[Federal Register: December 8, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 235)]
[Notices]
[Page 68444-68445]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08de03-106]
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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 and effectiveness of
and the implementation of and compliance with the World Trade
Organization (``WTO'') Basic Telecommunications Agreement; other WTO
agreements affecting market opportunities for telecommunications
products and services of the United States; the telecommunications
provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA'');
Chile and
[[Page 68445]]
Singapore Free Trade Agreements; and, other telecommunications trade
agreements. The USTR will conclude the review on March 31, 2004.
DATES: Comments are due by noon on January 5, 2004 and reply comments
are due by noon on January 23, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted to Gloria Blue, Executive
Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee, ATTN: Section 1377 Comments,
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Schagrin, Office of Industry
and Telecommunications (202) 395-5663; or Jim Kelleher, Office of the
General Counsel (202) 395-3858.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1377 requires the USTR to review
annually the operation 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 a telecommunications trade agreement with
the United States is inconsistent with the terms of such agreement, or
otherwise denies to 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 commitments under the WTO Basic
Telecommunications Agreement or with other WTO obligations, e.g., the
WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (``GATS''), including the
Annex on Telecommunications and the Reference Paper on Pro-Competitive
Regulatory Principles, that affect market opportunities for U.S.
telecommunications products and services;
(2) Whether Canada or Mexico has failed to comply with their
telecommunications commitments or obligations under NAFTA;
(3) Whether Chile or Singapore has failed to comply with their
telecommunications commitments or obligations under the respective free
trade agreements with those countries;
(4) Whether other countries have failed to comply with their
commitments under additional telecommunications agreements with the
United States, i.e., Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for
Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment: Mutual
Recognition Agreements regarding telecommunications equipment trade
with the European Union (1997), APEC countries (1998), and CITEL
countries (1999).
(5) Whether there remains outstanding issues from previous Section
1377 reviews on those countries or issues previously cited. Last year's
review can be found at http://www.ustr.gov.
See 63 FR 1140 (January 8, 1998) for further information concerning
the agreements listed below and USTR Press Release 2003-23 available at
http://www.ustr.gov, for the results of the 2003 section 1377 review
concerning these agreements.
Public Comment and Reply Comment: Requirements for Submissions
USTR requests comments on: the operation and effectiveness of--
including implementation of and compliance with--the WTO Basic
Telecommunications Agreement; other WTO agreements affecting market
opportunities for telecommunications products and services of the
United States; the NAFTA; the Chile and Singapore Free Trade
Agreements; and other telecommunications trade agreements with APEC
members, CITEL members, the EU, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Taiwan. All
comments must be in English, identify on the first page of the comments
the telecommunications trade agreement(s) discussed therein, be
addressed to Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, TPSC, ATTN: Section 1377
Comments, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and be submitted in
15 copies by noon on January 5, 2004. Reply Comments will also require
15 copies by noon on January 23, 2004.
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 FR0405@USTR.GOV. An automatic reply
confirming receipt of 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
include in your submission the specific application used. For any
document containing business confidential information submitted
electronically, the file name of the business confidential version
should begin with the characters ``BC'', and 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. Interested persons who make submissions
electronically should not provide 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 the submission should be included in the same file as
the submission itself, and not as separate files.
We strongly urge people to avail themselves of the electronic
filing, if at all possible. If an e-mail submission is impossible, 15
copies may be submitted in accordance with the procedures listed below,
and if not filed electronically must be delivered via private
commercial courier, and arrangements must be made with Ms. Blue prior
to delivery for their receipt. Ms. Blue should be contacted at (202)
395-3475.
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. Confidential information submitted in accordance
with 15 CFR 2003.6, must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' in
a contrasting color ink at the top of each page on each of 15 copies,
and must be accompanied by 15 copies of a nonconfidential summary of
the confidential information. The nonconfidential summary will be
placed in the USTR Public Reading Room. Since comments and reply
comments will be posted on USTR's Web site, those persons not availing
themselves of electronic filing must submit their 15 copies with a
diskette. USTR will post the non-confidential version of the filing,
therefore the non-confidential version must be clearly marked on the
diskette.
An appointment to review the comments 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.
Dated: December 3, 2003.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 03-30375 Filed 12-5-03; 8:45 am]
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