[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 239 (Monday, December 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77406-77407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31324]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning 
Policy Recommendations for Deepening the U.S.-Africa Trade and 
Investment Relationship

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments; notice of hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), 
with the participation of other U.S. Government agencies, will convene 
a public hearing and seek public comment to assist in the preparation 
of its report to Congress on policy levers for deepening the U.S.-
Africa trade and investment relationship.

DATES: Written comments are due by 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 
2016. Persons wishing to testify orally at the hearing must provide 
written notification of their intention, as well as a summary of their 
testimony, by 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The hearing will 
be held on Thursday, January 28, 2016, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the 
Main Hearing Room, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and notifications of intent to testify 
should be submitted electronically via the Internet at 
www.regulations.gov. If you are unable to provide submissions at 
www.regulations.gov, please contact Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475, 
to arrange for an alternative method of transmission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
written comments, please contact Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475. All 
other questions regarding this notice should be directed to Bennett 
Harman, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Africa, 
at (202) 395-9612.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) (Title I of the Trade 
and Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-200) (19 U.S.C. 2466a et 
seq.), as amended, authorizes the President to designate sub-Saharan 
African countries as beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries eligible 
for duty-free treatment for certain additional products not included 
for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences 
(GSP) (Title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.) (the 
``1974 Act'')), as well as for the preferential treatment for certain 
textile and apparel articles. Many developments since AGOA was enacted 
in 2000--including a significant increase in the number of trade 
agreements signed by both the United States and sub-Saharan African 
countries with third parties and reductions in preference programs by 
other developed countries such as the European Union and Canada--signal 
the importance for the United States to assess many policies and 
approaches, including those beyond preferences, to deepen the U.S.-sub-
Saharan Africa trade and investment relationship. Such policies and 
approaches could maintain and enhance the competitiveness of U.S. 
companies and investors in the region while promoting sustainable, 
transformative development in the region. Congress also has signaled an 
interest in exploring such policies and approaches, and pursuant to 
section 110(b) of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, Public 
Law 114-27, required USTR to submit certain information about the 
prospect for free trade agreements with sub-Saharan African countries.
    Accordingly, USTR is undertaking a comprehensive analysis to 
examine how to deepen our trade and investment relationship with sub-
Saharan African countries. USTR is hereby soliciting public comment to 
assist in the preparation of its report.

2. Public Comment and Hearing

    USTR invites written comments and/or oral testimony of interested 
persons on issues including, but not limited to, the following: (a) Why 
a deeper trade and investment relationship is critical both for African 
growth and for U.S. interests; (b) which trade and investment policy 
areas should serve as building blocks to deepen this relationship; (c) 
what goals should the U.S. and African partners establish with respect 
to each building block; and (d) what mechanisms and approaches could be 
used to best achieve these goals. Written comments must be received no 
later than 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2016.
    A hearing will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2016, in the Main 
Hearing Room, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, in the facilities 
of the U.S. International Trade Commission. Persons wishing to testify 
at the hearing must provide written notification of their intention by 
11:59 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The intent to testify 
notification must be made in the ``Type Comment'' field under docket 
number USTR-2015-0019 on the www.regulations.gov Web site and should 
include the name, address and telephone number of the person presenting 
the testimony. A summary of the testimony should be attached by using 
the ``Upload File'' field. The name of the file should also include who 
will be presenting the testimony. Remarks at the hearing should be 
limited to no more than five minutes to allow for possible questions 
from the government representatives.

[[Page 77407]]

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) ``Post-AGOA Trade and Investment.'' In order to 
be assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by 11:59 
p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2016.
    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments 
via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2015-0019 on the 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 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 ``How to 
Use Regulations.gov'' on the bottom of the home page).
    The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments 
by filling in a ``Type Comment'' field, or by attaching a document 
using an ``Upload File'' field. USTR prefers that comments be provided 
in an attached document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to 
type ``See attached'' in the ``Type Comment'' 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 ``Type Comment'' 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 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.
    As noted, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
www.regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements 
must be made with Yvonne Jamison in advance of transmitting a comment. 
Ms. Jamison should be contacted at (202) 395-3475. General information 
concerning USTR is available at www.ustr.gov. Comments will be placed 
in the docket and open to public inspection, except business 
confidential information. Comments may be viewed on the 
www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant docket number in 
the search field on the home page.

Bennett M. Harman,
Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for African Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-31324 Filed 12-11-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F6-P