[Federal Register: November 15, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 220)]
[Notices]
[Page 66563-66564]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15no06-104]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments Concerning Compliance With
Telecommunications Trade Agreements
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and reply comment.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (`section 1377'), the
Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is
reviewing and requests comments on: The operation, effectiveness, and
implementation of and compliance with the following agreements
regarding telecommunications products and services of the United
States: the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') Agreement; the North
American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA''); U.S. free trade agreements
(``FTAs'') with Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, and Singapore; the
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement
(``CAFTA-DR''); and any other FTA or telecommunications trade agreement
coming into force on or before January 1, 2007. The USTR will conclude
the review by March 31, 2007.
DATES: Comments are due by noon on December 15, 2006 and Reply Comments
by noon on January 16, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff
Committee, Attn: Section 1377 Comments, Office of the United States
Trade Representative, 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Hinckley, Office of
Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications (202) 395-9539; or Amy
Karpel, Office of the General Counsel (202) 395-3150.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1377 requires the USTR to review
annually the operations and effectiveness of all U.S. trade agreements
regarding telecommunications products and services of the United States
that are in force with respect to the United States. The purpose of the
review is to determine whether any act, policy, or practice of a
country that has entered into an FTA or other telecommunications trade
agreement with the United States is inconsistent with the terms of such
agreement or otherwise denies U.S. firms, within the context of the
terms of such agreements, mutually advantageous market opportunities.
For the current review, the USTR seeks comments on:
(1) Whether any WTO member is acting in a manner that is
inconsistent with its obligations under WTO agreements affecting market
opportunities for telecommunications products or services, e.g., the
WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (``GATS''), including the
Annex on Telecommunications and any scheduled commitments including the
Reference Paper on Pro-Competitive Regulatory Principles;
(2) Whether Canada or Mexico has failed to comply with its
telecommunications obligations under the NAFTA;
(3) Whether El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua have
failed to comply with their telecommunications obligations under the
CAFTA-DR;
(4) Whether Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, Singapore, or any
other country for which an FTA with the United States has entered into
force on or before January 1, 2007, has failed to comply with its
telecommunications obligations under the respective FTA between the
United States and that country (see http://www.ustr.gov/[fxsp0]Trade--
Agreements/[fxsp0]Section--Index.html for U.S. FTAs);
(5) Whether any country has failed to comply with its obligations
under telecommunications trade agreements with the United States other
than FTAs, e.g., Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for Conformity
Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (see http://www.tcc.mac.doc.gov
for a collection of trade agreements, including
ones related to telecommunications);
(6) Whether any act, policy, or practice of a country cited in a
previous section 1377 review remains unresolved (see http://www.ustr.gov/
[fxsp0]Trade--Sectors/[fxsp0]Telecom-E-commerce/Section--
1377/[fxsp0]Section--Index.html for the 2005 review); and
(7) Whether any measures or practices impede access to
telecommunications markets or otherwise deny telecommunications
products and services of the United States market opportunities with
respect to any country that is a WTO member or for which an FTA or
telecommunications trade agreement has entered into force between such
country and the United States. Measures or practices of interest
include, for example, prohibitions on voice over the Internet (VOIP)
services; blocking of web sites or web-based services accessed through
public telecommunications services that affect services for which a WTO
member or FTA partner has commitments; and requirements for access or
use of networks that limit the products or services U.S. suppliers can
offer in specific markets.
Public Comment and Reply Comment: Requirements for Submission
All comments must be in English, identify on the first page of the
comments the telecommunications trade agreement(s) discussed therein,
and be submitted by noon on December 15, 2006. Reply comments must also
be in English and be submitted by noon on
[[Page 66564]]
January 16, 2007. Reply comments should only address issues raised by
the comments.
In order to ensure the most timely and expeditious receipt and
consideration of comments and reply comments, USTR has arranged to
accept submissions in electronic format (e-mail). Comments should be
submitted electronically to FR0502@ustr.eop.gov. An automatic reply
confirming receipt of an e-mail submission will be sent. E-mail
submissions in Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect are preferred. If a
word processing application other than those two is used, please
identify in your submission the specific application used. 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 character
``P'', followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the
comments or reply comments. Electronic submissions should not contain
separate cover letters; rather, information that might appear in a
cover letter should be included in the submission itself. Similarly, to
the extent possible, any attachments to a submission should be included
in the same file as the submission itself and not as separate files.
All non-confidential comments and reply comments will be placed on the
USTR Web site, http://www.USTR.gov, and in the USTR Reading Room for
inspection shortly after the filing deadline, except business
confidential information exempt from public inspection in accordance
with 15 CFR 2003.6.
We strongly urge submitters to avail themselves of the electronic
filing, if at all possible. If an e-mail submission is impossible, the
submitter must deliver 15 copies of both the business confidential and
the public versions via private commercial courier along with a
diskette containing a copy of the business confidential and public
version of the submission. Arrangements must be made with Ms. Blue
prior to delivery for the receipt of such submissions. Ms. Blue should
be contacted at (202) 395-3475.
An appointment to review any comments and reply comments filed may
be made by calling the USTR Reading Room at (202) 395-6186. The USTR
Reading Room is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1
p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is located in Room 3 of 1724
F Street, NW.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E6-19295 Filed 11-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W7-P