[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8506-8507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4646]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Trade Policy Staff Committee; Public Comments on the Accession of
Vietnam to the World Trade Organization (WTO), and on U.S.
Participation in Negotiations for the Terms of Those Accessions
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting written
public comments concerning U.S. commercial interests and other issues
related to the accession of Vietnam to the WTO. Public comments should
include, but not be limited to, information concerning that country's
current trade policies and practices which affect (A) market access for
U.S. exports, e.g., tariffs, non-tariff measures; (B) trade and
investment in services, (C) other aspects of its trade regime affecting
U.S. trade interests subject to WTO provisions, and (D) conditions or
practices that impair the ability of WTO provisions to be applied on a
reciprocal basis in Vietnam's trade regime. Comments received will be
considered in developing U.S. positions and objectives for the
multilateral and bilateral negotiations that will determine the terms
of WTO accession for Vietnam to the World Trade Organization.
DATES: Public comments are due by noon on Friday, March 28, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barbara Chattin, Director for Tariff Negotiations (202-395-5097), Peter
Collins, Deputy Assistant USTR for Services and Investment (202-395-
7271), Joe Damond, Director for South East Asia (202-395-6813), or
Cecilia Leahy Klein, Director for WTO Accessions (202-395-9437), Office
of the U.S. Trade Representative.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chairman of the Trade Policy Staff
Committee invites written comments from the public on market access and
other issues to be addressed in the course of negotiations with Vietnam
to the WTO. Vietnam applied for WTO accession in January 1995. At that
time, a Working Party was established by the WTO General Council to
review the application and to conduct negotiations with Vietnam for the
terms of its WTO membership. The United States will participate in the
Working Party deliberations and in bilateral negotiations with Vietnam
as part of the accession process. All comments received will be
considered in developing U.S. positions and objectives for
participation in these negotiations, the establishment of schedules of
commitments and concessions in the areas of agriculture, industrial
goods, and trade and investment in services, and for the development of
the elements of the protocol of accession for Vietnam to the WTO.
The Committee is seeking public comments on the possible affect on
U.S. trade of the accession of Vietnam to the WTO, with reference to
tariffs applied to imports and any other trade measures currently
applied by that country that could be subject to the provisions of the
WTO; particularly market access issues for goods and services, or
practices that could affect the competitiveness of U.S. goods and
services in that market. Issues of interest to the TPSC include, but
are not limited to: (a) comments on possible tariff reductions and the
removal of border measures such as quotas or import licensing
requirements; (b) uniform application of the trading system; (c) the
provision of national treatment and nondiscriminatory treatment for
imports, especially in the area of domestic taxation; (d) transparency
in application of trade laws and regulations; (e) right of appeal in
cases involving application of trade laws and other laws relating to
WTO provisions, such as protection and enforcement of intellectual
property rights (IPR) and services; (f) customs processing issues, such
as document certification prior to export, fees, customs valuation, and
certification requirements; (g) industrial export and
[[Page 8507]]
domestic subsidies; (h) agricultural export subsidies and domestic
supports and incentives; (i) safeguard and unfair trade practice
procedures applied to imports; (j) plant, animal, and human health and
safety requirements; (k) requirements for and restrictions on the right
to import and export goods: (l) technical barriers to trade; (m)
utilization of preshipment inspection services; (n) activities of state
trading enterprises, including restrictions and other trade-distorting
practices made effective through state trading; (o) price controls,
two-tier pricing, and other price policies; (p) foreign exchange
controls that act as barriers to trade and investment; (q) membership
in preferential trade arrangements, free trade arrangements, or customs
unions; (r) government procurement practices; (s) policies concerning
trade in civil aircraft; (t) the trade-related aspects of investment
policies, and (u) the protection and enforcement of intellectual
property. Market access issues for services include, but are not
limited to, the right of establishment for U.S. services providers, the
right to purchase services abroad, the ability to provide services on a
cross-border basis, and the ability of persons to enter temporarily to
provide services.
Information on products or practices subject to these negotiations
should include, whenever appropriate, the import or export tariff
classification number used by Vietnam for the product concerned.
All comments on the above subject matter that were already provided
in response to FR 61 59920 published on November 25, 1996 (requesting
comments on the Negotiation of a Bilateral Trade Agreement Between the
United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), will be
considered as having also been submitted in response to this request,
absent notification to the contrary. Supplementary comments to such
earlier submissions will also be considered if submitted in response to
this notice.
WRITTEN COMMENTS: All written comments should be addressed to: Gloria
Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the
United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street N.W., Room 501,
Washington, D.C. 20508.
All submissions must be in English and should conform to the
information requirements of 15 CFR 2003.
A party must provide ten copies of its submission which must be
received at USTR no later than noon, Friday, March 28, 1997. If the
submission contains business confidential information, ten copies of a
non-confidential version must also be submitted. A justification as to
why the information contained in the submission should be treated
confidentially must be included in the submission. In addition, any
submissions containing business confidential information must be
clearly marked ``confidential'' at the top and bottom of the cover page
(or letter) and of each succeeding page of submission. The version that
does not contain confidential information should also be clearly
marked, at the top and bottom of each page, ``public version'' or
``non-confidential.''
Written comments submitted in connection with this request, except
for information granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15
CFR 2003.6, will be available for public inspection shortly after the
filing deadline. Inspection is by appointment only with the staff of
the USTR Public Reading Room and can be arranged by calling (202) 395-
6186.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 97-4646 Filed 2-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M
