189).
    The terms of China's accession to the WTO are contained in the 
Protocol on the Accession of the People's Republic of China (including 
its annexes) (Protocol), the Report of the Working Party on the 
Accession of China (Working Party Report), and the WTO agreements. The 
Protocol and Working Party Report can be found on the Department of 
Commerce Web page, http://www.mac.doc.gov/China/WTOAccessionPackage.htm, or on the WTO Web site, http://docsonline.wto.org (document symbols: WT/L/432, WT/MIN(01)/3, WT/
MIN(01)/3/Add.1, WT/MIN(01)/3/Add.2).

2. Public Comment and Hearing

    USTR invites written comments and/or oral testimony of interested 
persons on China's compliance with commitments made in connection with 
its accession to the WTO, including, but not limited to, commitments in 
the following areas: (a) Trading rights; (b) import regulation (e.g., 
tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, quotas, import licenses); (c) export 
regulation; (d) internal policies affecting trade (e.g., subsidies, 
standards and technical regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures, government procurement, trade-related investment measures, 
taxes and charges levied on imports and exports); (e) intellectual 
property rights (including intellectual property rights enforcement); 
(f) services; (g) rule of law issues (e.g., transparency, judicial 
review, uniform administration of laws and regulations) and status of 
legal reform; and (h) other WTO commitments. In addition, given the 
United States' view that China should be held accountable as a full 
participant in, and beneficiary of, the international trading system, 
USTR requests that interested persons specifically identify unresolved 
compliance issues that warrant review and evaluation by USTR's China 
Enforcement Task Force.
    Written comments must be received no later than noon, Monday, 
September 24, 2012.
    A hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 3, 2012, in Room 1, 
1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20508. If necessary, the hearing will 
continue on the next business day. Persons wishing to testify orally at 
the hearing must provide written notification of their intention by 
noon, Wednesday, September 19, 2012. The notification should include: 
(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the person presenting 
the testimony; and (2) a short (one or two paragraph) summary of the 
presentation, including the commitments at issue and, as applicable, 
the product(s) (with HTSUS numbers), service sector(s), or other 
subjects 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.
    All documents should be submitted in accordance with the 
instructions in section 3 below.

3. Requirements for Submissions

    Persons submitting a notification of intent to testify and/or 
written comments must do so in English and must identify (on the first 
page of the submission) ``China's WTO Compliance.''
    In order to ensure the most timely and expeditious receipt and 
consideration of comments, USTR has arranged to accept on-line 
submissions via http://www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via 
http://www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2012-0020 on the 
home page and click ``Comment Now!''. (For further information on using 
the www.regulations.gov <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 http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of 
making submissions by filling in a ``type comment'' field, or by 
attaching a document using the ``upload file(s) field. We prefer 
submissions to be provided in an attached document. If a document is 
attached, it is sufficient to type ``See attached'' in the ``type 
comment'' field.
    Submit any documents containing business confidential information 
with a file name beginning with the characters ``BC''. Submit, as a 
separate submission, a public version of the submission with a file 
name beginning with the character ``P''. The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be 
followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. 
Electronic submissions should not attach separate cover letters; 
rather, information that might appear in a cover

[[Page 50207]]

letter should be included in the comments you submit. Similarly, to the 
extent possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other 
attachments to a submission in the same file as the submission itself 
and not as separate files.
    We strongly urge submitters to use electronic filing. If an on-line 
submission is impossible, alternative arrangements must be made with 
Mr. Eiss prior to delivery for the receipt of such submissions. Mr. 
Eiss may be contacted at (202) 395-3475.
    General information concerning USTR may be obtained by accessing 
its Internet Web site (http://www.ustr.gov).

Douglas M. Bell,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2012-20430 Filed 8-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F2-P