USTR Requests Comments on Annual Foreign Trade Barrier Report
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting comments on behalf of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) to assist in identifying significant barriers to U.S. exports of goods, services and overseas direct investment for inclusion in the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE). The USTR states that the Department of Commerce will receive comments in response to this notice and that no submissions will be accepted after December 21, 2004.
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Comments on Import Policies, Export Subsidies, Services Barriers, Etc.
USTR states that particularly important are impediments materially affecting the actual and potential financial performance of an industry sector. Information submitted should relate to one or more of the following ten categories of foreign trade barriers: import policies; standards, testing, labeling, and certification; government procurement; export subsidies; lack of intellectual property protection; services barriers; investment barriers; anticompetitive practices with trade effects tolerated by foreign governments; trade restrictions affecting electronic commerce; and other barriers.
Comments Concerning Violations of U.S. Trade Agreements, Etc.
As in the case of last year's NTE, the USTR asks that particular emphasis be placed on any practices that may violate U.S. trade agreements. USTR is also interested in receiving any new or updated information pertinent to the barriers covered in last year's report as well as new information. USTR notes that the information not used in this year's NTE will be maintained for use in future negotiations.
USTR states that it is most important that submissions contain estimates of the potential increase in exports that would result from the removal of the barrier, as well as a clear discussion of the method(s) by which the estimates were computed.
- written comments are due by 12/21/04 to the Department of Commerce
| Commerce contact - | Lisa Leyser (procedural questions) | (202) 482-3433 |
| USTR contact - | Gloria Blue (report's subject matter) | (202) 395-3475 |
USTR notice (FR Pub 11/24/04) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-26034.pdf.