[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34745-34746]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12248]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket Number USTR-2022-0005]


Request for Comments on Proposed U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-
Century Trade

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On June 1, 2022, the United States and Taiwan, under the 
auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei 
Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States 
(TECRO), respectively, launched the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-
Century Trade. The purpose of this trade initiative is to develop 
concrete ways to deepen the trade relationship between the United 
States and Taiwan, beginning with the two sides working under the 
auspices of AIT and TECRO to develop a roadmap for negotiations for 
reaching agreements in several specified trade areas, which are 
identified below. The Office of the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR) will lead the U.S. side as AIT's designated representative. 
Accordingly, USTR is seeking public comments on matters relevant to the 
specified trade areas, including U.S. interests and priorities, in 
order to develop negotiating objectives and positions. You can provide 
comments in writing.

DATES: The deadline for the submission of written comments is July 8, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: You should submit written comments through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov (Regulations.gov). 
Follow the instructions for submissions in parts II and III below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
written comments, please contact Spencer Smith at 
[email protected] or (202) 395-2974 in advance of the 
deadline and before transmitting a comment. Direct all other questions 
to Jing Jing Zhang, Deputy Director for China Affairs, at 
[email protected], or (202) 395-9534.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On June 1, 2022, USTR announced that the United States and Taiwan, 
under the auspices of AIT and TECRO, had decided to launch the U.S.-
Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade. The purpose of this trade 
initiative is to develop concrete ways to deepen the trade relationship 
between the United States and Taiwan, beginning with the two sides 
working under the auspices of AIT and TECRO to develop an ambitious 
roadmap for negotiations for reaching one or more agreements with high-
standard commitments and economically meaningful outcomes in several 
specified trade areas, which include:
    Trade facilitation. The United States and Taiwan seek to harness 
best practices with respect to facilitating trade, including 
accelerated implementation of the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement, 
adopting provisions on digitalization of trade facilitation measures, 
and ensuring inclusivity in accessing customs procedures. In addition, 
the two sides intend to explore negotiating provisions on electronic 
payments, risk management, protection of trader information, and 
support for small and medium enterprises' (SME) access to technology 
used for the clearance of goods.
    Regulatory practices. The United States and Taiwan hold shared 
values of good governance and respect for the rule of law and believe 
in the adoption of provisions supporting sound, transparent regulatory 
practices, including timely online accessibility to information about 
regulations and regulatory processes, adequate time for public 
consultations and consideration of comments, and ensuring that 
regulatory decisions are based on high quality information, science, 
and evidence. The two sides would also seek to explore the possibility 
of provisions on transparency and good governance in services.
    Agriculture. The United States and Taiwan intend to explore 
provisions to facilitate agricultural trade through science and risk-
based decision making and through the adoption of sound, transparent 
regulatory practices.
    Anti-corruption. The United States and Taiwan seek to develop 
strong anti-corruption standards to prevent and combat bribery and 
corruption. The two sides intend to explore negotiating provisions that 
preclude the tax deductibility of bribes and establish measures 
regarding the recovery of proceeds of corruption and the denial of a 
safe haven for foreign public officials who engage in corruption.
    Supporting SMEs in trade. The United States and Taiwan aim to 
support and enhance U.S.-Taiwan SME trade, by collaborating to identify 
and overcome barriers to trade for SMEs, focusing on trade facilitation 
for SMEs, sharing and promoting best practices, and working together on 
activities to promote and support SMEs, including those owned by under-
represented groups and women entrepreneurs, and those in disadvantaged 
communities.
    Harnessing the benefits of digital trade. The United States and 
Taiwan seek to advance outcomes in digital trade that benefit workers, 
consumers, and businesses, including SMEs. Both sides believe in 
building consumer trust in the digital economy, promoting access to 
information, facilitating use of digital technologies, promoting 
resilient and secure digital infrastructure, and addressing 
discriminatory and trade-distortive practices in the digital economy.
    Promoting worker-centric trade. The United States and Taiwan aim to 
work to develop more durable and inclusive trade policies that 
demonstrate that trade can be a force for good by creating more 
opportunities for people and promoting gender equity across the United 
States and Taiwan. The two sides also seek to support the protection of 
labor rights, including the elimination of forced labor in global 
supply chains.
    Supporting the environment and climate action. The United States 
and Taiwan seek to deepen their cooperation and joint approaches on 
trade and the environment, including promoting decarbonizing our 
economies consistent with COP26 outcomes, exchanging information, and 
supporting businesses, green jobs, and the growth of low-carbon 
economies.
    Standards. The United States and Taiwan intend to explore 
provisions consistent with their shared view that

[[Page 34746]]

the preparation, adoption, and application of standards, technical 
regulations, and conformity assessment procedures should be non-
discriminatory, should not create unnecessary barriers to trade, and 
should serve legitimate policy objectives. The two sides also recognize 
the important role that international standards can play in supporting 
greater regulatory alignment and good regulatory practices and in 
promoting resilience in trade.
    State-owned enterprises. The United States and Taiwan recognize the 
significant distortions that can occur to international trade and 
investment from non-market practices of state-owned and state-
controlled enterprises as well as government designated monopolies. The 
two sides seek to develop provisions to create a level playing field 
for workers and businesses when competing against these entities in the 
international marketplace, including by ensuring that these entities 
act in a commercial manner, are regulated impartially, and do not 
provide or receive trade-distorting non-commercial assistance.
    Non-market policies and practices. The United States and Taiwan are 
market-oriented economies and understand the harm that can be caused by 
trade partners that deploy non-market policies and practices, which 
threaten the livelihoods of their people and harm their workers and 
businesses. We intend to collaborate on ways to address these harmful 
non-market policies and practices.
    The United States will build upon high-standard trade commitments 
and develop new approaches in trade policy to advance a broad set of 
worker-centered priorities and promote durable, broad-based economic 
growth for the United States and Taiwan. At this time, the 
Administration is not seeking to address tariff barriers.

II. Public Comment

    The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) invites interested parties 
to submit comments to assist USTR as it develops negotiating objectives 
and positions for the agreements contemplated by the U.S.-Taiwan 
Initiative on 21st-Century Trade. In particular, the TPSC invites 
interested parties to comment on issues that USTR should address in any 
negotiations, including the following:
    1. General negotiating objectives for the contemplated agreements.
    2. Customs and trade facilitation issues.
    3. Transparency and good regulatory practice issues;
    4. Agriculture-related matters.
    5. Anti-corruption-related matters.
    6. Issues of particular relevance to small and medium-sized 
enterprises that should be addressed in the negotiations.
    7. Digital economy-related matters.
    8. Labor-related matters.
    9. Environment- and climate-related matters.
    10. Matters related to standards, technical regulations, and 
conformity assessment procedures.
    11. Issues related to state-owned enterprises and designated 
monopolies.
    12. Matters related to collaboration to address non-market policies 
and practices.
    13. Other measures or practices that undermine fair market 
opportunities for U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses.
    USTR requests small businesses (generally defined by the Small 
Business Administration as firms with fewer than 500 employees) or 
organizations representing small business members that submit comments 
to self-identify as such, so that we may be aware of issues of 
particular interest to small businesses.

III. Submission Instructions

    Persons submitting written comments must do so in English and must 
identify on the first page of the submission ``Comments Regarding U.S.-
Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade.''
    The submission deadline is July 6, 2022. USTR strongly encourages 
commenters to make online submissions, using Regulations.gov. To submit 
comments via Regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2022-0005 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 Regulations.gov, please consult the 
resources provided on the website by clicking on `How to Use This Site' 
on the left side of the home page.
    Regulations.gov allows users to submit comments by filling in a 
`type comment' field, or by attaching a document using an `upload file' 
field. USTR prefers that you provide comments in an attached document. 
USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat 
(.pdf). If you use an application other than those two, please indicate 
the name of the application in the `type comment' field.
    Filers submitting comments containing no business confidential 
information (BCI) should name their file using the name of the person 
or entity submitting the comments. For any comments submitted 
electronically containing BCI, the file name of the business 
confidential version should begin with the characters `BCI.' Clearly 
mark any page containing BCI with `BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL' on the top of 
that page. Filers of submissions containing BCI also must submit a 
public version of their comments that USTR will place in the docket for 
public inspection. The file name of the public version should begin 
with the character `P.' Follow the `BCI' and `P' 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.
    As noted, USTR strongly urges that you file comments through 
Regulations.gov.
    You must make any alternative arrangements with Spencer Smith at 
[email protected] or (202) 395-2974 before transmitting a 
comment and in advance of the deadline.
    USTR will post comments in the docket for public inspection, except 
properly designated BCI. You can view comments on the Regulations.gov 
by entering docket number USTR-2022-0005 in the search field on the 
home page. General information concerning USTR is available at https://www.ustr.gov.

William Shpiece,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States 
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2022-12248 Filed 6-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F2-P