[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63270-63271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24722]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Public Comments To Compile the Report on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 181 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended 
(19 U.S.C. 2241), the Office of the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR) will be publishing in 2014 the Report on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures. With this notice, the Trade Policy Staff 
Committee (TPSC) is requesting interested persons to submit comments to 
assist it in identifying significant sanitary and phytosanitary 
barriers to U.S. exports of goods for inclusion in the report.
    The TPSC invites written comments from the public on issues that 
USTR should examine in preparing the 2014 SPS Report.

DATES: Public comments are due not later than November 15, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submissions should be made via the Internet at 
www.regulations.gov under the following dockets (based on the subject 
matter of the submission): USTR-2013-0033.
    The public is strongly encouraged to file submissions 
electronically rather than by facsimile or mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the SPS Report or 
substantive questions or comments concerning SPS measures should be 
directed to Jane Doherty, Director of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Affairs, USTR (202-395-6127).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SPS Report sets out an inventory of SPS 
barriers to trade. This inventory facilitates U.S. negotiations aimed 
at reducing or eliminating these barriers. The report also provides a 
valuable tool in enforcing U.S. trade laws and strengthening the rules-
based trading system. The 2013 and earlier SPS Reports may be found on 
USTR's Internet Home Page (http://www.ustr.gov) under ``USTR News'' 
under the tab ``Reports''.
    To ensure compliance with the applicable statutory mandate and the 
Obama Administration's commitment to focus on the most significant SPS 
barriers to trade, USTR will be guided by the existence of active 
private sector interest in deciding which restrictions to include in 
the SPS Report.
    Topics on which the TPSC Seeks Information: To assist USTR in the 
preparation of the SPS Report, commenters should submit information 
related to SPS measures. Such measures should constitute significant 
barriers to U.S. exports.
    SPS Report: On April 2, 2013, USTR released a report focusing on 
SPS trade barriers (SPS Report). USTR also released SPS Reports in 
2012, 2011 and 2010. These reports serve as tools to

[[Page 63271]]

bring greater attention and focus to addressing SPS measures that may 
be inconsistent with international trade agreements to which the United 
States is a party or that otherwise act as significant barriers to U.S. 
exports. USTR plans to use comments on SPS submitted pursuant to this 
notice in producing the report.
    The following information describing SPS measures may help 
commenters to file submissions on particular foreign trade barriers 
under the SPS docket.
    SPS Measures: Generally, SPS measures are measures applied to 
protect the life or health of humans, animals, and plants from risks 
arising from additives, contaminants, pests, toxins, diseases, or 
disease-carrying and causing organisms. SPS measures can take such 
forms as specific product or processing standards, requirements for 
products to be produced in disease-free areas, quarantine regulations, 
certification or inspection procedures, sampling and testing 
requirements, health-related labeling measures, maximum permissible 
pesticide residue levels, and prohibitions on certain food additives.
    For further information on SPS measures and additional detail on 
the types of comments that would assist USTR in identifying and 
addressing significant trade-restrictive SPS measures, please see 
``Supporting & Related Materials'' under dockets USTR-2013-0033 at 
www.regulations.gov. The previously released SPS Reports also contain 
extensive information on SPS measures that commenters may find useful 
in preparing comments in response to this notice.
    In responding to this notice with respect to the report, commenters 
should place particular emphasis on any practices that the commenter 
believes may violate U.S. trade agreements. The TPSC is also interested 
in receiving new or updated information pertinent to the barriers 
covered in the 2013 SPS Report as well as information on new barriers. 
If USTR does not include in the 2014 SPS Report information that USTR 
receives pursuant to this notice, USTR will maintain the information 
for potential use in future discussions or negotiations with trading 
partners.
    Estimate of Increase in Exports: Each comment should include an 
estimate of the potential increase in U.S. exports that would result 
from removing any SPS barrier the comment identifies, as well as a 
description of the methodology the commenter used to derive the 
estimate. Estimates should be expressed within the following value 
ranges: Less than $5 million; $5 to $25 million; $25 million to $50 
million; $50 million to $100 million; $100 million to $500 million; or 
over $500 million. These estimates will help USTR conduct comparative 
analyses of a barrier's effect over a range of industries.
    Requirements for Submissions: Commenters providing information on 
SPS measures in more than one country should, whenever possible, 
provide a separate submission for each country.
    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 docket number: USTR-2013-0033
    To make a submission, 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 that docket number. Find a reference to 
this notice on the search-results page, and click on the link entitled 
``Comment Now!'' (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, please identify the name of the 
country to which the submission pertains in the ``Type Comment'' field. 
For example: ``See attached comment on SPS measures for (name of 
country)'' USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe 
Acrobat (.pdf).
    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 of the comments 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 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, 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 
except confidential business information exempt from public inspection. 
Comments may be viewed on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site by 
entering the relevant docket number in the search field on the home 
page.

William Shpiece,
Acting Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2013-24722 Filed 10-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F3-P