MEMORANDUM TO MEMBERS OF THE INDUSTRY SECTOR AND FUNCTIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR TRADE POLICY MATTERS (ISACs and IFACs)

FROM:                   Christina Sevilla
                                Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative
                                for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison

                                Ingrid V. Mitchem
                                Director, Industry Consultations Program
                                U.S. Department of Commerce
 

SUBJECT: Federal Register Notice (FRN): Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning Market Access and Other Issues in the Free Trade Area of the Americas Negotiations- Written Comments by September 23, 2002; Public Hearing September 9, 2002

FYI

SUMMARY: The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will convene a public hearing and seeks public comment on the effects of the elimination of tariffs and nontariff barriers to trade and other market liberalization among Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) participating countries and on any other matter relevant to the FTAA agreement.

DATES: Persons wishing to testify orally at the hearing must provide written notification of their intention, as well as their testimony, by August 21, 2002. A hearing will be held in Washington, DC, beginning on September 9, 2002, and will continue as necessary on subsequent days. Written comments are due by noon, September 23, 2002.

BACKGROUND: In April of 2001, the trade ministers from the 34 countries in the hemisphere with democratically-elected leaders met in Buenos Aires, Argentina and decided that the market access negotiations would begin no later than May 15, 2001. In May of 2002, the vice-ministers responsible for trade in the FTAA countries established the methods and modalities for the market access negotiations. The methods and modalities agreed to are available at http://www.ftaa-alca.org/tn20e.doc. Initial offers on the elimination of tariff, services, investment and government procurement barriers to trade and investment among FTAA participating countries will be presented beginning December 15, 2002. In addition, the FTAA countries are in the process of negotiating commitments concerning intellectual property rights.

As provided in the regulations of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (15 CFR part 2003), the Chairman of the TPSC invites written comments and/or oral testimony of interested parties at a public hearing. Comments and testimony may address the reduction or elimination of tariffs or non-tariff barriers on any articles provided for in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) that are products of an FTAA country, any concession which should be sought by the United States, or any other matter relevant to the FTAA. The TPSC invites comments and testimony on all of these matters, and in light of the schedule for presenting market access offers, in particular seeks comments and testimony addressed to:

(a) Economic benefits and costs to U.S. producers and consumers of the elimination of tariffs on trade between the United States and the 33 other FTAA countries, and in the case of articles for which immediate elimination of tariffs is not recommended, the recommended staging schedule for such elimination.

(b) Existing nontariff barriers to trade in goods between United States and the 33 other FTAA countries and the economic benefits and costs of removing those barriers.

(c) Existing barriers to trade in services and government procurement between the United States and the 33 other FTAA countries and the economic benefits and costs of removing such barriers.

(d) Economic benefits and costs to U.S. producers and consumers of strengthening the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in FTAA countries and improving market access for products subject to IPR protection.

(e) Existing restrictions on investment flows between United States and the 33 other FTAA countries and the economic benefits and costs of eliminating any such restrictions.

Submissions are requested by electronic mail, or by facsimile. For additional information see the full text of the Federal Register Notice, posted on the USTR website at: http://www.ustr.gov/fr/2002/july.shtml
 

Thank you.