WT/TPR/M/382  
1 April 2019  
(19-1992) Page: 1/86 
Trade Policy Review Body   
17 and 19 December 2018  
  
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
UNITED STATES 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING  
Chairperson: Ms. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij  (Thailand)  
CONTENTS  
 
1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS  BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .......................  2 
2  OPENING STATEMENT  BY THE REPRESENTATI VE OF THE UNITED STA TES ...................  4 
3  STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT  ................................ ................................ ................  9 
4  STATEMENTS BY MEM BERS  ................................ ................................ ........................  14 
5  REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE O F THE UNITED STATES AND ADDITIONAL 
COMMENTS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  78 
6  CONCLUDING REMARK S BY THE CHAIRPERSON  ................................ .........................  85 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: Advance written questions and additional questions by WTO Members, and the replies provided 
by the United States  are reproduced in document WT/TPR/M/ 382/Add.1  and will be available online 
at http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  1  INTRODUCTORY REMARKS  BY THE CHAIRPERSON  
1.1.  The fourteenth  Trade Policy Review of the United States  was held on 17 and 19 December  2018. 
The Chairperson of the TPRB, Ambassador Laourou, was away from Geneva on tho se days.  
Consequently, following the Rules of Procedure of the TPRB regarding replacement of the 
Chairperson, Ms. Sunanta Kangvalkulkij  (Thailand)  chaired this meeti ng in her capacity as Chair of 
the DSB.  She welcomed the delegation of the United States,  headed by H.E. Ambassador  Dennis 
C. Shea, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative/Ambassador to the WTO ; the rest of the delegation  both 
from Washington and Geneva ; and the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Frances Lisson (Australia) . 
1.2.  The Chairperson recalled the purpose of trade policy reviews and the main elements of 
procedures for the meeting. The report by the United States  is con tained in document WT/TPR/G/382  
and th at of the WTO Secr etariat in document WT/TPR/S/382 . 
1.3.  Questions by the following delegations were submitted in writing before the deadline: China; 
El Salvador; Colombia; Oman; Japan; Costa Rica; Switzerland; European Union; Canada; Thailand; 
Korea, Rep. of; Brazil; Dominican Republic; New Zealand; Singapore; Republi c of Moldova; 
Australia; Mexico; Chinese Taipei; Chile;  Malaysia; Saudi Arabia; Ukraine; Ecuador; Iceland; 
Honduras; India; Hong Kong, China; Guatemala; and Norway . The following delegations submit ted 
written questions after the deadline: Argentina; Cuba; Peru; Philippines; Trinidad and Tobago; 
Indonesia; Israel; Egypt; Russian Federation; and Turkey . 
1.4.  In 2016, the United States had been  congratulated by Members for its contribution to global 
growth,  particularly through its role in global trade and its active participation in the multilateral 
trading system. It had been  noted that the United States remained the world 's top importer and 
second largest exporter of goods and services, and the number one  destination for foreign direct 
investment. The importance for many Members of the United States ' unilateral trade preferences 
had also been highlighted.  
1.5.  The United States had been  commended for its ratification of the Trade Facilitation Agreement 
(TFA) in early 2015 and for the launching of a single window International Trade Data System. 
Taking note of the United States ' security concerns and its desire to put in place necessary i mport 
controls, Members  had encouraged it to maintain a balance between the promotion of trade flows 
and security, and to adopt measures at the border that were proportionate to the risks.  
1.6.  Recognizing that trade defence instruments were legitimate measures  within the WTO 
framework, Members had noted that the United States was a particularly active user of anti -dumping 
and countervailing measures, and had questioned certain meth odologies applied by the 
United  States in the investigations.  
1.7.  With respect to gov ernment procurement, many Members had been  concerned about the 
prevalence of Buy America legislation at federal and state levels and related local content provisions. 
Members had acknowledged the openness of most of the services sectors in the United State s, but 
they encouraged the authorities to address certain inefficiencies stemming from restrictive maritime 
services and cabotage regulations, and foreign investment restrictions in the air transportation 
sector.  
1.8.  With respect to agriculture, the United Sta tes had been  urged to provide more timely 
notifications of its domestic support to the WTO; some Members had pointed out that the high 
subsidies provided for products such as soybeans, cotton, sugar, and dairy had had a negative 
impact on more competitive producers.  
1.9.  The Chairperson turned to developments during the current review period. The United States 
is an important trading partner for most WTO Members, and economic developments in the United 
States have a direct impact on their economies. The U.S. ec onomy is in its ninth consecutive year 
of expansion. In 2017, real GDP growth averaged 2.2%, up from 1.6% in 2016, and growth 
accelerated in 2018. This was helped by the implementation of a pro -cyclical fiscal policy in 2018 
through the enactment of three laws, but also led to an increase in the fiscal deficit.  
1.10.   The United States implemented several trade facilitation measures during the review period. 
For instance, in February 2018, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  completion of it s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), which could  be used by importers and 
exporters to declare goods, obtain permits, and access transaction and trade data.  
1.11.   During the review period, the United States continued to make use of trade defence measures. 
Between 2015 and 2017, there were 133 anti -dumping (AD) and 63 countervailing duty (CVD) 
investigation initiations. Between 2016 and 2018, two new safeguard investigations were conducted 
by the United States. Also during the review period, the first investi gations under the Enforce and 
Protect Act of 2015 (EAPA), aimed at preventing evasion of the payment of anti -dumping and 
countervailing duties, were carried out.  
1.12.   With respect to other measures on imports, and related to the U.S. focus on  national security , 
recourse was made to instruments such as section 232 and section 301 investigations.  
1.13.   Regarding agriculture, support to the sector was primarily authorized through multi -year 
"farm bills ", covering several agricultural and food programmes. Outlays under t he 2014 Farm Bill, 
which expired in September 2018, were dominated by payments under the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to low -income households.  
1.14.   Concerning the regulation of financial services, the Economi c Growth, Regulatory Relief and 
Consumer Protection Act, enacted in May 2018, introduced several amendments including with 
respect to regulatory relief, consumer access to mortgage credit, and regulations for bank holding 
companies. Relating to telecommuni cations, a new regulatory order was issued, which removed the 
prior requiremen ts that providers of broadband I nternet access service s were subject to some of the 
same rules that a pplied  to common carriers. The regulatory framework of maritime transport and  
air transport services remained stable , and restrictions on cabotage remain ed. 
1.15.   The Chairperson drew Members ' attention to some other issues raised in their advance written 
questions for this TPR. These include d, among others: implications of the increase in the fiscal deficit; 
implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; the investment regime and national security 
reviews; the scope and procedures of AD investigations, and section 232 and section 301 
investigations; EAPA investigations to prevent the evasion of contingency measures; the application 
of safeguard measures; import prohibitions; export -control measures; preferences for small 
businesses and set -asides in government procurement; and different asp ects of SPS regulations.  
1.16.   There were also  several questions on intellectual property rights, covering aspects of patent, 
trademark, copyright and other IP rights. A number of questions were raised regarding support 
programmes in agriculture, as well as on food aid and crop insurance. In services, there were 
questions on changes regarding market access in banking and insurance, financial sector legislation, 
telecommunications regulations, postal services, e -commerce, and market access in air and 
maritime tra nsport services.  
1.17.   This meeting was to  provide a useful opportunity for Members to reflect more deeply on these 
questions. The Chairperson was looking  forward to an active and fruitful exchange.  
  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  2  OPENING STATEMENT BY  THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES 
(H.E. AMBASSADOR DENNIS C.  SHEA)  
2.1.  We are pleased to participate once again in the trade policy review of the United States. We 
are honoured  to see the large number of ambassadors and permanent representatives at today 's 
meeting. Thank you for the time you a re taking to participate in this important process.  
2.2.  We especially appreciate the participation of Ambassador Frances Lisson, Permanent 
Representative of Australia, whom we are honoured  to have as our discussant. And I want to thank 
Ambassador Sunanta Kangv alkulkij of Thailand for stepping in and serving as C hair of this TPR.  
2.3.  We also want to acknowledge the Secretariat 's team for their work in producing an informative 
report that provides a basis for today 's discussion. Again this year, as in past reviews, o ur colleagues 
in Washington appreciated the chance to engage in a vigorous and productive discussion with the 
professionals of the Secretariat 's TPR Division.  So, I want to thank you and your team.  
2.4.  The United States places high value on the trade policy review process, which is important for 
promoting greater awareness and understanding of Members ' trade policies and practices. It is for 
this reason that we actively engage in all Members ' trade policy reviews and that we work diligently 
to answer the ever-increasing  number of questions we receive every two years. We have set a new 
U.S. record of more than 1,700 questions with this review. We provided answers to all questions 
that were submitted two weeks prior to today 's meeting, as well as those submitted  within a few 
days after the deadline. We are working hard to respond to the additional questions received just 
last week, and we hope to have responses as soon as possible.  
2.5.  As the United States undergoes its fourteenth Trade Policy Review  — that's more th an any 
other Member  — we are committed to reforming the global trading system in ways that lead to fairer 
outcomes for U.S. workers and businesses, and more efficient markets for countries around the 
world. U.S. trade policy is driven by a pragmatic determ ination to secure these objectives. Our trade 
policy is steadfastly focused on the national interest, including retaining and using U.S. sovereign 
power to act in defence  of that interest. U.S. trade policy rests on five major pillars: supporting U.S. 
national security, strengthening the U.S. economy, negotiating better trade deals, aggressive 
enforcement of U.S. trade laws, and reforming the multilateral trading system.  
2.6.  Colleagues, I want to leave you today with three key points. First, the United States m aintains 
one of the world 's most open trade regimes that is firmly based in the rule of law and that is a 
powerful engine for global growth. Second, we continue to seek trade liberalization and will deepen 
our relationships with countries who share our com mitment to fair market competition and 
reciprocity. Third, the United States is raising serious concerns with the functioning and direction of 
this important institution, and the fundamental challenge posed by China 's state -led, mercantilist 
approach to th e economy and trade. This is not mere chatter, nor is it unilateralist or protectionist. 
The United States is taking important steps to begin to address these fundamental issues, and we 
are committed to working with like -minded Members to do so.  
Open Economy, Engine for Global Growth  
2.7.  The United States is one of the most open and competitive economies in the world. We 
appreciate that this TPR process offers reminders of the openness of the U.S. trade regime, and of 
our interest in work ing with other Mem bers of this I nstitution to promote free, fair, and reciprocal 
trade.  
2.8.  Exemplifying our openness is the fact that the United States is the world 's largest single -country 
importer, importing goods and services that exceed the total size of the economies of a ll but three 
other countries in the world. In 2017, the United States was the recipient of 19 % of global goods 
and services exports, excluding U.S. exports and intra -EU exports, and 78 countries had the 
United  States as their first, second, or third larges t export partner.  
2.9.  U.S. tariffs are among the lowest in the world. The current U. S. simple average tariff is 3.4% 
on an applied basis under the WTO and 2.4 % on a trade -weighted basis. By comparison, simple 
average applied tariffs in our top five trading par tners range from 4.0 % to 9.8 %, and trade -weighted 
average tariffs range from 2.5 % to 5.2 %. When tariff preferences are taken into account, the U.S. WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  trade -weighted average tariff is under 2 % on an applied basis. In 2017, nearly 70 % of all U.S. 
imports, incl uding those under preference programs, entered the United States duty -free. U.S. 
service markets also remain open to foreign providers and U.S. regulatory processes are 
transparent, accessible, and open to the public, including to non -U.S. citizens.  
2.10.   As the se figures underscore, it is no exaggeration to say that the openness of the U.S. 
economy to goods and services is one of the most important sources of global economic stability.  
2.11.   In addition, the United States continues to be the world 's largest recipient of foreign direct 
investment (FDI ). The independent Secretariat Report attributes this to the United States ' "open 
markets, liberal investment regime, large consumer base, higher education system, skilled and 
productive workforce, a business environment th at encourages innovation, legal protections, and 
the world 's largest venture ca pital and private equity market ". The stock of FDI in the United States 
in 2017 was USD 4.03 trillion, and the United States had the largest inward flow of FDI of any 
country, at USD 275.4 billion, according to UNCTAD. The United States is committed to remaining 
an attractive investment destination.  
2.12.   Since its founding, the United States has r ecognized the importance of protecting intellectual 
property to provide an open, competitive, and innovative economy.  The Constitution of the 
United  States grants to Congress the power "[t]o promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, 
by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their resp ective 
Writings and Discoveries ". In his first State of the Union speech, President George Washington , our 
first President,  called for Congress to encourage the introduction of inventi ons from abroad and 
those produced at home. Within months, the first Congress of the United States passed the Patent 
Act of 1790, and then the Copyright Act. Two hundred and twenty -eight years later, in an age of 
unprecedented creativity and technological advances, the United States continues to place high value 
on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property.  
Committed to Competitive Markets and Free, Fair, and Reciprocal Trade  
2.13.   The United States seeks to work with those Members who are ready and  able to negotiate 
free, fair, and reciprocal trade agreements, with the expectation that participants in these 
agreements will contribute commensurate with their status in the global economy. We are committed 
to promoting fair market competition and trade  liberalization around the world. Countries that share 
our commitment and that are willing to provide reciprocal opportunities in their home markets can 
count on us as a partner.  
2.14.   The United States has been putting these words into action, vigorously pursui ng bilateral 
arrangements aimed at promoting more efficient markets and obtaining better trading terms for 
American workers, farmers, businesses, and ranchers. In late September, the United States, Mexico, 
and Canada reached an agreement to modernize NAFTA  into a 21st century, high -standard 
agreement. The three Parties signed the United States -Mexico -Canada Agreement (USMCA) in late 
November. By addressing market access barriers and modernizing and rebalancing the obligations 
among the Parties, the agreemen t will support mutually beneficial trade leading to freer markets, 
fairer trade, and robust economic growth in North America. The USMCA will enter into force after it 
is approved by all three Parties.  
2.15.   In September, the United States and Korea signed final texts reflecting the outcomes of our 
negotiations to improve the United States -Korea Free Trade Agreement. The outcomes focus on 
improving automobile trade, in addition to other provisions including on investment. Progress on 
implementation -related issues also was announced, including in the areas of customs. The 
modernized provisions will enter into force after completion of applicable procedures by both 
countries.  
2.16.   This is just the beginning of our ambition. In October, the U.S. Trade Representative notifi ed 
Congress that the Administration intends to negotiate three separate trade agreements with Japan, 
the European Union, and the United Kingdom, seeking to expand trade and investment. These 
notifications followed a number of fruitful dialogues with each o f these partners.  
2.17.   At the same time, the United States continues to promote mutual accountability and shared 
ambition as we work with other partners around the world through a variety of trade and investment WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  avenues. Throughout the review period, the United  States continued to engage our trading partners 
through free trade agreement political and technical committees and councils, through Trade and 
Investment Framework Agreement Councils, and through other arrangements with non -FTA 
partners.  
2.18.   The United State s also engages with partners at a regional level to develop free, fair, and 
reciprocal trade and investment opportunities. I want to use my brief time today to share just a few 
examples.  
2.19.   In 2017 -18, the United States supported the launch of the ASEAN Sing le Window under the 
U.S. Agency for International Development 's US-ASEAN Connectivity through Trade and Investment 
program. Looking forward, the United States and ASEAN have decided to work together on 
agricultural biotechnology regulatory cooperation and to continue discussions on proposals regarding 
automotive standards and electronic payment services. We recognize that in the digital economy, 
electronic payment services are critical to facilitate global digital trade, to promote open and 
competitive mark ets that welcome foreign and domestic suppliers on a level playing field, and to 
drive development, innovation, and economic growth.  
2.20.   This understanding of the growing importance of digital trade informs our work in APEC, where 
we are leading the effort to adopt building blocks to facilitate global trade, including principles related 
to enabling cross -border data flows and preventing forced localization of data. We also welcome 
APEC's continued efforts to strengthen the implementation of good regulatory prac tices. We look 
forward to working with APEC 's next host country, Chile, to advance these priorities in 2019.  
2.21.   The United States continues to work with our African partners to advance our long -term 
commitment to Africa 's growth and prosperity. Since 2000, th e African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(AGOA) has been the cornerstone of U.S. -African engagement on trade and investment. By providing 
duty-free entry into the United States for almost all products of beneficiary countries, AGOA has 
helped to expand and div ersify two -way trade between the United States and sub -Saharan Africa, 
and it has helped to foster an improved business environment in many sub -Saharan African 
countries. The United States -Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, informally  
known as the "AGOA Forum, " is an annual ministerial -level meeting with AGOA -eligible countries. In 
July 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative led the USG delegation to the AGOA Forum, this time held 
in Washington, DC. Given AGOA 's scheduled expiration in 20 25, the U.S. Trade Representative, 
Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, laid out the Administration 's rationale and vision to move beyond 
AGOA and pursue a free trade agreement with an African country that could serve as a model for 
other U.S. trade agreements in  the region. He and other U.S. participants met with numerous African 
senior officials, including trade ministers, leaders of African regional economic organizations, and 
representatives of the African and American private sectors and civil society to disc uss strategies for 
advancing trade, investment, and economic development in Africa.  
The United States in the Multilateral System  
2.22.   Madam Chair, t he United States traces our leadership role in the multilateral system back 
more than seven decades, to the signi ng of the GATT. During the Uruguay Round, we were a key 
architect of the WTO. In the Marrakesh Declaration, we joined other original Members to confirm the 
principle that Members were to participate i n a multilateral system  "based upon  open, market -
oriente d policies ". 
2.23.   Since 1995, the United States has been deeply engaged in every facet of work at the WTO. 
And today we still are. My colleagues at the table are deeply engaged with me at the WTO. Time 
and time again, we have provided the leadership and politic al will necessary to advance the goal of 
using the WTO to create and enforce rules that lead to more efficient markets, reciprocal benefits, 
and greater wealth for our citizens. We are steadfastly committed to working with all WTO Members 
who share this go al. 
2.24.   However, we must recognize that the WTO that we helped create, and the WTO we seek, is 
in key respects not the WTO we have today. This is not a new or sudden development. For years, 
the United States and many others in this room have voiced concerns wi th the WTO system and the 
direction in which it has been headed.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  2.25.   We discussed several of these concerns in the U.S. Government r eport for this meeting. I will 
elaborate on them briefly.  
• First, the WTO dispute settlement system has strayed far from the system agreed to by 
Members. It has appropriated to itself powers that the WTO Members never intended to give 
it. This includes where panels or the Appellate Body have, through their findings, sought to 
add or diminish WTO rights and obligations of Members  in a b road range of areas. The 
United  States has grown increasingly concerned with the activist approach and overreaching 
of the Appellate Body on procedural issues, interpretative approach, and substantive 
interpretations. These approaches and findings d o not respect WTO rules as written and 
agreed by the United States and other WTO Members.  
• Second, the WTO is not well equipped to handle the fundamental challenge posed by China, 
which continues to embrace a state -led, mercantilist approach to the economy and trade. 
China pursues an array of non -market industrial policies and other unfair competitive practices 
aimed at promoting and supporting its domestic industries while simultaneously restricting, 
taking advantage of, discriminating against, or otherwise  creating disadvantages for foreign 
companies and their goods and services. From forced technology transfer to the creation and 
maintenance of severe excess industrial capacity to a heavily skewed playing field in China, 
the results of China 's approach are  causing serious harm to the United States and many other 
WTO Members and their companies and workers. Simply put, China 's actions are incompatible 
with the open, market -based approach expressly envisi oned and followed by other WTO 
Members and contrary to the fundamental principles of this O rganization and its agreements.  
• Third, the WTO 's negotiating arm has been unable to reach agreements that are of critical 
importance in the modern economy. Previous negotiations were undermined by certain 
Members ' repeat ed unwillingness to make contributions commensurate with their role in the 
global economy, and by these Members ' success in leveraging the WTO 's flawed approach to 
developing -Member status.  
• Fourth, certain Members ' persistent lack of transparency, includin g their unwillingness to meet 
their notification obligations, have undermined Members ' work in the WTO committees to 
monitor compliance with WTO obligations. Their lack of transparency has also damaged 
Members ' ability to identify opportunities to negotiat e new rules aimed at raising market 
efficiency, generating reciprocal benefits, and increasing wealth.  
2.26.   The United States is not simply raising concerns; we are taking important steps to address 
them. To date, the application of our trade laws to address injurious and unfair competition has 
perhaps garnered the most public attention. For example, the United States ' investigation under 
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 determined in March 2018 that the acts, policies, and practices 
of China related to te chnology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation covered in the 
investigation are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.  
2.27.   Some are criticizing the United States ' approach as unilateralist and protectionist. In our view,  
this is a serious and perhaps purposeful misread of our actions and intentions. In the case of the 
Section 301 investigation, the facts demonstrating forced technology transfer were quite clear, and 
the United States had a stark choice: either take action  to protect itself against the serious, ongoing 
harm from China 's policies and practices or accept that this harm will continue because the WTO 
does not provide the necessary disciplines or remedies. We would prefer being able to use the WTO, 
but China 's trade regime increasingly is not compatible with it.  
2.28.   The United States is committed to working with like -minded Members to address our concerns 
with the functioning of the WTO. Reforms are necessary for the continued viability of the I nstitution. 
Our long r ecord of leadership at the WTO makes us clear -eyed about the challenges ahead. In our 
assessment, Members are in the early stages of grappling with our collective failure to confront 
problems that have been growing for years.  
2.29.   The United States will be at t he forefront of these efforts. We were the first Member to put 
forward a concrete proposal for WTO reform, in November 2017, with our proposal aimed at 
improving Members ' compliance with their notification obligations. In November 2018, Argentina, 
Australi a, Chinese Taipei, Costa Rica, the EU, Japan, and the United States presented an updated WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  transparency and notification proposal for consideration in the WTO Council on Trade in Goods. We 
stand ready to work with our co -sponsors and other Members to advance  this proposal.  
2.30.   We are pursuing reform -related discussions in other confi gurations, as well. In 
December  2017, Ambassador Lighthizer and the trade ministers of Japan and the EU announced 
new trilateral cooperation to undertake measures to combat the non -market-oriented policies of 
third countries. Following Ministerial meetings in March, May, and September 2018, the ministers 
confirmed their shared objective to address non -market -oriented policies and practices, their shared 
view that no country should requ ire or pressure technology transfer from foreign companies to 
domestic companies, and the need to deepen and accelerate discussions regarding possible new 
rules on industrial subsidies and state -owned entities. The Ministers further agreed to deepen 
cooper ation and exchange of information, including with other like -minded partners  to find effective 
means to address trade -distorting policies of third countries.  
2.31.   We are also giving serious thought to the problem of differentiation. The assertion by a 
number of  Members that developing country status is "self-declared " has severely damaged the 
negotiating arm of the WTO by creating resistance to differentiation among Members. Export 
powerhouses and other relatively advanced Members demand the same flexibilities a s much smaller, 
poorer Members, creating asymmetries that ensure that ambition levels in WTO negotiations remain 
far too weak to achieve meaningful outcomes.  
Looking Forward  
2.32.   Madam Chair, Ambassadors, distinguished representatives: the seriousness of our me ssage 
today, once again, underscores the seriousness of the moment. The problems that have led us to 
this moment did not arise overnight, and they will not be resolved easily. They will require leadership 
and a steadfast commitment to the principles which brought us here many years ago. The 
United  States will work with any Member that is committed, as we are, to making good on an old 
promise – to build a system based on open, market -oriented policies.  
2.33.   We look forward to participating with you in our exchang e over the next few days, and we 
thank you f or your interest and attention.  
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  3  STATEMENT BY THE DIS CUSSANT  
3.1.  First, let me extend a warm welcome to Ambassador Dennis Shea and the rest of the 
United  States delegation from Washington and Geneva.  
3.2.  It is with great honour that I provide today 's discussant remarks for the 14th Trade Policy 
Review of the United States.  
3.3.  My role as discussant is to introduce and encourage discussion and to highlight key 
developments since the US ' last review in December 2016.  
3.4.  In ma ny ways this will be an easy task. If the over 1,700 written questions from 40 delegations 
is anything to go by, we can expect good engagement and strong interest in today 's review.  
3.5.  I'd like to start by sharing a few historical notes.  
3.6.  I was, as I said, hon oured to be asked by the Ambassador of Benin to act as discussant in my 
personal capacity but wondered if the invitatio n was due, in part, to the long standing trade 
relationship between the U.S. and Australia.  
3.7.  It is well known that both the U.S. and Austra lia were original signatories to the GATT in 1947, 
along with 21 others.  
3.8.  What is not so well known is that Australia and the U.S. were part of 8 original "key" signatories 
to the Protocol of Provisional Application of the GATT. This proto col gave certainty  that these 
8 members would be making the concessions they had agreed to, before others went about their 
ratification processes.  
3.9.  While it is obvious why the U .S. was required to be a "key signatory ", it is somewhat surprising 
that Australia was there as we ll. 
3.10.   Speaking some years later, U.S. trade delegate Winthrop Brown recounted, with some 
frustration, that Australia had made itself important by becoming "something of a spokesperson for 
the underdeveloped world ". Brown noted that the Australian delegation was a cause of trouble for 
the U nited States with our strong demands in agricultural commodities. And, true to my genetic 
code, I will highlight agriculture in my remarks today.  
3.11.   I also read that at that time the U.S. was keen to dismantle the preference arrangements that 
Australia, the UK and other Commonwealth countries maintained. As GATT negotiations came to a 
head in Geneva in September of 1947, Brown wrote: "It is an absolutely beautiful day. The lake is 
very blue, t he hills look like a picture postcard, and the only blots on the landscape are British 
preferences about which I s pend most of the night dreaming ". 
3.12.   Seventy -one years on, it is good to know that some things change and some stay the same, 
and so it is with t he U.S. in the period since its last Trade Policy review, in 2016.  
U.S. economy  
3.13.   I would like to start by briefly recounting the recent broad indicators of U.S. economic growth 
and trade . 
3.14.   As we know, the U.S. is the largest economy in the world representing  around 20 % of global 
GDP. It is the world 's largest importer of merchandise goods and services. The second largest 
exporter of goods, and the largest exporter of commercial services.  
3.15.   The U.S. represents a staggering 8.7% of global goods exports,  and 14.5%  of services 
exports. And is the top destination for foreign direct investment.  
3.16.   The international economy is dependent  on the U.S. as an engine for global growth and trade. 
And so, it is heartening  that the U.S. economy continues to grow ten years on from the global WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  financial crisis. The U.S. has now recorded 9 consecutive years of GDP growth and last quarter 's 
returns showed real GDP growth in per annum terms of 4.1%.  
3.17.   We are hopeful then that this growth continues. Structural adjustment policies, including  trade 
policy settings, are important in this context.  
U.S. Trade Policy  
3.18.   The US ' approach to trade policy is encapsulated in the 2018 Trade Policy Agenda - released 
in February this year.  
3.19.   Under the 2018 Agenda, the focus of U.S. trade policy has shifted to adopting policies to 
support its national security and strengthen its economy.  
3.20.   This new approach has led to the introduction of measures that shield certain sectors in the 
U.S. from international competition.  
3.21.   But we should not forget that the U.S. is one of the most open economies in the global trading 
system – and, since it is the largest economy, this is of particular significance.  
3.22.   The US ' simple average applied tariff rate at February 2018 was 4.8%. And in 2017 nearly 
70% of all imports entered duty free. As the Secretariat points out, the U.S. has extensive tariff 
bindings for all but two tariff lines, and the U.S. goods schedule demonstrates little to no tariff 
escalation. The U.S. is a participant in both the original Infor mation Technology Agreement (ITA) 
and its expansion.  
3.23.   Unfortunately, as for many G7 countries, the U.S. is not quite as open with regard to 
agriculture as for non -agricultural products, with an average tariff rate of 9.4%. And, I will come 
back to this late r. 
3.24.   For services, the U.S. economy is open to foreign service providers, with some limited 
exceptions, and regulatory processes are transparent, accessible and importantly open to public 
input.  
3.25.   Trade is a fundamental driver of the U.S. economy and US ' regulatory settings are designed 
to facilitate trade. Indeed , U.S. Federal Law prohibits government agen cies from engaging in 
standards -related activity that creates unnecessary obstacles to the  foreign commerce of the 
United  States.  
3.26.   As a major producer and exp orter of goods and services that embody intellectual property, 
the U.S. is a strong defender of intellectual property rights and offers strong IP protection. The 
enforcement of these rights is a major focus of the 2018 trade policy agenda.  
Trade Agreements  
3.27.   Another element of the 2018 trade policy agenda is renegotiating and revising existing trade 
deals. The U.S. has a large network of existing Free Trade Agreements  in place - 14 FTAs covering 
20 economies, the earliest dating back to 1985 - and the U.S. is looking to moder nize many of these.  
3.28.   The signing of the new United States -Mexico -Canada Agreement at the November G20 
Summit is an example. There is a great deal of interest in the undertakings made in the USMCA 
particularly in newer areas such as digital trade, SMEs, labo ur and investment; and many M embers 
are hoping for a seamless introduction of the new USMCA disciplines.  
3.29.   New trade agreement negotiations to expand trade, including with Japan, the EU and the UK, 
are another feature of US ' policy. In welco ming these initiatives, many Members hope that the U.S. 
will use these agr eements to help global liberaliz ation efforts by pursuing high ambition agreements 
which build on WTO rules.  
3.30.   In this regard, I note that the U.S. is a valued participant in the WTO R egional Trading 
Arrangements (RTA) committee, notifying its trade arrangements and encouraging others to do so, WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  as well as engaging in the review processes. As the U.S. moves forward with new trade agreements 
we hope the U.S. continues this good record.  
3.31.   Of course, there is one agreement the U.S. is not proceeding with at present and I think there 
are at least 11 WTO Members who still hope that the U.S. will ultimately sign up to the TPP.  
The World Trade Organization  
3.32.   As I mentioned earlier, the U.S. was an original signatory to the GATT in 1947 and the WTO 
in 1995. In fact , the U.S. was instrumental in establishing the rules and disciplines of both. U.S. 
leadership has featured in these and more recent agreements including the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement.  
3.33.   It is, then, the last of the five pillars in the 2018 Trade Policy Agenda that is of interest  here 
– that of "reforming the multilateral trading system ". 
3.34.   The U.S. Trade Policy Agenda says the U.S. will remain active in the WTO but , at the same 
time, would like to see improvement in the functioning of the WTO.  
3.35.   U.S. leadership in reform efforts will again be important. In efforts to improve the monitoring 
function of the WTO , the U.S. has taken on this role with the tabling of a detailed proposal to improve 
transparency and strengthen WTO notification compliance. While there are different opinions on how 
best to encourage greater compliance, there is widespread acceptance that compliance is lacking 
and is something we need to address.  
3.36.   The U.S. speaks from a s trong position on transparency. A review of the US ' compliance with 
notification obligations shows they are close to 100%. While one could hope that U.S. agriculture 
domestic support notifications would come in a little faster, the U.S. is far from the wor st in this 
area, and have shown improvement with the recent submission of two domestic support 
notifications.  
3.37.   The U.S. has been an active participant in the WTO regular bodies and committees focussing 
on improving their functioning. For example, the TBT and SPS committees have benefited from 
active U.S. involvement particularly in the triennial review processes. The U.S. has also provided 
energy to other committees, like those on trade facilitation, import licensing, customs valuation and 
in all accession processes.  
3.38.   The U.S. has also provided significant assistance to developing countries to help them to ratify 
and implemen t the trade facilitation agreement, including through the enhanced integrated 
framework.  
3.39.   In WTO negotiations, the U.S. has been fully engaged on fisheries subsidies, consistent with 
the MC11 mandate to secure an outcome by the end of 2019, and on agricult ure. The U.S. also 
signed the Joint Statement Initiati ve on electronic commerce at MC 11 and has been engaged in 
exploratory talks towards WTO negotiations in this area, as they have been engaged in open -ended 
negotiations on services domestic regulation.  
3.40.   On dispute settlement, the U.S. remains a  very active user of the system, initiating 13 
disputes as a complainant over the review period and responding to 21 disputes.  
3.41.   However, for a number of years the U.S. has raised concerns with the functioning of the 
system. Such concerns are outlined in the 2018 Trade Policy Agenda, and have been raised in the 
Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) this year. The U.S. has stated that while such systemic concerns 
remain unaddressed, it is not in a position to support the commencement of selection processes to 
fill vacancies on the Appellate Body. In their questions to the US , some Members have raised 
concerns regarding the linkages that the U.S. have drawn to Appellate Body appointments and its 
negative i mplications for th e WTO system.  
Questions of Members  
3.42.   I will touch briefly on a couple of other themes raised by Members in their written questions.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  Agriculture  
3.43.   Firstly, back to agriculture, I note that the U.S. is the world 's largest agricultural exporter and 
has a relativ ely low average tariff yet this sector is still marked by instances of high tariffs and 
restrictive quotas – for instance in sugar, dairy and cotton. The U.S. is also a heavy user of trade 
distorting support. A particular focus for Member 's questions is th e USD 12 billion short -term aid 
package announced in July 2018 designed to assist agricultural producers with market disruptions 
caused by retaliatory tariffs. Members also questioned whether high agricultural tariffs in some 
sectors would ever be reduced,  noting the contrast with the otherwise largely open U.S. economy.  
Banking Services  
3.44.   On banking services, a number of Members queried the US ' extension of national treatment 
to foreign banks. In particular, some noted the U.S. places restrictions on foreign  banks being able 
to accept deposits from U.S. citizens, and that the Federal Reserve can shut down the offices of 
foreign banks in the U.S. if it believes their operations pose a risk to the stability of the U.S. financial 
system.  
Maritime transport  
3.45.   And o f course, in m aritime transport, for as long as the U.S. has been a Member of the GATT, 
it has maintained an exception for the Jones Act.  
3.46.   Members continue to be interested in when, and if, the U.S. will review the Act and there is a 
desire for greater open ness in m aritime transport services and fair competition in shipbuilding 
equipment.  
Digital Trade  
3.47.   While on  digital trade and e -commerce, M embers have asked about tax policies, plans for new 
e-commerce legislation and cyber security law.  
Trade Remedies and Measures  
3.48.   The U.S. is one of the most active users of the trade remedy instrument both anti -dumping 
measures and countervailing duties. The U.S. also imposed two global safeguard measures during 
the period.  
3.49.   The recent use of trade measures under section 232  of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and 
section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 has also come under scrutiny of Members. These measures are 
a well -known part of the US ' strategy to protect its national security and strengthen its economy.  
3.50.   Whilst needing to be  cautious here given proceedings are underway, I think it is fair to note 
that the use of tariffs and other trade distorting measures, particularly at short notice, can impose 
costs beyond those of the tariffs themselves, as traders and investors shy away from uncertain 
global markets.  
3.51.   In recent times, uncertainty in global markets has increased with the use of such measures 
and countermeasures making it difficu lt for businesses to  track the imposition of tariffs; accurately 
predict costs; and establish tra ding relationships.  
3.52.   Many Members hope that all those involved in the current trade tensions will exercise caution 
and due restraint and find a way to settle differences quickly.  
Conclusion  
3.53.   In conclusion, the beauty of the WTO 's Trade Policy Review Mechanis m is that we are able to 
review the tr ade policy settings of all WTO M embers. In this, the 14th trade policy review of the 
United States, we are offered a valuable opportunity to review the actions of one of the most 
influential Members among us.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  3.54.   In that spirit, I look forward to constructive discussions today, and to the U nited States I offer 
my best wishes for your trade policy revi ew. 
  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4  STATEMENTS BY MEMBER S 
CHINA  
4.1.  It is great to see the USTR colleagues in Geneva. It brings me back the memories of the years 
of China 's accession negotiations to the WTO. The limited knowledge of the WTO I had at that time, 
about half of it came from the books, and another half came from the U.S. colleagues who were our 
counterparts in the accession negotiations. I remembe r one of the USTR colleagues told me proudly 
that "the GATT and WTO rules are in our blood ". Indeed, establishment of the WTO rules and 
development of the multilateral trading system to a large extent owes much to our colleagues from 
the United States.  
4.2.  Just over a month ago, one of the legendary figures in the American movie industry - Stan Lee 
- passed away. This is a great loss for all fans of comic movies around the world. Stan Lee co -created 
many superheroes that we know, including Spider -Man, the X -Men, Iron Man, and many others. My 
favourite is Spider -Man. What impressed me the most is not Spider -Man's superhuman abilities, but 
rather this line from the movie: "With great power comes great responsibility ". And Spider -Man 
certainly lived up to that.  
4.3.  This power and responsibility equation applies not only to the superheroes, but also to us as 
human beings and countries. Stan Lee passed away and took Spider -Man away. It is also unfortunate 
that we are seeing, since the last trade policy review, especia lly during the last year, a different 
America with severe mis -matched power and responsibility. An America that:  
• imposed "section 232 " measures on steel and aluminium products, allowing protectionism to 
be at large under the pretext of the so -called nation al security;  
• applied "section 301 " measures to vastly increase tariffs, bringing back to life the ghost of 
unilateralism that has been dormant for decades;  
• blocked the select ion of Appellate Body M embers, practically digging out the crown -jewel of 
the mul tilateral trading system.  
4.4.  For all M embers, I think it is hard to accept tariff increases on steel and aluminium products 
based on dubious national security concerns. We do not believe that the United States is not aware 
that its unilateral "section 301 " measures are inconsistent with its WTO commitments. And we cannot 
side with the statement that putting the Appellate Body in a paralysis will make it more effective.  
4.5.  Economic globalization brings opportunities as well as challenges, for all countries. In a 
competition, we cannot expect ourselves always to come out as the winner; in a cooperation, we 
cannot expect only to take and not to give; and in a negotiation, we cannot reach a mutually 
acceptable result only by exerting pressure.  
4.6.  We all need to address challenges of economic globalization. China needs to do so and the 
United States needs to do so. The right way is not to erect trade barriers, but rather to have 
initiatives domestically to help those most -affected to adjust, and to strengthen consultation  and 
coordination with trading partners so as to cultivate stable international environment for all. The 
same goes for the WTO. If the roof of this building is leaking, we should work together to fix it, 
rather than dismantling it and exposing all of us to  rains and storms.  
4.7.  Recently, China alo ng with the EU and a number of M embers tabled a joint proposal for the 
reform of the WTO Appellate Body. We very much hope that the United States will constructively 
engage in this discussion. Members have also shared their thoughts about the overall reform of the 
WTO, and in this regard, China has proposed three principles and five suggestions. We look forward 
to working together with all Members, including the United States, to push for necessary reforms at 
the WTO th rough consultations on equal grounds, to make this O rganization up -to-date with the 
realities, adaptable to the developments of the economic globalization and responsive to the 
expectations from the global business community.  
4.8.  Coming  back to the power and responsibility equation, whether it is a small family or an 
international organization, a top dog should act like a top dog. It cannot only see a narrow spectrum WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  of its own self -interest, and it certainly should not do whatever it wishes at the sacrifice o f the others. 
Please allow me to conclude with a quote from Winston Churchill 's speech at the Harvard University 
in 1943: "The price of greatness is responsibility... it has been, it will become indisputable in the 
future. The people of the United States c annot escape world responsibility ". 
EL SALVADOR  
4.9.  Relations between the United States and El Salvador remain close and strong in all areas. The 
United States is one of El Salvador's main partners politically and economically, and these ties are 
reflected in priority areas such as migration, security, the Partnership for Growth, Fomilenio I and  II, 
the Alliance for Prosperity and many other economic and trade development and cooperation 
projects.  
4.10.   Bilaterally, the United States continues to be El Salvador's mai n extra -regional trading 
partner, with our trade relations governed by the DR -CAFTA, which entered into force for both 
countries in 2006. Furthermore, the United States remains among the countries providing the most 
Aid for Trade to El Salvador, with the r ecent technical assistance and cooperation projects in trade 
facilitation standing out as examples.  
4.11.   More important to highlight are the ties that bind the United States and El Salvador beyond 
the level of trade, as more than two  million Salvadorans live in  the United States. Salvadorans now 
make up the third -largest Latino community in the United States, especially impressive for a country 
known as the "Tom Thumb" of the Americas.  
4.12.   The migration that began during El Salvador's 20 -year civil war and intensifi ed in more recent 
periods constitutes one of the main socio -economic challenges facing the country as our citizens 
continue to seek a better quality of life, including outside our borders.  
4.13.   Turning to the multilateral framework, El Salvador is concerned abo ut the United States' 
declining interest in some areas of the WTO's work, especially in outstanding issues on the 
negotiating agenda. We feel it is important to continue supporting and strengthening the multilateral 
trading system and promoting the WTO's r egular work, the negotiating agenda and the issues now 
at the forefront that will contribute to the relevance and continuity of the Organization.  
4.14.   As we have previously stated, the unilateral measures taken by the United States in the iron 
and steel sector,  the lingering doubts about their consistency with the WTO Agreements and the 
effects of those measures on world trade and on the ratcheting up of trade tensions are a matter of 
substantive and systemic concern.  
4.15.   We would also like to take this opportunity to urge the United States to work with the other 
Members to ensure the continuation and proper functioning of the Dispute Settlement Body and 
Appellate Body, one of the fundamental pillars of this Organization. For this purpose, we consider it 
necessary to  launch expedited selection processes for the Appellate Body vacancies.  
4.16.   In an unstable international environment, where protectionist measures are the order of the 
day, El Salvador, as a Member that firmly supports the multilateral trading system, calls on  the 
United States, the world's largest economy, to continue demonstrating leadership and work for the 
WTO's future.  
4.17.   In conclusion, I would like to wish the United States delegation every success in the country's 
fourteenth Trade Policy Review, to thank th em for the answers they provided to the questions we 
submitted and to mention that our Government has sent additional questions that we will be 
forwarding to them.  
COLOMBIA  
4.18.   Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States once wrote, "I never 
expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. The result of the deliberations of all collective 
bodies must necessarily be a compound, as well of the errors and prejudices, as of the good sense WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  and wisdom, of the individuals of whom they are com posed".1 Perhaps these reflections can help us 
assess some of the challenges and opportunities that we now face in the multilateral trading system. 
Despite not being perfect, the system that we operate under today, in which the United States has 
played a l eadership role, has helped lay the foundations for a period characterized above all by 
growth, economic integration, technological progress, poverty reduction and peace.  
4.19.   It is our hope that we can overcome the challenges created by current circumstances an d 
that, with the active participation of the world's largest economy, this Organization – which is so 
important for both developing and developed countries in a world of communicating vessels where 
problems easily transcend borders – will be strengthened.  
4.20.   Colombia highly values its historical and strategic partnership with the United States, which 
spans areas as varied as strengthening democracy, peacebuilding, the fight against drug trafficking 
and terrorism and, of course, promoting trade and bilateral in vestment, for which a free trade treaty 
has already been in force for six years.  
4.21.   Regarding this Trade Policy Review, Colombia is pleased to note the outstanding performance 
of the US economy, with 2018 being its ninth consecutive year of expansion. In 2017 , real GDP 
growth averaged 2.2 %, up from 1.6 % in 2016.  
4.22.   We are also pleased to note that the unemployment rate is at historic lows and that inflation 
has remained stable at the 2% annual target. However, the Federal Government deficit grew from 
2.2% of GDP in the prior review period to 3.5% in the current one, and this could raise some 
concerns in the medium and long term.  
4.23.   Overall, US exports have recovered, totalling USD 1.55 trillion after a severe contraction in 
2016. Imports of goods have also increased,  resulting in a wider trade deficit in gross terms, but not 
as a percentage of GDP, which decreased from 4.3% to 4.2% during the period in question.  
4.24.   The Secretariat report likewise indicates that the United States is the world's biggest exporter 
and import er of cross -border services and remains the top global investor, with the services and 
primary income balances showing important surpluses in 2017. In this overall picture, the recent 
stock market turbulence is one matter that is causing some concern and t hat we hope represents 
no more than a temporary adjustment.  
4.25.   At the bilateral level, the United States continues to be Colombia's main trading partner, with 
trade of around USD 24  billion annually. Despite the significant impact, in absolute terms, of the f all 
in prices of mining and energy products on Colombian exports to the United States, it is important 
to note the progressive diversification of our sales towards higher value -added products.  
4.26.   In this connection, we are concerned about certain measures tha t are affecting the 
performance of some value -added exports to the United States. These include the trade defence 
measures applied to citric acid and the Section 232 measures on steel and aluminium, which have 
had an impact on our sales in that market. Loo king forward, we are also concerned that we may be 
affected by possible Section 232 measures applied to cars and auto parts, another dynamic sector 
of Colombian industry.  
4.27.   With respect to agriculture, Colombia notes the increase in US subsidies to this sect or 
indicated in the Secretariat report. In particular, given the current tensions in world trade, we are 
concerned about the impact on international markets of the increased subsidies for crops used in 
ethanol and biodiesel production.  
4.28.   Colombia would also like to make mention of the United States' efforts to control illicit trade, 
also a priority issue for Colombia. The Secretariat report indicates that the Office of Foreign Assets 
                                                
1 "The Avalon Project: Federalist No.  85", accessed 12  December  2018 at: 
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed85.asp. "I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. 
The result  of the deliberations of all collective bodies must necessarily be a compound, as well of the errors and 
prejudices, as of the good sense and wisdom, of the individuals of whom they are composed ." WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  Control (OFAC) of the Department of the Treasury administers close to 30 pro grammes that involve 
economic and trade sanctions on practices related to illicit trade.  
4.29.   Colombia reiterates that it attaches importance to the ability of the WTO to address the trade 
challenges associated with those criminal practices from a multilateral perspective, on the basis of 
Members' experiences, so as to make a joint contribution to the fight against those activities.  
4.30.   For this Review, Colombia asked several questions about issues related to the foreign 
investment regime, trade defence measures, cu stoms procedures and the telecommunications 
sector, among others. We appreciate the replies received, which we have shared with our capital.  
4.31.   We end this statement by reiterating the importance Colombia attaches to its bilateral 
relations with the United St ates, its most important economic partner. In addition, we reiterate our 
interest in seeing constructive involvement by the United States in improving the multilateral trading 
system, which, while not free from complexities and problems, is the best founda tion available to all 
of us, as a global public good, for encouraging cooperation in the interests of inclusive growth and 
the well -being of our peoples.  
OMAN  
4.32.   The Sultanate of Oman and the United States enjoy strong political, economic and trade 
relations.  Bilateral trade has increased since the coming into force of the Oman -U.S. Free Trade 
Agreement in 2009. In 2017, Two -way trade in goods stood at USD  3.1 billion. U.S. exports of goods 
to Oman were USD  2.0 billion, and U.S. imports o f goods from Oman were  USD 1.1 billion. As of 
1 January 2018, all products became duty free under the agreement. United States ' investments in 
Oman have also grown and expanded. Oman highly values its relationship with the United States 
and expects the commercial relations betw een the two countries to grow and expand even further 
in the coming years.  
4.33.   Oman is pleased to note that the United States has attained impressive economic 
achievements during the period under review. GDP registered an increase of 2.2% in 2017 and 
continue d to grow at the same rate during the first quarter of 2018 before accelerating to an 
impressive 4.1% in the second quarter. Unemployment continued to decrease from 5.3% in 2015, 
to 4.9% in 2016 and 4.4% in 2017. Oman congratulates the U.S. on these positi ve developments . 
4.34.   The United States remains as the world 's main recipient of Foreign Direct Investment, and 
the largest foreign investor abroad. 74% of the accumulated U.S. FDI abroad is concentrated in 
high-income developed countries, and the share of inve stment going to developing countries has 
fallen. We hope that the U.S. will increase its share of investment in Oman and other developing 
countries.  
4.35.   The United States is the leading economy in the world. It is the number one importer of 
merchandise trade i n the world, the second highest exporter of merchandise and the number one 
importer and exporter of commercial services. Thus, U.S. trade policies have a sign ificant impact on 
world trade. The United States is an original M ember of the WTO. Since the incep tion of the WTO, 
the United States has always been renowned for having an outward -looking trade policy and for 
taking a leading role in s upporting an open and liberal, rules-based multilateral trading system. 
These trade policies have served the U.S. well in achieving one of the most diversified, resilient and 
developed economies in the World.  
4.36.   As we note with satisfaction U.S. commitment to the Multilateral Trading System, Oman takes 
note of the shift in the U.S. trade policy, and we watch with interest and  concern implementation of 
the new United States trade policy through five major pillars: supporting U.S. national security, 
strengthening the U.S. economy, negotiating better trade deals, aggressive enforcement of U.S. 
trade laws, and reforming the Multil ateral Trading System. In addition, The U.S. Government report 
mentions that the new nation al security strategy for the U.S. "makes it clear that the United states 
will not turn a blind eye to violations, che ating or economic aggression ", adding that the U.S. will 
use all possible tools to preserve national sovereignty and strengthen the U.S. economy.  
4.37.   The U.S. has seemingly changed tracks an d is now pursuing a more inward -looking trade 
policy. Tariffs have been increased on a number of goods on national sec urity grounds and a host of WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  measures initiated to protect domestic industry. A number of M embers have suggested that these 
measures are not in keeping with WTO rules and regulations. Dialogue and negotiations is the best 
way to address all members concerns . Protectionism and unilateral measures will lead to instability 
and unpredictability in international trade.  
4.38.   Having said that, we are encouraged by the importance that the United States attaches to 
enhancing the WTO 's monitoring function as well as ensur ing transparency. This is an indicative that 
the U.S. is committed to the WTO, especially given the importance of U.S. engagement in all 
negotiations, including on development issues. We also hope that the U.S. will engage positively 
with other WTO members  to find a satisfactory solution to the Appellate Body appointments. In this 
regard , we are happy to work with the U.S. and others in introducing the necessary reforms to the 
WTO that would increase its efficiency and permit all members to benefit.  
4.39.   Before we conclude, we would like to thank the U.S. delegation for replying to the question 
sent by Oman, and we w ould also like to thank the U.S. Government for the cooperation shown by 
the U.S. officials in Washington in finding a satisfactory solution to the i ncreased tariffs on steel and 
aluminium from Oman.  
4.40.   To conclude, the delegation of the Sultanate of Oman,  once again , would like to reiterate its 
appreciation to the United States Government and the Secretariat for their hard work in preparing 
for today 's meeting and wishes the United States a successful 14th trade policy review.  
JAPAN  
4.41.   We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the dedic ated efforts made by the 
United  States and the WTO Secretariat in preparing the trade reports for today 's review . Meanwhile, 
we just received answers from the United States to our written questions. We will carefully look at 
them, and , if we have further concerns , we will submit additional questions.  
4.42.   Japan acknowledges and greatly appreciates the historical contribu tion of the United States 
to upholding and strengthening the multilateral trading system since the establishment of the GATT.  
4.43.   We are aware of the concerns raised by the United States with regard to the functioning of 
the WTO, and share the view that the WTO today faces serious challenges in addressing issues 
regarding international trade. This is exactly why WTO reform is needed.   
4.44.   The United States has already been playing its part in the reform. The U.S. co -sponsored, 
together with the EU, Japan and other Members, a transparency and notification proposal in 
November.  
4.45.   The U.S., the EU and Japan have also been discussing how to st rengthen rules on industrial 
subsidies and other issues in order to secure a level playing field through removal of market -
distorting measures.  
4.46.   As for the U.S. Section 301 measures, Japan is paying close attention to the development of 
U.S.-China relation s.   
4.47.   We are also aware of U.S. concerns over the dispute settlement system, in particular, its 
Appellate Body. Following the recent discussions in the General Council meeting, Japan will actively 
engage in focused discussions on this matter with other WTO Members, including the United States, 
in order to restore and improve the proper functioning of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.  
4.48.   Japan also shares U.S. concerns about data -localization requirements and other issues arising 
from digitalization of inter national trade. In this regard, Japan welcomes the strong commitment 
and great contribution by the United States to the Joint Statement initiative on e -commerce.  
4.49.   Japan appreciates the U.S. efforts for open and free trade in services in general. Japan 
believes, however, that the United States can improve its commitments in maritime transport 
services, especially in terms of its scheduling and reservation.  
4.50.   We reiterate our concerns over the restriction on market entry based on the Jones Act.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.51.   In addition, we  are aware that a bill for the Energizing American Shipbuilding Act was 
submitted to the Congress. This bill requires a certain percentage of LNG and crude oil exports from 
the United States to be transported on U.S. -built and U.S. -flag vessels. We believe  that such 
legislation is not in line with the spirit of free trade.  
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, USMCA  
4.52.   We deeply regret the Section 232  measures on steel and aluminium.  Such measures disrupt 
the global market and have a negative impact on the multilateral trading system. To this effect, we 
call for the exclusion of Japanese products from the Section 232 measures on steel and aluminum. 
Also, if such measures are imposed on autos and auto parts, their effects would be much more 
severe.  
4.53.   Steel, aluminum, autos and auto parts from Japan have never been and will never be a threat 
to U.S. national security, but rather have contributed to U.S. industries and job creation.  
4.54.   We are concerned about the potential spread of trade restricting measures under the pretext 
of national security. Tit -for-tat measures of trade restriction will not benefit any country. Japan 
opposes measures that might lead to managed trade.  
4.55.   Japan expects that the USMCA will lead to liberalization and stable development of trad e in 
North America. At the same time, we are strongly concerned about application of the Rule of Origin 
that has been stricter than ever and the existence of side letters that anticipate the future 
implementation of further measures on Section 232. We woul d like to reiterate that all trade related 
measures must be consistent with the WTO agreements.  
4.56.   As well, we have continuous concerns regarding several specific issues.  
4.2  Section 201 of Trade Act of 1974  
4.57.   We are aware that solar cell products are under review  for exclusion from the Section 201 
measure, and we emphasize that the review should be carried out in a prompt and fair manner. We 
will continue to pay close attent ion to the relevant procedures.  
Sunset Clause  
4.58.   We welcome the sunset review of the anti -dump ing measure on Japanese stainless -steel bars. 
The U.S. G overnment has, however, repeatedly extended the period of anti -dumping measures 
against other products made in Japan. We call for the United States to quickly remove unfairly 
prolonged anti -dumping me asures.  
Other issues  
4.59.   Japan remains interested in other U.S. measures raised in our bilateral talks, including the 
implementation of the Byrd Amendment and that of Buy American provisions as well as the 
prolonged period of time necessary for issuing work vi sas. 
4.60.   I would like to conclude my statement by expressing , once again , our appreciation for the 
U.S. commitment to the multilateral trading system. We have watched the flag of free trade waving 
over the Land of the Free through perilous moments. The flag sh ould never be taken down. Japan 
is ready to work with the United States to further strengthen the free and fair-trade  system.  
4.61.   We wish the United States a successful and productive TPR.  
COSTA  RICA 
4.62.   Costa Rica would like to highlight the importance of the Un ited States' leadership and active 
participation in the WTO. The United States is a founding Member of the Organization and its 
leadership is key to preserving and strengthening the multilateral trading system that the WTO 
oversees. The US economy is the l argest in the world and is deeply integrated into international WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  markets. The United States is also the leading exporter and importer of commercial services 
worldwide, and the world's biggest importer and second -biggest exporter of goods.  
4.63.   The United States is, moreover, Costa Rica's main trading partner. Historically it has been and 
today still is by far the leading destination for Costa Rica's goods exports to the world and the main 
supplier of imports to our country. Over the last decade, bilateral trade b etween our two  countries 
has been vibrant and on the upswing, with an average annual growth rate of 3.6%.  
4.64.   Our economies are largely complementary and our increased trade has been underpinned 
over the years by a shared vision and the strengthening of instit utions that facilitate and bolster 
communication between the authorities of the two countries, particularly since the 
Dominican  Republic -Central America -United States Free Trade Agreement (DR -CAFTA) entered into 
force in Costa Rica on 1  January  2009. Our b ilateral agenda has been strengthened under a systemic 
approach based on cooperation and transparency, two key pillars for improving trade governance in 
the region and maximizing growth opportunities in our countries.  
4.65.   We are grateful for US efforts in prom oting and setting benchmarks for trade -related 
capacity -building and knowledge transfer. Costa Rica particularly welcomes the creation and 
implementation of technical assistance programmes in agriculture and sanitary and phytosanitary 
matters and the pract ice of timely notification of information and training opportunities regarding 
adjustments in US domestic legislation. The cooperation in customs administration – intended to 
boost bilateral technical assistance and improve communications between our Gover nments, thereby 
facilitating trade between our countries – should also be highlighted.  
4.66.   According to the Government report, real GDP growth averaged 2.2% in 2017, marking the 
US economy's ninth consecutive year of expansion. This reflects a very positive tr end, as any change 
in the world's largest and most integrated economy has far -reaching implications for the other 
economies of the world. At the same time, the IMF notes the possibility that the increase in the 
federal deficit may trigger a faster -than-expected rise in inflation, prompting a more rapid rise in 
interest rates that could, in turn, increase market volatility both in the United States and abroad. 
The Secretariat report also stresses the need to increase productivity, which has grown little in 
recent years and is essential to ensuring sustained long -term economic growth. On this point, the 
OECD indicates that the causes of the United States' low productivity growth could include a lack of 
knowledge spillovers among firms.  
4.67.   With respect to market a ccess, we note that the US tariff structure shows little or no tariff 
escalation, although there are still products with significant tariff peaks, particularly in agriculture. 
Furthermore, the United States' active role in the agriculture negotiations of t he market access pillar 
and its leadership in promoting transparency and certainty in the rules on maximum residue limits 
in trade in agricultural products deserve our recognition. Costa Rica, the United States and 15 other 
Members signed a declaration on this issue at the Eleventh Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, 
which we will continue to promote in the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  
4.68.   We also share with the United States the view that the multilateral trade agenda should be 
moved forward to include the challenges stemming from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including 
the e-commerce agenda and possible negotiations under the Joint Statement Initiative. Costa Rica 
also agrees with the United States that compliance with the tran sparency and notification obligations 
under the WTO Agreements needs to be improved, and we have co -sponsored a proposal in this 
regard.  
4.69.   With respect to government procurement, the United States has a policy that encourages the 
participation of small and m edium -sized enterprises. However, there is room to strengthen the 
support programmes for entrepreneurs. It would be very helpful to know what efforts are currently 
being made to promote capacity -building in order to help small and medium -sized enterprises 
participate successfully in the digital economy.  
4.70.   This Review can also be an opportunity to learn more about how the United States integrates 
women's economic empowerment, particularly in trade, into its policies. Both reports make a 
connection between issu es relating to gender and those relating to small and medium -sized 
enterprises, since some of the beneficiaries of government procurement policies are, precisely, 
women -owned small businesses.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.71.   Another point to highlight is that, according to the Secretaria t report, 80% of US energy 
demand is met through the combustion of fossil fuels and less than 20% through renewable energy. 
It is also noted that the United States does not yet have a national target for renewable energy or 
an explicit federal support mech anism, although several states have renewable portfolio standards 
or binding targets in this area. In this regard, it would be helpful to have more details on whether 
the United States is considering implementing specific policies at the federal level to e ncourage the 
use of renewable energy and reduce the dependence on fossil fuel energy.  
4.72.   In connection with this Review, Costa Rica submitted a number of specific questions to the 
United States, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the  attention the 
questions were given. We will examine their responses in detail and seek appropriate follow -up 
where required.  
SWITZERLAND  
4.73.   In light of the vicissitudes of the current trade environment, it is easy to overlook the fact 
that the U.S. trade policy has born for a long time the hallmarks of stability and openness.  
4.74.   The MFN tariff regime hardly ever undergoes significant changes. Compared with other 
Members, the average applied rate is among the lowest. A tariff bill foreseeing the suspens ion of 
duties on a large number of products has been signed into law recently. Mindful of the principle of 
national treatment, federal legislation establishes the obligation to treat imported goods no less 
favourably than like domestic products, especially  when it comes to standards -related activities. 
Moreover, notwithstanding some exceptions, the U.S. framework for attracting foreign direct 
investment remains liberal and predictable. Finally, I would like to underline the openness of most 
of the services sectors in which many U.S. companies are world leaders.  
4.75.   So, we take it seriously when a traditional free -trader and a bedrock of open markets suddenly 
resorts to unconventional ways and means. We are taken aback when extraordinary unilateral 
measures are i mposed. Even when particular grievances are at play. Members should resolve their 
differences through dialogue and negotiations, including through WTO bodies and, as appropriate, 
recourse to dispute settlement. Switzerland stands ready to support any refor m effort to overcome 
the current trade tensions and improve the WTO.  
4.76.   Switzerland also fails to see how its state -of-the-art but rather small niche industry for steel 
and aluminum can pose a threat to the national security of the US. Furthermore, we call u pon the 
U.S. to unblock the appointment of Appellate Body members without further delay. Within this 
context, we have sensed a widespread willingness to address the concerns raised by the U.S. as 
regards the functioning of the dispute settlement system. A solution -focus process conducted under 
the auspices of the General Council would be the best way forward. We hope that the modalities for 
such a process will be agreed by the end of this week.  
4.77.   Now, turning to the overall economic picture, it is unlikely th at the trade policies taken by the 
U.S. Government will do much to alter the imbalance within the country 's balance of payments. 
Gross national savings look set to stay weak relative to the economy 's investment rate. A pro -cyclical 
fiscal policy combined w ith a less accommodative monetary policy will induce foreign investors in 
search of higher yields and safe assets to finance America 's growing budget deficit. All of these 
factors put together will probably compound either the trade or current account defi cit of the world 's 
largest economy. At the same time, they will make sure that its capital account generates the 
necessary surpluses.  
4.78.   Naturally, the U.S. private sector will remain a favourite destination for foreign investors as 
well – not least for those  coming from Switzerland. Switzerland is one of the biggest foreign investors 
in the US. Swiss investors directly employ close to half a million people in the country. Swiss 
companies operating in the U.S. attach great importance to training professional s kills, not least in 
the manufacturing sector. Only two weeks ago, the U.S. and Switzerland signed another 
Memorandum of Understanding on advancing apprenticeship and technical education. This is 
important, especially to help stem labour force participation  decline and to facilitate the re -
attachment of workers who have left the labour force. Switzerland  is also exploring with the U.S. 
Government new ways to deepen our trade relations.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.79.   Like others, Switzerland submitted a number of questions in writing. It i s important for us to 
know more about the way rules of origin are applied by the U.S. authorities. We would also like to 
encourage the U.S. to notify the latest changes to the Harmonised Tariff Schedule. Finally, we are 
particularly interested in the repli es regarding the so -called Section 232 investigations.  
4.80.   In any event, we wish the U.S. delegation a successful conclusion of this trade policy review.  
EUROPEAN  UNION  
4.81.   At the last Trade Policy Review of the United States two years ago, a month before Preside nt 
Trump was sworn into office, I ended the EU statement with the hope that the protectionist rhetoric 
would end once the President -elect had taken office. Today, unfortunately, rhetoric has turned into 
reality and the repercussions of tariffs and other re strictions are b eing felt at the heart of this 
Organiz ation, and more generally in global growth prospects.  
4.82.   The U.S. has shaped the global trading system decisively since the early days of the GATT , 
leading multilateral liberaliz ation by example and helpi ng to develop the sophisticated rules that 
underwrite international economic relations today. This leadership has driven much of the 
phenomenal growth of prosperity across the world over the last decades. In deciding to use tariffs 
as a central plank of it s new trade policy, and in suggesting that trade wars can have winners, the 
U.S. is putting these achievements at risk.  
4.83.   The multilateral trading system is in a deep crisis and the United States is at its epicentre for 
a number of reasons.  
4.84.   First, it is th e most important trading partner of many Members. For example, the EU and 
U.S. trade about a trillion euros worth of goods and services each year, and we have the largest and 
most integrated investment relationship in the world. Because of its economic wei ght and influence, 
any turns in U.S. trade policy deeply affect its trading partners.  
4.85.   Second, the U.S. has consistently sought to uphold WTO rules, and ambivalence about their 
value casts a long shadow to the future. As the saying goes, confidence comes on foot but leaves 
on horseback, and this applies to our collective trust in the stability of our institutions as well.  
4.86.   We read the U.S. Government report with great interest and some concern. We were struck 
by its tone, in particular. Words like "aggressi on", "cheating ", "defence " and "threat " are unusual 
vocabulary for a WTO Member describing its trade relationships and strategy in a TPR. We were 
surprised about the remark that "for too long, the rules of global trade have been tilted against U.S. 
workers  and businesses "2, considering that the United States played a big – if not the biggest 
individual – role in crafting the provisions of the GATT. In fact, the U.S. was a key actor during the 
Uruguay Round, which led to the GATS and the TRIPS Agreement, inter alia , of which the 
United  States was the strongest proponent. The emphasis in the Government report on bilateral 
trade balances, "buy national " policies, increased unilateralism, and recourse to national security 
exceptions to pursue narrow industrial p olicies has also caught us off guard.  
4.87.   However, the EU and many other  Members – in the G20 and beyond – do agree with the U.S. 
that the multilateral trading system has fallen far behind expectations and needs to be reformed 
urgently. As we need to move from  the current impasse to a new contractual relationship, we are 
eager to get to the next stage, in which the U.S. can convey its vision for the WTO 's direction of 
travel, and puts forward concrete proposals for reforming the WTO.  
4.88.   The EU deeply regrets the current crisis in the Appellate Body. But we do not share the US ' 
assessment that one reason for the WTO 's shortcomings is that "activist judges impose their own 
policy and institutional preferences on Members ".3 The task of the WTO dispute settlement body  is 
to apply and interpret relevant WTO rules independently and impartially, and the DSB has been 
faithful to its mandate. This said, we acknowledge concerns with certain aspects of its functioning. 
For this reason, the European Union, together with 11 oth er Members, presented proposals for the 
                                                
 2 US Government report (WT/TPR/G/382), page 5, paragraph 1 .5. 
 3 US Government report (WT/TP R/G/382), page 5, paragraph 1.8.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  amendment of the Dispute Settlement Understanding4 to the General Council last week. We look 
forward to engaging on these proposals quickly, as the number of remaining Appellate Body judges 
kept falling as the months  have passed.  
4.89.   In this spirit, the EU would like to work with th e U.S. and all Members to moderniz e the WTO 
through dialogue and negotiation, and discourage unilateralism, disengagement or an "aggressive 
enforcement of [national] trade laws "5 at the cost o f bending WTO rules. Harm to the independence 
of adjudicators will not lead to reform but rather to a collapse of the multilateral trading system that 
has benefitted us all.  
4.90.   We take heart from reading that the U.S. "wants to help build a better multilatera l trading 
system and will remain active in the WTO "6. Indeed, the U.S. is one of the most active Members in 
the work of the regular committees as well as ongoing negotiations; it shows leadership and 
commitmen t to the objectives of this Organiz ation in the  implementation of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, e -commerce negotiations and many other area s. The EU is pleased to have 
co-sponsored with the U.S. and others a proposal on improving notification compliance in trade in 
goods and wants to continue this constructive cooperation in  other areas in need of moderniz ation. 
We are equally heartened to see that despite its critique the U.S. continues to use the dispute 
settlement system, which to us reflects a continued underlying be lief in the value of the WTO.  
4.91.   Allow me to highlight some of the written questions the EU has submitted to the United St ates 
on various specific issues.  
4.92.   We remain concerned about the limitations on the U.S. procurement market, in particular 
through "Buy American " legislation.  
4.93.   Another long-standing EU concern is the low uptake of international standards developed by 
ISO/IEC7 in the US, resulting in unnecessary trade barriers.  
4.94.   Insufficient protection of Geographical Indications has also given rise to questions.  
4.95.   We reiterate our concerns  over the Jones Act, which puts heavy restrictions on maritime 
transport but has implications far beyond this sector.  
4.96.   On agricultural support, we are looking for clarifications and reassurances regarding the 
USD 12 billion package of so -called trade mitiga tion programmes announced in July.  
4.97.   The world is also closely following U.S. regional and bilateral trade policy, in particular the 
recent signature of the US -Mexico -Canada Agreement (USMCA). The EU must express concern about 
certain aspects of this ag reement which affect other WTO M embers, such as the new rules of origin 
in the automotive sector which, in our view, do not reflect either the spirit or the rules of this 
organisation.   
4.98.   The European Union looks forward to continuing  working with the United St ates in a sense of 
shared responsibility to strengthen th e multilateral trading system. On behalf of the EU, I wish the 
United States a productive review.  
CANADA  
4.99.   Canada values this collaborative approach to examining key themes and questions with a view 
to enabling practical exchanges of information on our bilateral commercial rel ations with the 
United  States. We also appreciate the importance of participating in the trade policy review process, 
which is a vital function of the WTO 's leadership role in faci litating and safeguarding trade. Further, 
we would like to acknowledge the critical leadership role that the United States has historically played 
in the development and maintenance of an effective rules -based mul tilateral trading system.  
                                                
 4 WT/GC/W/752 and WT/GC/W/753 . 
 5 US Government report, page 4, paragraphs 1.6 -1.7: "Aggressive Enforcement of U.S. Trade Laws ". 
 6 US Government report, page 5, paragraphs 1.8 . 
 7 Interna tional Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission . WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.100.   The Canada U.S. bilateral trading relationship is a model of free and fair trade that  delivers 
prosperity and jobs. Indeed, our trade and investment relationship supports over 8.8 mill ion jobs in 
the United States. Canada is the largest  export market for thirty -six U.S. states, and we rank second 
or third for  most of the remaining states. Canada is also an  important investor in the U.S. In 2017, 
Canadi an direct investment in the U.S. was nearly USD 505 billion. But Canada and the United States 
do not just trade finished g oods; we build products together. Forty -five percent of U.S. merchandise 
imports from Canada are i nputs for further processing. We affirm the importance of building on this 
existing strong foundation for trade and investment and further deepening our relat ionship, with the 
common goal of st rengthening the middle class.  
4.101.   The Canada -United States -Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) signed on 30 November will 
modernize and stabilize the North American economy for the 21st century, promoting economic 
opportunities for the nearly half a billion peop le who call North America home. Canada and the U.S. 
understand that the CUSMA will support good, middle -class jobs and reinforce the strong economic 
ties between the Parties.  
4.102.   Given the integrated nature of Canada 's com mercial rel ationship with the US , we are acutely 
aware that legislative and policy actions can greatly impac t trade between our countries. Canada 
and the U.S. continue to seek to resolve such issues through bilat eral cooperation. For example, the 
Canada -U.S. Regulato ry Cooperation Council is a practical and proven bilateral forum for resolving 
regulatory barriers and improving business investment between Canada and the United States. We 
both recognize the importance of cooperation to promote economic growth, provide b enefits to our 
consumers and businesses, and advance free and fair trade.  
4.103.   However, certain U.S. policies continue to impede the full efficiency of the free market as 
well as the international competitiveness of companies  on both sides of the border. We wou ld like 
to highlight three areas of concern to Canada: the misuse of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion 
Act; Buy America domestic content requirements; and, duties on Canadian softwood lumber.  
4.104.   First, we are very concerned that the United States has sought to use the GATT Article XXI 
national security exemption to justify i ts steel and aluminum tariffs. The U . cannot rely on GATT 
Article XXI to defend those tariffs, because the motivation for those tariffs is not for any of the listed 
purposes set out in GAT T XXI (such as relating to trade in arms). Further, Canada is very concerned 
that the United States will continue to use the national security exemption to restrict trade on other 
products, or that other countries might follow its lead to use the national security exemption  to 
restrict legitimate trade. Canada calls for the United States to remove the steel and aluminum tariffs 
on an urgent basis.  
4.105.   Second, Buy America requirements continue to be a trade barrier to the efficient and deeply 
integrated cross -border supply chains that  exist between Canada and the US. These supply chains, 
which small and medium sized businesses rely on, create jobs for the Canadi an and American middle 
class. We have raised this long standing issue during the 2014 Trade Policy R eview where we 
underlined our concern over the expansion of Buy America requirements to the water and 
wastewater sector, in addition to those already applied in the transportation, and infr astructure 
sectors. Unfortunately, this issue persists today and has ev en been highlighted i n the Executive 
Order entitled Buy American -Hire American  signed on 18 April 2017.  
4.106.   The third area of concern to Canada is related to softwood lumber, which was also raised at 
the last  trade policy review process. Canada is disappointed  with the U.S. decisions to impose 
unjustified duties on imports of Canadian softwood lumber. We are convinced that these decisions 
are inconsistent with the United States ' international tra de obligations under the WTO. Our 
arguments have proven successful several times before at the WTO, and we believe this will again 
be the case.  
4.107.   The Secretariat 's report confi rms the central role that the U.S. economy continues to play in 
global trade.  For this reason, Canada is determ ined to work with t he United States and other WTO 
Members to ensure the continued success of the multilateral rules -based trading system that the 
United States has le d and championed for decades. We must continue to promote transparency 
exercises like this  one, while refraining from taking actions that would lead to more uncertainty and, 
ultimately, would deter investments and endanger jobs.  Canada supports ongoing reform efforts to 
facilitate the liberalization of market economies worldwide and we recogniz e the U.S. efforts towa rd WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  reshaping multilateralism. We call upon the U.S. to remain engaged in the creation and promotion 
of improved international trade and investment rules that will support growth in the U.S., Canada 
and around the world.  
4.108.   Canada appre ciates the United States ' efforts to ensure its transparency commitments to 
WTO Members are fulfilled. By doing so, it is supporting the WTO 's monitoring fun ction and the 
ability of other M embers to understand the policy action s taken by the United States.  Canada also 
applauds the continuous and p roactive participation of the U.S. in the committee work of the WTO. 
In this regard, we recognize the consistent support and initiative of the United States to enliven the 
discussions and make the m as substantive a s possible. We also note positively the active role of the 
United States in the MC11 joint init iative on Electronic Commerce. We urge the U.S. to maintain this 
constructive engagement to address  issues raised by it and other M embers on the dispute settleme nt 
mechanism, and to end its block on the initiation of a proces s to select new Appellate Body M embers.  
4.109.   We appreciate the opportunity for this productive and constructive exchange of views on al l 
aspects of U.S. trade policy. We have submitted a number of questions and look forward to reviewing 
the responses provided by the United States.  We wish the delegation the utmost success during this 
review process.  
THAILAND  ON BEHALF  OF ASEAN  
4.110.   ASEAN 's trade and investment ties with the United States remained strong over the review 
period.  
4.111.   In 2017, total merchandise trade between ASEAN and the U .S. grew by 10%, and reached 
USD 233.1 billion. This accounted for 9% of ASEAN 's total trade, making the U.S. the third largest 
trading partner of ASEAN, and ASEAN the fourth largest trading partner of the U.S.  
4.112.   Foreign Direct Investment flows from t he U.S. to ASEAN amounted to USD  5.4 billion, placing 
the U.S. as ASEAN 's fourth largest external source of FDI.  
4.113.   These numbers have the potential to grow as ASEAN and the U.S. work to promote stronger 
business and trade ties, and strengthen our cooperation activities.  
4.114.   ASEAN and the U.S. have made good progress in the implementation of our cooperation 
programmes, suc h as the 2017 -2018 ASEAN -U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement 
(TIFA) and the Expanded Economic Engagement (E3) Initiatives Work Plan. In particular, ASEAN 
welcomes the concrete progress achieved in the implementation of the ASEAN Single Window, and 
other trade facilitation initiatives, with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development 
(USAID) 's US-ASEAN Connectivity through Trade and Investment (US -ACTI) programme.  
4.115.   We also welcome the progress in the implementation of the ASEAN -U.S. Connect Initiative, 
and the launch of the ASEAN -U.S. Internship Programme in June 2018, which provides internship 
opportunities in U.S. companies based in ASEAN countries.  
4.116.   ASEAN looks forward to working with the U.S. in new areas of cooperation. For instance, a 
new technical assistance programme for ASEAN, the ASEAN -USAID Inclusive Growth in ASEAN 
through Innovation, Trade, and E -Commerce (IGNITE), will further facilitate trade in goods and 
services; strengthen institutional structures and policies to  further improve entrepreneurship; and 
promote the use of science, technology, and innovation to drive inclusive economic growth.  
4.117.   These programmes will contribute positively to ASEAN 's ongoing efforts to build the ASEAN 
Economic Community (AEC) and the imp lementation of the AEC Blueprint 2025.   
4.118.   ASEAN and the U.S. also have good working relations at the WTO. ASEAN appreciates the 
commitment of the U.S. to further improve the institution, including through its proposal aimed at 
transparency and strengthen no tification requirements under WTO Agreements. We look forward to 
working together with the U.S. to ensure that the rule -based multilateral trading system, embodied 
by the WTO, remains at the core of international trade relations, including by resolving the  impasse 
of the selection process of the Appellate Body members at the soonest.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.119.   Last but not least, ASEAN congratulates the U.S. for conducting an efficient and effective 
TPR and wishes the U.S. every success in their fourteenth TPR.  
THAILAND  
4.120.   Thailand and  the United States have maintained strong, wide ranging, and mutually 
beneficial economic relations. The United States has always been a major trading partner for 
Thailand. We are pleased to highlight that in 2017, the United States was Thailand 's third la rgest 
trading partner in t he world with trade value of USD  41.5 billion, expanding by 14% from 2016. 
Turning to investment, the United States has been one of our top external sources of foreign direct 
investment with FDI flows of USD  180 million in 2017.  
4.121.   The United States has always been a key and invaluable contributor to the WTO. It has 
played a leading role in many discussions and negotiations in both multilateral and plurilateral fronts, 
including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, the expanded Informati on Technology Agreement, and 
the Ministerial Decision on Export Competition. As the world 's largest economy, we hope that the 
United States will continue to lead in promoting trade liberalization; pushing the ongoing 
negotiations forward; and strengthening  rules-based multilateral trading system.  
4.122.   Thailand highly commends the United States ' efforts in implementing several trade 
facilitation measures during the review period. It was among the early ratifiers of the TFA in 2015.  
4.123.   Thailand also commends the Uni ted States ' constant efforts to promote economic growth as 
can be seen in the form of unilateral preferences extended to LDCs as well as developing countries, 
including Thailand, through programmes such as the GSP.  
4.124.   In this review, Thailand submitted quite  a number of questions to the United States, covering 
the policies and measures of our interests such as General E -Commerce Law, intellectual property 
law, GIs protection, trade remedy measures, Section 232 investigations, Implementation of Seafood 
Import Monitoring Program, and competition policy. We would like to the United States for timely 
response to our questions and will study them in detail with great interest.  
4.125.   In conclusion, Thailand would like to express our appreciation to the United States for t he 
cooperation in every level and the constructive working relationship between our two Missions here 
in Geneva. We wish the United States every succ ess in this trade policy review . 
REPUBLIC  OF KOREA  
4.126.   Allow me to start with the remarks on the bilateral rela tions between Korea and the U.S. The 
U.S. has been for many decades Korea 's major economic and strategic partner. The KORUS FTA 
which entered into force in 2012 has further upgraded and strengthened our bilateral economic 
relationship. The KORUS FTA remain s one of the most substantial agreements in terms of the scope 
and depth of the covered market access and trade volume.  
4.127.   This year, Korea and the U.S. have entered a new stage of economic partnership with the 
amendment of the KORUS FTA by adding our new co mmercial interests and reflecting the economic 
situations in the areas of, for example, automobile trade, textile, pharmaceuticals and customs. Both 
trade ministers signed the KORUS amendment on 24 September this year. On the same day, our 
two leaders reaf firmed the importance of the KORUS FTA for maintaining strong, mutually beneficial 
trade and economic ties. Just ten days ago, on 7 December, the Korean National Assembly ratified 
the amendment. And the amendment is expected to enter into force on 1 Januar y 2019. We hope 
to see our bilateral trade and investment continue to expand even to the energy sector and our 
cooperation strengthened for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.  
4.128.   We commend the United States on enhancing transparency for its domestic consultat ion 
process in the making of trade policies and measures through active engagement with different 
stakeholders. We also appreciate the U.S. initiatives for its trade -related capacity building for 
developing countries in several areas.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.129.   While appreciating su ch efforts, we would like to raise our concerns on U.S. trade policies 
regarding the Section 232 measures on automobiles and automobile parts and the certain issues of 
anti-dumping investigations.  
4.130.   First, I would like to voice some concerns over the Section  232 measures on automobiles. 
Based on Section 232 of the  Trade Expansion Act, the U.S. G overnment has currently investigated 
whether importing foreign automobiles and automobile parts threatens its national security, citing 
that such import has reduced au to-related jobs and R&D activities in the U.S. domestic market.  
4.131.   However, to qualify for national security exception as afforded by the WTO Agreements, the 
Section 232 measu res, as considered by the U.S. G overnment, must satisfy the requirements under 
Article XXI of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) on national security exception.  
4.132.   The prevailing interpretation of essential security interest under Article XXI of the GATT has 
been generally understood to provide a narrow exception for genuinel y essential security measures, 
in order to guard against the imposition of trade barriers for commercial or political purposes under 
the guise of national security  
4.133.   Expanding the scope of the requirement under Article XXI may well trigger cascading abuses 
of exceptions and may also weaken the multilateral trading system. Accordingly, we request that 
the Section 232 measures be taken in conformity with relevant WTO pra ctice and interpretation of 
Article XXI of the GATT.  
4.134.   Korea would also like to raise the issue of the U.S. application of "adverse facts available " 
and the "particular market situation " adjustment in conducting anti -dumping investigations.  
4.135.   With regard to t he "adverse facts available, " Korea has significant concerns on the excessive 
discretion of the investigating authority in applying the clause. We request that the United States 
apply the "adverse facts available " clause in accordance with the WTO Anti -dumping Agreement, in 
particular Article 6.8.  
4.136.   Moreover, Korea also has deep concerns as the United States has been expanding and 
repeating the application of the "particular market situation " adjustment on Korean steel pipe 
products, ever since it has applied  the "particular market situation " adjustment on the Final Results 
of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of OCTG (oil country tub ular goods) from Korea in 
April 2017.  
4.137.   Arbitrary applications of the "particular market situation " adjustment on Korean ste el 
products by the U.S. may be inconsistent with the WTO Anti -Dumping  Agreement, especially 
Article 2.2.1.1; therefore, we would like to request the U.S. to apply the clause in a least -trade 
distortive way.  
4.138.   Finally, we also thank the U.S. for its responses  on our written questions on the issues of 
TBTs, agriculture as well as the Section 232 measures which I have already raised. We look forward 
to further consultations with the U.S. for an enhanced mutual understanding.  
4.139.   Korea also shares strong belief that a stable and open trade policy under the multilateral 
trading system contributes to improving the welfare of the peoples of all the member countries. It 
is important that the U.S. continue to play a vital role in strengthening the multilateral trading 
system. 
4.140.   I would like to conclude by expressing my sincere appreciation to the U.S. delegation for its 
hard work and wishing the delegation every success in its TPR.  
BRAZIL  
4.141.   The U.S. is a key partner for Brazil, bilaterally as well as in fora such as the G20 an d the 
WTO. It now ranks second among our main trade partners, if you take the EU Member States 
individually. Very importantly to us, the U.S. is one of the main destinations for Brazilian industrial 
products, breaking the classical pattern of a developed c ountry importing lower value -added goods 
from developing countries and selling high value -added products in exchange.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.142.   According to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services, in 
2018, from January to November, the U.S. importe d USD  26.2 billion from Brazil. In 2 017, our 
exports amounted to USD  26.8 billion. As a share of total exports, the U.S. has reached 12% in 
2018 so far.  
4.143.   To illustrate that point, I can refer to ov erall manufactured products (USD 6.75 billion, from 
January  to November 2018, the U.S. being our first export destination), transport machinery and  
equipment (USD 8.20 billion, the second destination, behind Ar gentina), chemical products 
(USD  2.13 billion in 2018, also the first destination). On specific goods, it  is worth highlighting our 
exports o f airplanes and their parts (USD 1.91 billion) as well as non -electric motors and machinery 
(USD 1.85 billion).  
4.144.   On the importing side, Brazil has been an increasingly significant buyer of American goods, 
totalling USD 26.3 billion from January to November this year. For the whole year of 2017, our 
imports from the U.S. reached USD 24.8 billion, a figure that shows how mutually beneficial our 
bilateral trade is.  
4.145.   The importance of our bilateral economic relations goes beyo nd trade. According to Brazilian 
Central Bank data, in 2016 the American FDI stock in Brazil rea ched USD 103.6 billion. It is not a 
one-way road, as Brazil has provided an FDI stock of USD 42.8 billion in the U.S. in 2017, according 
to the U.S. BEA. The U.S. is the second destination of Brazilian investment, and our companies were 
responsible for 78,000 jobs there in 2016.  
4.146.   We would like to commend the U.S. for maintaining an overall open MFN trade regime. The 
Secretariat 's report shows us that it has a simp le tariff average of 4.8%, virtually without any 
changes since 2009. 37.5% of the tariff lines are duty -free, and other 30.4% are subject to duties 
below 5%.  
4.147.   Agriculture, however, continues to be an exception to this most welcome pattern. The simple 
tariff average for agricultural goods was 9.4% in 2018, and the U.S. keeps tariffs over 100% in the 
case of products such as dairy, tobacco and peanuts.  
4.148.   U.S. domestic support policies for agriculture are another continuous issue of concern for us. 
The OECD c alculated, in 2017, a PSE of USD 39.6 billion for the US, signific antly higher than its PSE 
of USD 29.9 billion in 2008. Milk, maize, refined sugar, soybeans, and cotton have been the main 
commodities benefited.  
4.149.   Under WTO criteria, we see high levels of Amber  Box support in the American latest 
notifications. For the marketin g year 2015, the U.S. notified USD 17.2 billion in product -specific and 
non-product specifi c support. Its AMS usage was USD 3.8 billion. In the marketing ye ar 2016, that 
figure fell to USD 16.03 billion, a lower but still elevated level.  
4.150.   We continue to be concerned with some specific developments in American agricultural 
policies, for instance, the inclusion of seed cotton as an eligible commodity for the PLC and ARC 
programmes, and the not ification of certain product -related subsidies as if they were non -product -
specific.  
4.151.   The U.S. has historically been one of the main drivers of multilateral regimes, including the 
WTO. It would be less than fair not to acknowledge this fact.  
4.152.   We certainly d o not believe those regimes are perfect. They are not, and we welcome 
reforming and perfecting them.  
4.153.   We need the cooperation of all Members, collectively and in a problem -solving mode, so as 
to overcome our difficulties and strengthen the rules -based trad e system, in a balanced manner. We 
count on the engagement of the US; likewise, they can count on ours. In the latest GC meeting, 
Ambassador Shea mentioned, and I quote from my notes, that it is time to engage in serious 
discussions. We are ready to engage . WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.154.   Let me conclude  by thanking the U.S. delegation for the answers to Brazil 's questions, which 
were forwarded to capital for examination and follow -up. We wish the U.S. a most successful Trade 
Policy Review.  
DOMINICAN  REPUBLIC  
4.155.   We would like to congratulate  the United States, as, in the words of the WTO Secretariat 
report, its economy is in its ninth consecutive year of expansion. In 2017, real GDP growth averaged 
2.2%, up from 1.6% in 2016. In the first quarter of 2018, real GDP rose at an annual rate of 2. 2%, 
before accelerating in the second quarter to 4.1%. The US economy is dominated by the services 
sector (including government services), whose share in GDP has risen since 2015; services now 
account for over 80% of GDP, while the share of manufacturing f ell to 11.7% in 2017 and 
agriculture's contribution was less than 1% that year.  
4.156.   The United States is one of the world's largest exporters and it has a diversified export base. 
The largest export category is machinery and mechanical appliances, accounting f or nearly a quarter 
of merchandise exports, followed by vehicles and chemicals. The EU -28, China, Japan, Canada and 
Mexico are the United States' main trading partners. The United States continues to be the world's 
main recipient of foreign direct investme nt (FDI).  
4.157.   We are also pleased to note that, according to the Secretariat report, the US foreign 
investment regime remained unchanged during the review period and is generally open, with a few 
sector -specific limitations, and review procedures on foreign in vestment in a few industries, including 
the airline and nuclear energy industries.  
4.158.   The United States is the Dominican Republic's main trading partner. Our trade relations are 
primarily governed by the Dominican Republic -Central America -United States Free T rade Agreement 
(DR-CAFTA). This agreement entered into force for the United States in 2006 and for the 
Dominican  Republic in 2007. It is important to emphasize that the Dominican Republic has reaped 
many benefits from the agreement in areas such as institu tion building, transparency and legal 
certainty in investment and trade. It should be noted that the tariff reduction schedule for industrial 
products was completed in 2015 and we are now in the final phase of the tariff reduction schedule 
that will end in  year 20 of the agreement (that is, in 2025) with free trade.  
4.159.   Trade in goods and services between the Dominican Republic and the United States 
amounted to USD  13.391  billion in 2017. Exports of goods from the Dominican Republic to the United 
States totalle d USD  4.7159  billion in 2017.  
4.160.   The main exports include medical and optical instruments, tobacco, electric machinery, 
knitwear, and jewellery. In the agricultural sector, the main exports are sugar and fresh vegetables. 
The main services exports are in trav el, transport and telecommunications services. Imports from 
the United States to the Dominican Republic totalled USD  8.6711  billion.  
4.161.   It should be stressed that the countries party to the DR -CAFTA make up the third largest 
export market.  
4.162.   We see as positive and meaningful the significant progress made by the United States in the 
area of trade facilitation. The United States deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to the WTO in January  2015. It then provided its notific ation on 
transparency, the operation of its single window, measures on the use of customs brokers, and TFA 
contact point in June  2017. In February  2018, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
announced that its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) ha d been completed. Importers and 
exporters may use the electronic portal to declare goods, obtain permits, and access transaction and 
trade data. Within CBP, ten Centers of Excellence have been established to specialize in all aspects 
of customs processing in several areas.  
4.163.   We also view in a very positive light the fact that the United States has notified all its free 
trade agreements to the WTO, thereby complying with the required transparency mechanisms.  
4.164.   We also note that the MFN tariff regime is generally  characterized by stable and, for the most 
part, low or no tariffs, which we view as favourable.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.165.   Lastly, the Dominican Republic is grateful for the answers to the questions it submitted on 
trade facilitation, the DR -CAFTA and food safety measures, among ot hers matters, and looks forward 
to reviewing them.  
NEW  ZEALAND  
4.166.   The United States is a key ec onomic partner for New Zealand.  It is our third largest individual 
trading partner with balanced two -way trade in goods and services, as well as a strong investment  
relationship.  
4.167.   U.S. policy in respect of international trade and investment has an impact  on the entire WTO 
Membership. The WTO , and the GATT before it , have succeeded in large part due to the constructive 
engagement of successive U.S. Administrations. The systemic challenges now facing the WTO are 
the most significant since its creation in 1995, and these challenges cannot be addressed without 
the continued constructive engagement of the United States.  
4.168.   United States trade policy underwent marked change in the period under review, including 
an emphasis on reforming th e multilateral trading system. In this regard , we welcome the clarity 
with which the U.S. has detailed some of its concerns in its policy statement prep ared for this review. 
New Zealand shares s ome of those concer ns, such as the failure of WTO M embers to fully implement 
their exis ting transparency obligations. We look forward to better understanding how we can solve 
this and other reform issues together wi th the broader WTO Membership.  
4.169.   Like the U nited States, New Zealand is also interested in how we can reinvigorate the WTO 's 
negotiating agenda.  
4.170.   We value our ongoing cooperation with the United States on the  issue of fisheries subsidies. 
The U.S. has been among the most active proponents for effective WTO proh ibitions of harmful 
subsidies. The United States has an important role to play in the Membership reaching a successful 
conclusion to negotiations by the end of 2019 in line with the Ministerial Decision from the Eleventh 
Ministerial Confe rence and SDG Target 14.6.  
4.171.   The U.S. has also long been involved in efforts to reform global agriculture trade, including 
the effort to agree improved disciplines on trad e-distorting domestic support. During the period 
under review, the U nited States announ ced up to USD 12 billion for a one -off package to compen sate 
U.S. agricultural exporters.  While New Zealand welcomes the temporary nature of these payments, 
we hope to see the United States continuing to move away from the use of trade distorting domestic 
support and working with those WTO Members who are trying to secure improved WTO disciplines 
in this area.  
4.172.   We also appreciate the productive engagement of the U.S. this year on services domestic 
regulation disciplines, and we commend the United States in a dvancing exploratory work towards 
negotiations on e -commerce issues. The future of the global economy is digital and additional rules 
are needed in this area to support the growth of all Members and keep the WTO relevant to 
contemporary trade challenges.  
4.173.   The Secretariat report (section 4.2.5) notes that further expansion is expected in the United 
States ' renewable ener gy supply in the coming years. The U.S. has been actively engaged in work 
in G20 and APEC on eliminating inef ficient fossil fuel subsidies. We would encourage the United 
States to join with New Zealand in bringing the reform of fossil fuel subsidies into the WTO agenda. 
Eliminating these wasteful subsidies is a major challenge that would benefit from further leadership 
from the United States.  
4.174.   We note that the United States has continued to make effective use of the  dispute settlement 
mechanism. During the period under review the United States was involved in 13 cases as a 
complainant, including one case which New Zealand and the U.S. successful ly took together as 
co-complainants.  
4.175.   The United States has also been highlighting concerns with the operation of the dispute 
settlement system and the  Appellate Body in particular. New Zealand is willing to engage with the 
U.S. and other Members to try to  address these and other issues, including resolving the current WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  impasse on appoi ntments to the Appellate Body. We all need a well -functioning dispute settlement 
mechanism to help resolve disputes when they arise, and safeguard the prosperity of all WTO 
Members under the contract we have together agreed.  
4.176.   In closing, I would reiterate that the success of the WTO, and the multilateral trading system 
more generally, relies on the constructive engagement of the United States and other major players. 
It is there fore encouraging to see in the U.S. policy statement that "the U.S. wants to help build a 
better multilateral trading system and will remain active in the WTO " and "is committed to reforming 
the global trading system in ways that lead to  … more efficient m arkets  … and higher living standards  
… around the world ". New Zealand, and I 'm sure other WTO Members who similarly value the 
multilateral trade system as essential for our current and future prosperity, is committed to working 
with the U.S. and others in the WTO to help make it so.  
SINGAPORE  
4.177.   Singapore fully associates with the ASEAN statement delivered by Thailand.  
4.178.   The U.S. and Singapore share robust, longstanding, and mutually -beneficial economic ties. 
Trade forms an important part of this relationship. Singapore is the U.S. ' largest trading partner in 
Southeast Asia, for both goods and services. In turn, the U.S. is Singapore 's third -largest trading 
partner for goods, and top trading partner for services.  
4.179.   The U.S. and Singapore are also strong investment  partners. Bilateral investments have 
supported good jobs in both countries. Singapore investments in the U.S. and U.S. exports to 
Singapore support about 250,000 American jobs across various sectors, including manufacturing, 
aerospace, and h igh-tech indus tries. 
4.180.   The U.S. -Singapore FTA, the U.S. ' first FTA with an Asian country, has been the cornerstone 
of our economic relationship since it entered into force in 2004, and remains a high -performing 
agreement that brings substantial benefits for both our busin esses. Since the agreement 's entry -
into-force, bilateral trade has more than doubled to over USD 74 billion in 2017. The U.S. has 
consistently run a healthy trade surplus with Singapore, which amounted to more than USD 20 billion 
in 2017.  
4.181.   We are also worki ng to strengthen bilateral collaborat ion in areas such as FinTech, 
e-commerce, smart city solutions, and advanced manufacturing. In November 2018, the 
Memorandum of Understanding on the US -Singapore Collaboration Platform, which will promote 
cooperation ac ross these areas o f mutual interest, was renewed.  
4.182.   Singapore recogniz es the U.S. ' pivotal leadership role in the multilateral trading system since 
even before the WTO was established, including through its recent proposal to strengthen Members ' 
adherence to  notification requirements. We also appreciate the U.S. ' contribution to work being 
conducted under the joint statement initiative (JSI) on e -commerce, and look forward to its 
continued active engagement in future W TO negotiations on e -commerce.  
4.183.   As the la rgest economy in the world and one that is highly integrated into the global 
economy, the US ' leadership in promoting trade liberalisation in a manner that is consistent with the 
rules-based multilateral trading system is critical for fostering global pe ace, stability and 
development.  It is imperative that all Members work together to improve the functioning of the WTO 
to ensure its efficacy and continued relevance. In this context, it is essential that the selection 
process to fill the dispute settlement s ystem 's Appellate Body vacancies is unblocked expeditiously. 
Singapore is ready to engage constructively on discussions regarding the concerns raised  on dispute 
settlement issues.  
4.184.   We are deeply concerned about unilateral measures imposed during the period  under review, 
including the imposition of unilateral tariffs on steel and aluminium, as well as current global trade 
frictions which can have an adverse impact on the global economy. We continue to urge restraint 
from all. We also welcome discussions betw een the U.S. and China to find ways for mutual 
accommodation that are WTO -consistent to de -escalate current trade tensions.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.185.   We wish the U.S. every success in its 14th Trade Policy Review and look forward to continuing 
our close cooperation with the U.S. in  our common goal of upholding the multilateral trading system.  
REPUBLIC  OF MOLDOVA  
4.186.   The Republic of Moldova is pleased to participate in the 14th Trade Policy Review of the 
largest economy in the world, whose trade and financial fundamentals have far -reaching 
consequences for the global trade and economy.  
4.187.   The reports prepared by the U.S.  Government and the Secretariat reveal that American 
economy meets its ninth consecutive year of growth. We note that the real GDP registered a growth 
average up to 4.2% in the last quarter since the last TPR, amounting for almost 20% of the world 's 
GDP. T he U.S. continues to play an incremental role in global trade and investment flows. Its 
performance in 2018 brought it on the first place in the World Economic Forum Global 
Competitiveness Index and on the 6th in the World Bank 's Doing Business Ranking.  
4.188.   In particular, the U.S. is leading in the global export of goods and services that embody 
intellectual property and has a major ponder in the global exports of machinery, mechanical 
appliances, vehicles and chemicals.  
4.189.   At the same time, it continues to be th e world 's foremost destination for Foreign Direct 
Investment, with a total of USD 4.3 trillion dollars, with a generally open environment despite some 
sector specific limitations. Its financial system is one of the most evolved and deepest in the world, 
with 8 banks designated as global systemically -important.  
4.190.   We note that the US 's performance on t he international trade and finances arena is supported 
by strong macro -economic fundamentals, liberal investment regime, large consumer base, higher 
education system, skilled and productive workforce, innovation friendly business environment, 
secure legal protection and capital venture.  
4.191.   The recent changes operated on the Fiscal Policy are commendable for the provided funding 
for emergency disaster assistance. Also, as the corporate tax rate reduced from 36% to 21%, tax 
rates were lowered for businesses and  individuals and the tax system was changed from global to 
territorial.  
4.192.   The Republic of Moldova attaches major importance to our bilateral cooperation and deeply 
appreciates the support received from the U.S. Government in the promotion of our products, in  
particular fruits, vegetables and wines, on the international trade market. On a special note, I would 
like to express our gratitude for the U.S. involvement in the promotion of our country brand Wines 
of Moldova as well as in the developing of our govern ment procurement system. We hope that this 
rewarding cooperation will develop throughout the same positive lines.  
4.193.   On the 6th of December , the third meeting of the United -States -Moldova Joint Commercial 
Council was held in Washington, where we have agreed to continue cooperation to increase bilateral 
trade and increase investment opportunities. In particular, in areas such as digital economy, 
cybersecurity, information technology sector, protection of intellectual property rights to foster 
innovation and ec onomic growth as well as steps to build a transparent and reliable public 
procurement regime.  
4.194.   We praise the U.S. Government for being a major donor and for providing assistance to 
many countries in the world, including the Republic of Moldova. The Moldova n Government is grateful 
for the development assistance provided by the USAID, the Sustainable Development Fund, the U.S. 
Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense and the Millennium Challenges Corporation, in 
areas such as regional development, soci al care, agriculture, road and other national infrastructure.  
4.195.   The Moldovan Government has addressed a  number of questions to the U.S. delegation 
regarding the New Regulatory Order on telecommunication issued in December 2017, the projects 
implemented and the assistance provided in the framework of the Trade Adjustment Assistance for 
Firms (TAAF), the duty-free list under the GSP and the online sales tax regulation across the U.S. 
States. We are looking forward to examining  the written answers.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.196.   The U.S. is an important trade and economic part ner for most of the WTO M embers. The 
complex trade and investment regime of the United States is the result of a complex interaction and 
interagency coordination between the executive branch and the U.S. Congress, refle cting the famous 
checks and balances pr inciple. As a M ember of the WTO, U.S. is actively engaging in all the 
negotiating fora and plays a major role in the discussions alongside the Reform of the Organization. 
It is important that the WTO reform is oriente d at strengthening the open, rule -based multilateral 
trading system for the benefit of all the WTO M embers.  
4.197.   We hope that the trade policy agenda oriented at free, fair and reciprocal trade relations will 
bring positive results to the U.S. economy and will  also have positive reflections on the economy of 
its trading partners.  
4.198.   To conclude, allow me to extend my warmest holiday wishes to each of you and to wish the 
U.S. delegation utmost success in concluding this round of Trade Policy Review.  
AUSTRALIA  
4.199.   Australia is pleased to participate in this 14th Trade Policy Review of the United States, and 
thanks the United States and the Secretariat for their comprehensive reports.  
4.200.   From the establishment of the Bretton Woods institutions, the United States led dev elopment 
of the international rules -based trading system – a system which has underpinned decades of 
economic growth and prosperity in the United States, Australia and around the world.  
4.201.   It is imperative for the health of that system, and for all the Membe rs who benefit from it, 
that U.S. engagement and support for the system continue.  
4.202.   Since the United States ' last review in 2016,  the United States has prioritiz ed rebalancing its 
trading relationships, enforcing its trade  rules, and reforming the WTO.  
4.203.   This shift in U.S. trade policy only confirms the value Australia places upon U.S. partnership 
in building a better multilateral trading system, including through ac tive participation in the WTO.  
4.204.   Australia believes that there are aspects of the WTO that nee d to be updated and 
modernised.  We want to work with the United States and all WTO Members in advancing a reform 
agenda that helps the  WTO operate more effectively.  
4.205.   Australia is pleased, for example, to co -sponsor the proposal on updated transparency and 
notifications, and notes the leading role played by the United States in b ringing that proposal 
forward.  
4.206.   The United States is itself up to date with almost all notification requirements, and we note 
that through recent submissions the United States are now at a high standard of compliance with 
agriculture notifications.  
4.207.   We applaud the United States ' successful implementation this year of the Nairobi Ministerial 
Decision on Export Competition, and we again urge those Members that have not scheduled their 
Nairobi  commitments to do so urgently.  
4.208.   Australia supports an effective WTO dispute settlement system. We call on the United States 
to unblock appointments to the WTO 's Appellate Body; and to continue working with willing WTO 
Members to release the pressures the W TO is under and help it remain fit fo r purpose in the 
21st century. Australia welcomes further engagement on the concerns the United States has 
expressed.  
4.209.   We welcome the US ' participation in the Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce 
launched at  MC11 and look forward to continued engagement with the United States and other WTO 
Members as we work to develop n ew global rules on e -commerce. We similarly welcome continued 
engagement to open global service trade, including through the Joint Statement Initiative on 
Domestic Regulation.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.210.   We appreciate the United States ' active participation across the WTO agenda, including 
across all committees. This participation is also reflected in the United States ' leadership in the 
expansion of the Information Techn ology Agreement, and its early implementation of the  Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. The United States ' assistance in helping developing members ratify and 
implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement has been a notable contribution in recent years.  
4.211.   Australia also appreciate the support of the United States and other GPA parties in our recent 
accession to the WTO Agreem ent on Government Procurement. Our accession to the GPA will help 
to deepen our commercial relati onship with the United States.  
4.212.   Australia and th e United States have a close and mutually beneficial bilateral trade and 
investment relationship, underpinned by the Australia -United States Free Trade Agreement 
(AUSFTA).  
4.213.   Since AUSFTA entered into force in 2005, two -way trade has grown by over 60 % to 
A$68.5  billion. More than 300,000 American jobs are supported by U.S. exports to Australia.  
4.214.   Over the same period, two -way investment has more than dou bled to nearly A$1.6 trillion. 
The United States is Australia 's largest destination for outbound investment (worth A$664.5 billion) 
and Australia 's largest source of foreign investment (va lued at over A$896.9 billion). Australian 
investment in the United States supports more than 100,000 U.S. jobs directly and indirectly.  
4.215.   While Australia and the Unit ed States share a strong and enduring trade and investment 
relationship, as in any bilateral relationship, there are a reas capable of further reform.  I would like 
to take this opportunity to highlight a few.  
4.216.   We continue to monitor ongoing levels of protec tion of certain U.S. agricultural commodities,  
particularly sugar and dairy. We note the Administration 's announcement in July to provide up to 
US$12 billion in domestic assistanc e for U.S. farmers and ranchers. We urge the United States to 
move towards le ss trade -distorting forms of domestic support and to pursue policies that limit trade 
disruption and keep markets open.  
4.217.   As in previous WTO Trade Policy Reviews, Australia also urges the United States to consider 
reform of its outdated mari time and cabotage  legislation. These laws and regulations unduly protect 
local industry, raise prices and stifle innovation, limiting opportunities for WTO Members to access 
U.S. markets and harming U.S. consumers and economic development.  
4.218.   Finally, we thank the United Sta tes for its replies to our written questions, and we will review 
them carefully.  
4.219.   Australia wishes the United States a successful Trade Policy Review.  
MEXICO 
4.220.   For Mexico, our trade and investment relationship with the United States is of strategic 
importance , as it is one of the most intense in the world and a reliable source of growth and regional 
stability.  
4.221.   The recent signing of the Mexico -United States -Canada Agreement has restored calm and a 
degree of certainty to trade in the region and, particularly, to  the increasingly integrated value 
chains.  
4.222.   This new version of the Agreement is a product of the political will, vision and flexibility 
demonstrated by the three countries, and this will allow us to deepen the productive integration that 
makes us one of th e most competitive regions in the world.  
4.223.   The US economy has experienced sustained growth over the last nine years, and if the 
predictions for the next two years hold true, this could become the longest period of continuous 
growth ever recorded. The growth estimate for 2018 is 3.1%, driven by a rate of 4.2% in the 
second  quarter. We would emphasize that this positive performance was due in large part to the 
increase in private consumption.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.224.   However, the OECD warns of a potential slowdown in growth in the comi ng years and 
indicates that the weaker global economic outlook and the trade measures imposed will have an 
impact on the country's economic activity; it therefore recommends not introducing greater 
restrictions on imports, which could weaken growth.  
4.225.   In ord er to increase investment, employment and GDP, the United States has opted for a 
pro-cyclical fiscal policy with significant fiscal stimuli to help maintain performance in the short term, 
but this could increase risks and uncertainty in the medium and long  term.  
4.226.   The combination of lower tax receipts and greater public spending will contribute to an 
increase in the budget deficit, from 4.2% of GDP in 2018 to 5.1% in 2022, and the level of public 
debt could reach 96% of GDP by 2028. We agree that the increase s in both the deficit and the public 
debt will leave little room for infrastructure investment and other supply -side policies, to the 
detriment of medium - and long -term growth.  
4.227.   It is no surprise that the change in approach in US trade policy, and particula rly the recent 
trade tensions arising from its "national security considerations", has worried and shaken the world, 
having a severe impact on markets and global economic growth.  
4.228.   The measures applied under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, "unilateral"  measures 
that had not been used in decades, and under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, with 
respect to the impact on national security, have given rise to measures and countermeasures, 
exacerbating uncertainty and volatility and reducing pr ospects for growth in trade and the global 
economy.  
4.229.   The steel and aluminium measures are of particular concern to my country. As bilaterally 
there is significant productive integration between these industries, we do not believe there to be a 
threat to the  national security of the United States.  
4.230.   Furthermore, according to certain estimates of the Tax Foundation, the tariffs introduced to 
date will, in the long term, lead to a USD  30 billion reduction in US GDP and the elimination of 
94,300  jobs. It also warn s that the introduction of additional tariffs could cancel out one third of the 
long-term benefits of the new Tax Cuts Act.  
4.231.   With respect to trade facilitation, we commend the United States' efforts in implementing 
the Automated Commercial Environment, esta blishing the specialized Centers of Excellence, 
eliminating wasteful and unnecessary regulations that hamper business, and instituting reforms to 
promote innovation. We appreciate the domestic policy coordination and the efforts to encourage 
public partici pation and transparency.  
4.232.   As the United States is a major agricultural exporter and consequently has an impact on 
world commodity markets, we are concerned about the potential distorting effect of the additional 
USD 12 billion support package announced by t he Government to offset losses, brought about by 
the imposition of measures and countermeasures, to producers of maize, cotton, dairy products, 
hogs, sorghum, soybeans and wheat.  
4.233.   Regarding WTO reform, we support the efforts that the United States has led, through the 
proposal it put forward with other delegations, to better monitor the proper implementation of the 
Agreements governing this Organization, particularly in terms of transparency and accountability 
with respect to the commitments we have all unde rtaken.  
4.234.   With respect to dispute settlement, we have heard the United States' concerns regarding 
how the Appellate Body operates; recently we and a group of Members submitted a proposal that 
attempts to address those concerns. We hope that the US will respo nd by showing leadership and 
constructively, openly and actively engaging in the search for solutions, including the immediate 
unblocking of the selection process for Appellate Body members. It is our collective responsibility to 
safeguard the integrity, f unctionality and relevance of our Organization.  
4.235.   A review of what was said in the context of the last Review shows that many of us called on 
the United States to refrain from unilaterally imposing restrictions on trade. We therefore regret WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  that, during the review period, new trade policies have led to actions that may have a restrictive 
effect on trade, investment and jobs regionally and worldwide.  
4.236.   We believe that, going forward, we have an opportunity to modernize the workings of the 
multilateral trading sy stem and improve its responsiveness to new challenges.  
4.237.   The success of this exercise will depend on the active involvement and leadership of the 
United  States and the will, commitment and vision of the entire Membership. Mexico reaffirms its 
readiness to do  its part.  
4.238.   Finally, we wish to thank the United States for its answers to Mexico's questions and we wish 
it every success in its Trade Policy Review.  
THE SEPARATE  CUSTOMS  TERRITORY  OF TAIWAN,  PENGHU,  KINMEN  AND  MATSU  
4.239.   The U.S. is one of the world 's largest exporters and main importers of a hugely diversified 
range of goods and services, and one of the biggest recipients of foreign direct investment as well. 
By the end of 2017, the U.S. recorded its ninth consecutive year of robust economic growth, and it 
has continued to grow by over 3% in the first half of 2018.  
4.240.   The 2018 U.S. Presidential Trade Policy Agenda declares that the U.S. aims to achieve "free, 
fair, and reciprocal " trade relations aligning with its national security policy. Perhaps the m ost 
encouraging statement from the U.S. has been that it advocates "sensible and fair reforms to the 
WTO". Given that the WTO is coming to a new turning point itself, there should be a willingness 
among Members to bring about the reform that the multilater al trading system really needs. We are 
particularly interested in hearing how the United States sees the future direction of the main pillars 
of the WTO, starting for example with the Dispute Settlement Mechanism.  
4.241.   Multilaterally, we are now working closely  with the U.S. and other Members in a number of 
areas that are key to WTO reform. The U.S. has called for more effective supervision of Members in 
the implementation of their obligations, and for greater transparency and predictability of their trade 
policies, which we support. We also welcome the U.S. calling for new rules to meet the new trading 
requirements of today, and to more effectively handle the related issues within the WTO framework.  
4.242.   On e-Commerce, the U.S. advocates the "sound, open and free use  of the internet to enhance 
the benefits of digital technology ". We have ourselves tabled a number of e -commerce Concept 
Papers (viz. technical documents: JOB/GC/128, JOB/GC/129, JOB/GC/170, and JOB/GC/171) 
encouraging Members to lower cyberspace trade bar riers, and we are very willing to work together 
with the U.S. and others to strengthen cooperation in this area.  
4.243.   Another trade area on which the U.S. has placed great emphasis in the past is "the global 
free trade in environmental goods ", but sadly there i s little mention of this in its Report this time 
around. We tabled a Non-Paper  this year proposing a WTO environmental trade deal that covers 
both goods and services, which will be of significant benefit to all U.S. industries, especially the 
energy system  services providers. We hope to hear more about the U.S. 's position on promoting 
this kind of international agreement under the WTO framework in due course.  
4.244.   While we appreciate the United States ' positive initiatives and developments, there is one 
concern of ours that I simply must raise, and that is the U.S. 's increasingly active use of trade 
remedy measures. Between 2015 and 2017, its number of anti -dumping investigation initiations 
rose to 133. By the end of July 2018, there were 340 AD orders in place; 71 more than in 2016. 
From January 2016 to end -June 2018, it made 123 sunset review initiations of AD orders. In the 
same period, just 8 were revoked while 104 orders remain in place.  
4.245.   Added to this, two new safeguard investigations were conducted by the U. S. between 2016 
and 2018, and the U.S. President applied a safeguard measure in each one. In 2018, four new 
Section 232 investigations were initiated, and import surcharges were announced on the first two. 
This was followed by counter -measures by trading p artners. These numbers are self -explanatory.  
4.246.   In our view, such frequent recourse to these measures can only benefit narrow domestic 
interests. They neither help to improve the competitiveness of related industries, nor generate WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  significant economic benefit s. For some businesses in particular, such measures are often trade 
prohibiti ve. We hope the U.S. will minimi se its recourse to such trade remedies in the future, and 
work on more credible rules to resolve the issues.  
4.247.   I would just add for information that the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen and Matsu has for long enjoyed a very fruitful partnership with the United States in many 
areas of trade, such as innovation, technology, agriculture, investment and services. We are the 
U.S.'s 11th largest trading partner. The U.S. is our 2nd largest trading partner and 3rd largest export 
and import market. It is also our 3rd largest foreign investor and our 2nd biggest destination for 
foreign investment.  
4.248.   In the face of the current international econ omic and trade situation, we look forward to 
strengthening that economic cooperation even further in the future, in the bilateral, regional and 
multilateral context.  
4.249.   And finally, the U.S. 's engagement in the transformation of the multilateral trading 
mecha nism into a progressive and relevant one is critical. Yet, we trust the U.S. will continue to 
work with other Members to resolve trade tensions, and to ensure that the WTO remains the 
guardian of the global trading system. We wish the United States a succe ssful 14th trade policy 
review.  
CHILE  
4.250.   We commend the United States for the transparency it has shown in subjecting itself to the 
scrutiny of its peers. This decision will, no doubt, help strengthen the Organization.  
4.251.   We prepared 12 questions for this exerci se. We are grateful for the replies received, which 
are currently being reviewed in Santiago.  
4.252.   Bilateral relations between Chile and the United States now go back more than two centuries. 
During this lengthy period, starting from our own respective historic al realities, interests and 
processes, we have been able to find common ground in order to build a friendly, comprehensive, 
mutually beneficial relationship.  
4.253.   Over these two centuries of uninterrupted relations, our countries have worked together in 
a wide range of areas and multilateral forums, such as APEC, the OECD and, of course, the WTO. 
Our ties have been maintained in a climate of cooperation, on the basis of shared political, economic 
and cultural values.  
4.254.   Our trade relationship is framed by a bilater al free trade agreement that has been in force 
since 2004 and continues to stand out for its comprehensiveness, as it covers a variety of areas, 
including trade in goods and services, government procurement, investment, intellectual property 
and key topics  for trade in the 21st century, such as e -commerce, the environment and labour issues. 
Under this framework, bilateral trade in goods was fully liberalized in 2015 and, as at January  2018, 
14 years after the agreement entered into force, bilateral trade ha d grown at an average annual 
rate of 7.4%.  
4.255.   The United States is our second -largest trading partner for goods and the largest for services. 
In 2017 in particular merchandise trade reached USD  21,659  million, representing 16.2% of Chile's 
external trade that  year. 
4.256.   The United States is also the top foreign investor in Chile, accounting for USD  32,266  million, 
or 11.4% of the cumulative total, in 2017, most notably in the mining, business and basic services 
sectors.  
4.257.   Furthermore, the United States is the fifth l argest recipient of Chilean direct investment, with 
a cumulative total of USD  8,164  million between 1990 and 2017, three quarters of which was 
concentrated in the services sector. It should also be highlighted that almost half of Chilean direct 
investment in the United States has taken place over the past five years.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.258.   In another highly important area for bilateral relations, Chile hopes that the US Congress 
will move forward on approval of the bilateral Double Taxation Agreement.  
4.259.   We shall not dwell on aspect s of US trade policy, which have been adequately summarized 
and highlighted in the Secretariat report and in the presentations by the United States, the Chair 
and the Discussant, although we are concerned by the feeling of some erosion in the leadership of  
the United States as a pillar of multilateral free trade.  
4.260.   We concur with the assessments, as well as the systemic concerns raised. There is clearly a 
need for the United States' firm commitment to free trade and its traditional leadership in that regard 
so as to ensure a multilateral trading system that is robust, stable and beneficial for all, without 
protectionist actions and managed trade measures.  
4.261.   In the run -up to the Twelfth Ministerial Conference, we look forward to working with the 
United  States in a constructive and cooperative atmosphere, with a positive agenda for reforming 
and strengthening the WTO, through its modernization, in its negotiating, dispute settlement and 
deliberative functions. We also hope that elections for new Appellate Body memb ers will begin as 
soon as possible, thereby resolving the situation seriously affecting one of the WTO's key functions.  
4.262.   In conclusion, we wish the United States a successful fourteenth Trade Policy Review.  
MALAYSIA  
4.263.   Malaysia associates herself with the ASEAN Statement delivered by Thailand . 
4.264.   We wish to congratulate the United States for its excellent economic growth during the period 
under review.  
4.265.   Malaysia values our trade and economic ties with the Uni ted States. In 2017, the 
United  States was Malaysia 's third largest trading partner, with a total trade of USD  35.82 billion. 
The E&E (electrical and electronics) sector remains the biggest component of our trade with the 
United States.  
4.266.   The United States is also an impor tant source of foreign investment in Malaysia. For the 
period 1980 to June 2018, a total of 1,177 approved investments worth USD  28.9 billion were 
recorded. These investments, mainly in the manufacturing, banking, and oil and gas sectors have 
generated mor e than 280,000 employment opportunities for the people in Malaysia.  
4.267.   The challenging global economic scenario in recent years has resulted in the slowdown of 
the overall pace of trade liberalization and the increase in trade restrictive policies or measures . 
Since many nations are now highly trade dependent, such trade restrictive measures may result in 
the decrease of GDP, manufacturing production, employment, export, import and total trade.  
4.268.   We note that the United States, being one of the major economic p owers in the world, has 
been experiencing an increasing current account deficit since 2013. The United States ' Government 
has also undertaken some adjustments to its trade policy by adopting policies that are intended to 
protect its national security and s trengthen its economy. For a small trading nation like Malaysia, 
we have been following these developments with great interest as any policy adjustments made by 
any major trading partner may impact our economy.  
4.269.   In this context, Malaysia appreciates the co mmitment of the United States to continue to 
support the free and fair global trading system and to improve the functioning of the WTO. We look 
forward to working together with the United States to ensure that the principles of the rules -based 
multilateral  trading system are upheld.  
4.270.   We take this opportunity to thank the United States for the responses to our questions. We 
will be submitting additional questions and we look forward to receiving the feedback.  
4.271.   In closing, we wish the delegation of the United S tates a productive and successful f ourteenth 
Trade Policy Review and a wonderful year -end holiday.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  KINGDOM  OF SAUDI  ARABIA  
4.272.   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the strong performance of the U.S economy, with 
accelerating growth, low unemployment, and muted  inflation. We a lso welcome the favourable 
near-term outlook. The near -term outlook for the U.S. economy is one of strong growth and job 
creation. Unemployment is near levels not seen in 50 years.  The U.S. ranked sixth out of 
190 economies in the World Ban k's 2018 report on ease of doing business.  
4.273.   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also praises the United States for its several program mes and 
measures to boost productivity, reform taxes, reduce regulatory burden and boost the supply of 
infrastructure.  
4.274.   The Kingdo m of Saudi Arabia and the United States enjoy a friendly and substantive 
relationship, underpinned by longstanding commercial ties and supported by shared membership in 
the G20. The United States ranks second among the top ten importers from the Kingdom, a nd ranks 
first among the top ten exporters to the Kingdom during 2017. Trade exchange between the two 
countries surpassed USD 36 billion in 2017.  
4.275.   In the context of partnerships and trade cooperation between the two countries, the Kingdom 
signed in May 201 6 a memorandum of understanding for joint investments with GE Co. for 
USD 3 billion, in strategic sectors, in accordance with the Kingdom 's Vision 2030.  
4.276.   We have submitted some questions to the United States regarding economi c growth and tax 
reduction and thank the United States for answering these questions .  
4.277.   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia looks forward to continuing the very close working relationship 
with the Unit ed States, in and outside this O rganization, to reinforce bilateral and global trade in a 
fair and inclusive manner.  
4.278.   I wish the entire delegation of the United States a very successful Trade Policy Review.  
UKRAINE  
4.279.   The United States remains among the top 10 trade partners of Ukraine, goods and services 
turnover is continuously increasing in 2016 -2018 with machinery, metallurgical products, chemicals 
and other industrial goods, as well as agricultural goods being traded the most. According to the 
Ukrainian statistics, the trade turnover between Ukraine and the U.S. in 2017 amounted to almost 
USD 3 billion, with increase of over 58% from 2016. For the eight months of 2018 , export from 
Ukraine to the U.S.  amounted to USD 800 million , while import reached up to approximately 
USD 2 billion . We have a great potential to further deepen and enhance economic relationship, 
particularly in light of the U .S. Generalized System of Preferences program me.  
4.280.   Ukraine also highly appreciates the assistance provided by the United States in the field of 
Ukraine 's trade -related capacity building.  
4.281.   Ukraine offered advance w ritten questions on the U.S. trade and investment regimes and 
would like to thank the U.S. delegation for considering and responding to them.  
4.282.   We are seeking a better understanding the impact of the U.S. national security policies on 
trade and investment, including particularities of review procedures for investment restriction 
measures and availabilities of sector -specific limitations; long -continued anti -dumping and 
countervailing measures and consistency of such policy with the WTO principles; features o f 
Section  232 investigations on imported steel and aluminium products, criteria to adopt trade policy 
measures based on national security grounds and conditions for termination of such measures.  
4.283.   To better understand the latest developments in implementati on of the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement by the United States we submitted questions related to availability of authorized operator 
schemes and some U.S. programmes aimed at strengthening international supply chains and to 
improve security.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.284.   Besides, in the a rea of financial services, Ukraine appreciates more information on the U.S. 
current regime for financial services, specifically requirements for non -banking financial institution 
licensing, status of the Fintech innovation development and procedures and cr iteria for designation 
as Financial Market Utility.  
4.285.   In addition, Ukraine is looking forward to clarifying eligibility of agricultural and agri -food 
business for export loans programmes; reasons for establishment of Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price 
Loss Cove rage programmes and details on non -product specific support under these programmes.  
4.286.   When discussing the multilateral trade policy, we cannot but mention the role of the U .S. in 
enhancing and preserving the stability of the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its pillar.  
4.287.   Being strongly committed to the rule -based trading system, Ukraine appreciates the U.S. 
efforts to contribute to further development of the system and liberalization of trade in goods and 
services. We would like to underline the pro minent role of the U .S. and their active part in the work 
across all WTO bodies and welcome valuable contributions of the U .S. to the negotiation process 
within the special sessions on wide range of issues. This continuing engagement of the U.S. with the 
great emphasis on efficiency of the WTO regular bodies ' activities and improvement of fulfilment of 
WTO Members ' notifications commitments has gained support among the WTO Members and 
provided an impetus for the constructive discussions on the WTO moderniza tion. 
4.288.   Ukraine fully shares the U.S. idea that enhanc ing transparency and improving M embers ' 
compliance with notification requirements are two very important objectives. Nevertheless, the 
reform path is not smooth, many uncertainties exist that could doom a ny reform efforts. The WTO 
negotiating process has proven to be extremely time -consuming with an extraordinarily tall order, 
making a reform package identification within the WTO a very complex problem if not a top 
complexity task. Therefore, determination  of priority of the Appellate Body procedural adjustment 
in the reforms package is for the WTO M embers a mission of a paramount importance. Thus, we 
hope that constructive approach will also prevail in the U.S. position concerning the functioning of 
the Ap pellate Body and will lead us to a mutually beneficial solution for the sake of multilateral 
trading system.  
4.289.   In conclusion, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the delegation of the U.S. and 
especially to the team of the U.S. Mission to the WTO in Geneva for their hard work in preparing for 
this Trade Policy Review. We would like to wish the U.S. a successful trade policy review.  
ECUADOR  
4.290.   We are interested participants in this Trade Policy Review, as the United States is consistently 
one of Ecuador's main trading partners; it is the main market for Ecuador's exports and the trade 
balance between the two countries has been favourable for Ecuador for almost five years.  
4.291.   The strengthening of relations between our two countries passed an important  milestone last 
November when, after nine years, the Governments of Ecuador and the United States agreed to 
reactivate the Trade and Investment Council (TIC), which is considered the main forum for dialogue 
and for reviewing key issues in the bilateral rel ationship regarding trade, investment and 
cooperation.  
4.292.   Turning to the Secretariat report, we note that the US economy is in its ninth consecutive 
year of expansion; real GDP growth averaged 2.2% in 2017, up from 1.6% in 2016, and rose to 
4.1% in the second  quarter of 2018.  
4.293.   My delegation would like to emphasize the fact that the United States is one of the world's 
leading exporters and has a diversified export base, with machinery and mechanical appliances, 
vehicles and chemicals being the main products.  
4.294.   Another point to stress is that the United States is also one of the world's main importers 
and continues to be the largest recipient of foreign direct investment, as the regime is open, with a 
few sector -specific limitations, and review procedures on foreign  investment in a few industries, 
including the airline and nuclear energy industries.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.295.   Nevertheless, one of the concerns that emerge from reading and analysing the document 
prepared by the Secretariat is that the United States continues to be an active user  of anti -dumping 
and countervailing duties; during the review period, the number of anti -dumping investigation 
initiations increased to 133, with 340 anti -dumping orders in place as at July  2018, compared with 
269 orders in June  2016. With respect to count ervailing duties, 52  investigations were initiated 
during the review period.  
4.296.   To conclude, we would like to thank the delegation of the United  States in advance for its 
answers to the questions we have asked concerning certain aspects of its trade policy. A s our capital 
has informed us of one last concern, we would like to know which authority is responsible for control 
and certification of good manufacturing practices for veterinary products and what is the relevant 
contact point.  
4.297.   The answers we receive wil l without doubt provide important inputs for strengthening 
bilateral relations in the area of foreign trade.  
ICELAND  
4.298.   Iceland is a small open economy and we owe our success largely to a well -functioning global 
free trade environment. Accordingly, we remain a strong supporter of the multilateral trading 
system. A rules -based, open and transparent system is paramount for smaller countries and provides 
for a more level playing field in international trade.  
4.299.   Bilateral relations between Iceland and the U.S. enjoy  a long and harmonious history and 
remain strong to this day. The countries share common values and interests in many fields and the 
U.S. was the first country to recognize Iceland 's independence in 1944.  
4.300.   The United States remain Iceland 's biggest single country trading partner and an important 
market for Icelandic products such as seafood products, ferrosilicon, machinery for food production, 
medical supplies and bottled water. At the same time Iceland imports a wide range of U.S. products, 
running the ga mut from cars to food. Last year the U.S. had a trade in goods surplus with Iceland 
with exports to Iceland of USD 443 million while Icelandic exports to the U.S. were around 
USD 340 million.   
4.301.   However, trade in services between the two countries has now e clipsed the trade in goods. 
In 2017 Icelandic services exports to the  U.S. in 2017 amounted to around USD 1,8 billion and U.S. 
exports of services to Iceland  in the same period just under USD 650 million. In no small part this 
is due to Iceland´s Keflavik international airport being the fourth largest European hub for the 
transatlantic route, with dozens of daily flights inbound to around 20 destinations in the US, bringing 
substantial commerce and tourism to the U.S. across the Atlantic. Last year more tha n 580 thousand 
tourists from the U.S. visited Iceland, an increase of 39 % from 2016. The U.S. continues to be a 
popular tourist destination for Icelanders and many Icelanders are educated in the US.  
4.302.   During the 11th Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires l ast December, more than 120 WTO 
Members and O bservers launched a joint declaration on trade and women 's economic empowerment 
that aims , inter alia , at sharing best practices and working together here at the WTO to remove 
barriers to women 's economic empowerment and to increase their participation in trade. This 
declaration is the fruit of the Trade Impact Group that was established under the auspices of the 
International Gender Champions – Geneva, that Iceland is co -chairing with Botswana a nd the 
International Trade Center.  
4.303.   The report prepared by the United States for this trade policy review explains how the U.S. 
government 's procurement policy encourages the participation of small businesses, including 
veteran -owned, women -owned, and disa dvantaged small businesses using set -aside programmes. 
The government -wide procurement goal stipulates that at least 23% of all federal government 
contracting dollars should be awarded to small businesses. The sub -goal for Women Owned Small 
Businesses is 5 %, which was close to being met in the fiscal year of 2017 with 4,72% of contracts.  
4.304.   Iceland welcomes these efforts to promote inclusive economic growth and help small 
businesses grow.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.305.   The trade policy review provides an excellent opportunity to share best practices in this field. 
Iceland submitted advance written questions, inter alia on the participation of women in the economy 
of the United States, as well as on the initiatives mentioned earlier on how the U.S. government 
procurement policy encourages the  participation of small businesses, including women -owned 
businesses. We wish to thank the United States for the responses to our written questions. We will 
review the answers thoroughly and request clarifications as necessary during this TPR.  
4.306.   Iceland  appreciates the historical engagement United States has provided in the WTO and 
their role in establishing the multilateral trading system. We wish the delegation of the United States 
every success for this trade policy review.  
HONDURAS  
4.307.   The strong relationshi p that has existed for decades between the United States and Honduras 
is, historically speaking, now at its peak. This has led to stronger ties economically, politically and 
in terms of trade, cooperation and other matters.  
4.308.   The United States is an extremel y important partner and ally for our country, as is attested 
by the fact that, among Hondurans, the favourability ratings for the United States are the highest in 
the hemisphere. This has allowed us to establish policies and strategies based on our common 
interests and focused on strengthening democratic governance and the rule of law, seeking greater 
economic prosperity and improving the long -term security situation.  
4.309.   The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has 
histor ically been Honduras's largest bilateral donor, with programmes targeting a variety of sectors 
including education, health, economic policy, micro enterprises, environmental conservation, food 
security, municipal development and judicial reform.  
4.310.   USAID has provided more than USD 3  billion in economic and social development aid to 
Honduras since it first started working in the country in 1961.  
4.311.   In 2017, the US Department of Commerce allocated around USD  1.5 million for a customs 
and border management programme  focused on improving trade to Honduras, and this has had a 
significant impact on our bilateral and regional trade.  
4.312.   In addition, the US Department of Agriculture supplied approximately USD 47  million in 
2015-2016 for programmes that have led to greater productivity and agricultural trade and have 
helped provide school meals for more than 53,000 students.  
4.313.   The 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange shows that Honduras 
sends more students to US colleges and universities than any other Central American country.  
4.314.   Regarding our bilateral trade relationship, the DR -CAFTA is the first free trade agreement 
between the United States and a group of smaller developing economies. DR -CAFTA countries 
represent the third largest US export market in L atin America, behind Mexico and Brazil.  
4.315.   The United States is at present our country's largest trading and economic partner. Around 
35% of our exports go to the United States, with an average growth rate of 5% over the prior period, 
and total merchandise im ports account for around 40.3%.  
4.316.   At the end of the third quarter of 2018, our country had a trade deficit with the United States 
of USD 2,100.8  million, a year -on-year increase of over USD 458.8  million, which was related to 
increased fuel and consumer good s imports.  
4.317.   Similarly, with respect to the sources of foreign direct investment flows into the 
Honduran  economy during the same period, North America accounted for 33.0% of the total between 
January and September  2018, with the US share standing out at USD 182.3  million, generally in the 
form of loans to maquila enterprises.  
4.318.   With respect to the reports we have reviewed, we would like to highlight that the United 
States maintains one of the world's most open trade regimes and, during the period under review, WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  the United States' economy continued to grow. This marked the ninth consecutive year of GDP 
growth. This expansion will be the longest on record if it continues into the second half of 2019.  
4.319.   The United States' economy is the largest in the world and, accor ding to the World Economic 
Forum's 2018 Global Competitiveness Report, the most competitive.  
4.320.   We note that the Antitrust Guidelines for the Licensing of Intellectual Property, issued jointly 
by the Antitrust Division and the FTC, were updated during the rev iew period, in 2017.  
4.321.   Lastly, Honduras congratulates the United States on its notable and significant achievements 
during the review period and wishes it every success.  
INDIA  
4.322.   The economy of the United States has continued to expand for the ninth consecutive  year 
with rising income, wealth gains, high level of consumer and business sector confidence and a 
favourable external environment. The economy registered a real GDP growth of 2.2% in 2017 which 
accelerated to 4.2% in the second quarter of 2018. As the wo rld's largest economy with a 
merchandized trade of around USD 3.95 trillion, largest recipient of capital flows and substantial 
foreign direct investment, the U.S. economy is highly integrated in the global economy. Given its 
size and linkages any developm ents in U.S. trade, economic, fiscal or monetary policies and 
enactment of new legislations, measures or trade agreements assume significant importance and 
affect all of us.  
4.323.   In the agreement on agriculture, U.S. has huge flexibilities which include high AMS 
entitlements with no product specific caps, high level of per capita domestic support, non -ad-valorem 
specific tariff system and highest entitlement of SSG. Moreover, the agricultural subsidies of U.S. of 
aroun d USD 60,000 per farmer per annum is also much higher, as compared to around USD 200 in 
the developing countries. While we await notification, the recent large package for programmes for 
market facilitation, food purchase and distribution and agricultural trade promotion to assist farmers 
who have been hit by retaliatory tariffs is bound to further increase agricultural subsidies.  
4.324.   The tariff profile of the U.S. also remains diverse and complex with significant tariff peaks, 
particularly in sectors like tex tiles, leather and agricultural products which are of interest to 
developing countries including India. The long duration of the anti -dumping and counter duties on 
certain products which even extended beyond 30 years also impact the exporting interests of 
developing countries.  
4.325.   India and U.S. share a multi -faceted Global Strategic Partnership based on shared 
democratic values and growing convergence of interest on bilateral regional and global issues. For 
promoting trade and investments, we have a broad -based and strong institutional framework in 
place with several forums including the Trade Policy Forum and the Strategic Commercial Dialogue 
which convene regularly to review the entire gamut of our economic and commercial ties. The goods 
and services trade b etween both countries has continued to grow and stood at USD 126 billion in 
2017 and USD 92.83 billion from January -September 2018. Foreign direct investments also 
registered a growth with cumulative investments of Indian companies in U.S. of USD 13.1 bill ion 
and U.S. companies investing USD 44.5 billion in India as of December 2017.  
4.326.   We have raised a number of questions for the TPR and thank United States for the responses 
we have received which would be reviewed by my authorities. While we continue to wor k closely at 
the Government and business level, we would like to highlight some concerns which undermine the 
vast underlying potential of our t rade and investment relations.  
• U.S. is a destination for highly skilled professionals from India who have made s ubstantial 
contribution to the U.S. economy and for promoting competitiveness and cutting -edge level 
innovation. However, a string of U.S. legislations like the executive order "Buy American Hire 
American ", and the United States Citizenship and Immigration  measures are adding to the 
difficulties and regulatory burden for the Indian services industry. Other restrictive and 
discriminatory measures including the recently proposed ones on increase in H1B visa fee, 
numerical limitation on visas, wage linkages, e tc. are also clearly protectionist and go against 
free trade. The mismatch in the social security and visa regimes, due to which Indian WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  professionals are unable to claim any social security benefits also affects them. We are 
concerned these restrictive mea sures on movement of professionals could undermine the 
synergy and mutually benefited partnership between Indian and U.S. companies in the 
services sector.  
• Generic drugs and other pharmaceutical products are an important component of our trade 
with the Uni ted States. However, Indian pharmaceutical companies face a complex regulatory 
environment for registration and marketing and other challenges related to inspection which 
is adversely impacting their operations and market access.  
• We have also regularly hi ghlighted issues affecting the export of Indian agriculture products 
including mangoes, honey, grapes and other products due to the onerous requirements related 
to irradiation, testing and complex SPS requireme nts.  
• India is one of the largest exporter of shrimps to the United States. The U.S. FDA testing 
requirements and other recent measures are placing conside rable burden on our exporters.  
4.327.   We hope the United States will look into all these issues to meaningfully address them at the 
earliest and we stand  ready to engage and provide information to add ress these for mutual benefit.  
4.328.   To conclude, let me reiterate the special importance which India attaches to its deep and 
diverse relationship with the U.S. which both sides define as an "Enduring Global Partn ership in the 
21st Century ". We wish the delegation of Un ited States a successful TPR.   
HONG  KONG,  CHINA  
4.329.   Hong Kong, China (HKC) has very close economic ti es with the United States (US).  For trade 
in both goods and services, the U.S. is our second largest trading partner and export market.  At the 
same time, HKC is the US ' 9th largest export market for goods, and we are hosting nearly 
300 regional headquarters, plus over 1,000 regional and local offices which have th eir parent 
companies in the US.  Our bilateral trade relationship has long been mutually beneficial.  
4.330.   At the WTO, the U.S. and HKC are also close partners in  promoting trade facilitation.  We 
both participate actively in the Trade Facilitation Committee, and we appreciate the experience th at 
the U.S. has shared in implementing the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, including its National 
Trade Facilitation Committee and advance rulings.  
4.331.   We welcome in particular the launch of the Automated Comme rcial Environment in February. 
With this single window for import and export processing, mo re than 200 paper forms from 
48 government agencies are no longer needed, and the waiting time for trucks at land  ports of entry 
is cut by 44%. We encourage the U.S. to continue with its good work in this regard.  
4.332.   HKC and th e U.S. share common interests in s ervices trade too, hence our joint initiatives in 
e-commerce and domestic regulation s. The U.S. is the world 's largest comm ercial services trading 
entity.  Its services sector accounts for over 80% of the country 's GDP. We believe that further 
liberalisation of its services trade will bring enormous benefits both to the country and to the world 
economy.  
4.333.   During the review period, the U.S. has continued to contribute to international trade flows, 
but some of its trad e measures seem to be heading in the opposite direction.  
4.334.   We note with concern, for instance, that the U.S. is using anti -dumping and countervailing 
measures much more frequently. B etween 2016 and 2017, the number of inves tigations grew almost 
by half. Meanwhile, there were only a few revocations, and for the hundreds of measures that 
remain, many have been in place for more than 20  years. This is not what one should expect of 
short-term remedial actions.  
4.335.   We urge the U.S. to exercise restraint in initiatin g new investigations, and to seriously review 
the necessity of existing measures, especially those straddling decades.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.336.   Tariffs is another area that we wish to highlight.  In general, HKC would encourage Members 
to streamline their tariff struct ures and lowe r the bound rates.  In the case of the US, noting that 
about 11% of its tariff lines are non -ad valorem, and that there is a concentration of tariff peaks in 
agriculture, footwear, and textiles, we would certa inly like to see improvements.  
4.337.   Our biggest conce rn, however, is not so much about what is in the US ' tariff schedules, but 
rather wha t goes beyond those schedules. I am referring to, for instance, the hefty tariffs on steel 
and aluminium imports that were imposed on almost all WTO Members on grounds of national 
security.  
4.338.   I understand that the TPRM is not f or dispute -settlement purposes.  So, even though HKC 
does not think the tariffs are justified, I will not discuss individual cases here. Suffice to say that 
WTO Members have decided to defend their legit imate rights and interests through the dispute 
settlement system, and HKC will, as third party, assist the panels  in examin ing the complaints.  
4.339.   We are also looking at these tariffs from a systemic angle, in the broader context of the US ' 
trade policy which now features "supporting national security " as a major pillar.  
4.340.   HKC is a free trader. We do not wish to see "national security " becoming a synonym of 
"economic interest ", or be used as a pretext for unilatera l protectionist trade measures.  It is 
particularly important that major economies guard against such abuses, given their strong influenc e 
in the global trading order. The WTO 's latest trade monitoring report tells us that the amount of 
trade covered by new import -restrictive measures in  the past  year had reached new heights. Those 
implemented by G20 economies, just between mid -May and mid -October, amounted to 
USD 480 billion. This trend must not continue.  
4.341.   The U.S. has identified "aggressive enforcement of U.S. trade laws " as anoth er pill ar of its 
trade policy. Just as the U.S. would like to see fewer barriers, and a more open and predictable 
trading environment for its businesses, other WTO Members would also like to see the U.S. offering 
the same f acilitation for their traders. Internati onal trade is not a zero -sum game.  Focusing 
steadfastly on one 's national interest does not mean this has to be done at the expense of other s. 
Through cooperation, all trading partners will have more to gain.  
4.342.   In this regard, we are pleased to note that the  U.S. says it wants to help build a better 
multilateral trading system, and  will remain active in the WTO.  We believe that doing so requires, 
first and foremost, maintaini ng the basic functions of this Organization. Therefore, as a matter of 
priority, we u rge the U.S. to join the consensus in launching the process to fill Appellate Body 
vacancies, so that the dispute settlement functions of the WTO will not be disabled.  
4.343.   The WTO is fa cing unprecedented challenges. Members may or may not be part of the 
proble m, but we should all se ek to be part of the solution. HKC looks forward to working with the 
U.S. to support the WTO and strengthen the multilateral trading system.  
4.344.   We wish the U.S. a fruitful trade policy review.  
GUATEMALA  
4.345.   We would first like to draw attention to the WTO Secretariat's solid work of investigation and 
analysis, as reflected in the report on the trade policies of the United States under discussion today. 
The data contained in that report, when viewed as a whole, give us a very complete an d detailed 
picture of the macroeconomic situation and of the trade policies being implemented by the 
United  States.  
4.346.   We also wish to extend our sincerest thanks to the Australian Ambassador, 
Ms Frances  Lisson, for the highly objective and detailed presentat ion and analysis she has been good 
enough to share with us today.  
4.347.   May I take this opportunity to stress the great importance for Guatemala of its trade relations 
with the United  States, a country which has historically been our main trading partner.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.348.   Accord ing to figures for 2017, some 33.9% of Guatemala's exports go to the US market; 
they include, inter alia , articles of clothing, coffee, bananas and a wide range of fruits and vegetables, 
as well as precious and semi -precious metals, sugar and articles of p aper or of paperboard. In the 
opposite direction, some 39.8% of Guatemalan imports came from the United States in the same 
period. These consisted mainly of manufactured goods, such as petroleum products, machinery and 
mechanical appliances, and vehicles a nd transport equipment, together with prepared animal fodder, 
plastic products, transmitters and receivers.  
4.349.   Our trade relations with the United States are based on close ties that have been cemented 
since the 1980s thanks to the implementation of the Carib bean Basin Initiative and subsequently 
through the Central  America -United States -Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA -DR). 
In that time, the flow of trade with the United States has increased significantly.  
4.350.   In addition to the important process of  liberalization of trade in goods and services generated 
by the CAFTA -DR over the 12 years since it entered into force, the agreement has helped to promote 
investment between our countries, strengthen production linkages, reduce transaction costs and 
expan d the range of products available to consumers.  
4.351.   We recognize the efforts made by the United States and the major successes it has achieved 
during the review period. In the Trade Policy Report, we are pleased to note that the United States 
has shifted to ad opting policies that are intended to support its national security and strengthen its 
economy. These priorities are reflected in the President's 2018 Trade Policy Agenda and the various 
measures aimed primarily at facilitating trade and customs transaction s. 
4.352.   We are also grateful for the answers to the questions Guatemala has asked during the course 
of this Review.  
4.353.   We hope to go on strengthening our important trade links, and we wish the United States 
delegation a successful conclusion to its country's Trade  Policy Review.  
NORWAY  
4.354.   Norway and the United States enjoy a strong trade relationship that benefits both countries. 
Bilateral trade amounted to USD 20 billion in 2017, with a U.S. trade surplus of more than 
USD 1 billion. U.S. exports to Norway and Norwegi an investments in the United States support more 
than 500 000 jobs.  
4.355.   Throughout the years, Norway and the United States have been able to solve many trade 
issues. The TPR reviews have been helpful, and so has bilateral dialogue.  
4.356.   Norway appreciates the annual Informal Commercial Exchange - the so -called ICE -talks - 
between the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the U.S. Department of 
Commerce. The meetings on trade issues that take place between the EFTA states and the USTR, 
and the dialogue on fisheries issues between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is of great value. Norway and the U.S. also have 
several common interests in the International Working Group on Expor t Credits.  
4.357.   The importance of the rules -based multilateral trading system cannot be overestimated, as 
it is fundamental to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. Norway 
strongly believes that it is in the long -term interest  of all members to protect and safeguard this 
system. We hope to see a constructive leadership of the United States, in co -operation with all other 
Members, to ensure a dynamic, modernized and well -functioning WTO.  
4.358.   We appreciate the engagement of the Unite d States on important issues such as disciplines 
for fisheries subsidies, follow -up of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, and follow -up of the joint 
initiative on e -commerce.  
4.359.   Unfortunately, the crisis in the multilateral trading system is no longer a threat  of the future. 
As WTO Members we have collectively failed to negotiate updates to the rulebook, with a few notable 
and positive exceptions.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.360.   By December next year, the Appellate Body will not have enough Members to review cases, 
unless we find a way out o f the current crisis. Norway, along with other Members, have made 
proposals that should be part of the solutions to the current crisis within the framework of the 
multilateral trading system. We urge the United States to engage constructively on these and other 
proposals.  
4.361.   It is, however, with regret that I note that our concerns today are stronger and more 
fundamental, than they were at the last TPR of the United States. Norway agrees that there are 
global issues of concern that need addressing, and we agr ee that the rulebook needs updating. The 
most immediate threat to the rules -based trading system is, however, the lack of respect for the 
rules.  
4.362.   We are deeply concerned about the damaging effects of increased protectionism, unilateral 
measures and escalat ing trade tensions. We urge the United States to refrain from measures that 
contribute to this development. Such measures threaten to undermine the rules -based trading 
system anchored in the WTO, and most importantly threaten to undermine global economic g rowth 
and economic stability. Norway is harmed by measures taken by the United States that are directed 
at other members' trade practices.  
4.363.   We note and appreciate that reforming the Multilateral Trading System is on the list of U.S. 
trade priorities. Norwa y shares this ambition. Let me, however, point out that the U.S. argument for 
reform of the rulebook would carry a lot more weight if the U.S. demonstrated leadership by adhering 
more closely to the spirit of the rules.  
4.364.   Furthermore, while discussions are currently taking place in various formats and fora, much 
needed improvements to the multilateral trading system can only be achieved by involving the 
broader membership. We urge the United States to work constructively together with other Members 
to safegu ard and strengthen the WTO.  
4.365.   We thank the U.S. for providing replies to our questions, which we will study carefully, and 
we wish the U.S. a successful and inspirational Trade Policy Review.  
ARGENTINA  
4.366.   We are all well aware of the importance of the United S tates in the international arena, and 
nowhere more so than in the case of trade. As the Secretariat report rightly indicates, the 
United  States is one of the world's largest exporters and importers, as well as one of the main 
producers and exporters of goo ds and services that embody intellectual property. It is also the 
world's main recipient of foreign direct investment, the largest investor abroad and the largest 
exporter and importer of services in the world.  
4.367.   Given this importance, it is not always easy to achieve "reciprocal" trade relations, but they 
can indeed be "free and fair", which is why we may be said to share the aim of President Trump's 
2018 Trade Policy Agenda.  
4.368.   This importance also means that the United States' trade policies have a significan t impact. 
Here we have in mind in particular the trade facilitation programmes, the MFN tariff regime 
characterized by low or no tariffs, and the fact that its economy has become ever more energy 
efficient.  
4.369.   Argentina welcomes the fact that the United State s' economy has recorded its ninth 
consecutive year of expansion accompanied by a continued strengthening of the labour market. We 
also appreciate that the investment regime, with some exceptions, is an open one.  
4.370.   At the bilateral level, we are pleased to sa y that the United States is Argentina's third largest 
trade partner and the largest investor in our country, with an FDI stock of USD 17  billion. This 
relationship has grown stronger in recent years, as reflected in the elimination of sanitary barriers 
to our reciprocal trade in agricultural goods, among other joint achievements.  
4.371.   We appreciate the fact that the United States has again granted Argentina the benefits 
provided under the Generalized System of Preferences. We must also mention and express our WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  gratitude for the United States' invaluable support in our negotiations with the IMF and the process 
of joining the prestigious club of the OECD.  
4.372.   We are ready to work with the United States (and with all interested Members) to achieve 
"sensible and fair re forms to the WTO" as well as for "promoting rules for efficient markets, expanded 
trade, and greater wealth for all nations". In short, we seek to reaffirm the central role of trade for 
growth, job creation and development, and to strive for a multilateral  trading system that is able to 
respond to the present and future challenges in a balanced and inclusive manner.  
4.373.   By way of example I would mention our joint sponsorship of the document under the double 
symbols JOB/GC/204 – JOB/CTG/14, "Procedures to Enhanc e Transparency and Strengthen 
Notification Requirements under WTO Agreements". We also wish to continue cooperating with the 
United States to achieve an agreement on the prohibition of fisheries subsidies in 2019, in 
accordance with the Decision adopted at  the Eleventh Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires. 
Likewise, we believe that there is room for pursuing the process of reforming the multilateral 
agricultural rules, in particular as regards domestic support.  
4.374.   Almost by way of conclusion, in the context of this Trade Policy Review we submitted a 
number of questions relating to various matters such as the single window, advance rulings, the aid 
programme for dairy producers, short -term aids for agricultural producers and export promotion 
programmes, among others. We thank the United States for the replies we have received, which are 
being studied in our capital.  
4.375.   We wish to reiterate our appreciation for this new opportunity to exchange information and 
views on the trade policies and practices of the United States, and also to highlight once again the 
importance of this transparency exercise in all respects. We wish the United States Government a 
successful conclusion to this Review.  
CUBA  
4.376.   The economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the Governmen t of the 
United  States against Cuba for almost six decades is the most prolonged and implacable system of 
unilateral sanctions ever applied against a country in history.  
4.377.   In the period since the previous Trade Policy Review of the United States in December  2016 
to this day, the blockade against Cuba has strengthened both bilaterally and multilaterally through 
the widening scope of its extraterritorial implications. Consequently, this is not "a bilateral matter 
that should not be discussed in multilateral for ums", as the United States representative has stated 
in reply to questions raised during earlier reviews of its trade policies, but rather a matter with 
extraterritorial implications affecting other Members of this Organization that trade with Cuba, as 
well as financial institutions and banks that are under pressure from the United States Government 
through multimillion -dollar fines and sanctions to get them to shut down their operations with Cuba. 
This blockade violates international law and the right of t he Cuban people to development.  
4.378.   The vote in favour of the resolution entitled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial 
and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba", which the United 
Nations General Assembly has adopted f or 27 consecutive years, is the expression of the 
condemnation of this policy by the majority of the international community.  
4.379.   The blockade also harms the interests of United States companies wishing to do business 
with Cuban entities under normal condition s. In particular, by law the United States Government 
imposes conditions on its exporters of agricultural products that place them at a disadvantage 
compared with their competitors from other countries, by barring them from offering financing 
facilities an d obliging them to require advance payment for their sales to Cuba.  
4.380.   Over the last year we have observed that the United States is also targeting other countries 
that are its traditional trading partners, by imposing tariff measures on various products on the sole 
ground of national security, while insisting that other Members should respect their undertakings 
under the WTO Agreements. This is the same argument used to perpetuate the web of legal 
measures constituting the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed against a 
developing country, Cuba.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.381.   At the WTO, the United States has sponsored a draft General Council decision on procedures 
to enhance transparency and strengthen notification requirements under WTO Agreements.  
4.382.   The draft decision to be adopted by the General Council essentially aims at strengthening 
the monitoring of notifications, up to the point of even imposing administrative sanctions on 
non-compliant Members. Instead of this punitive approach, the right thing would be for the 
United  States to contribute to improving the notification and transparency system by building 
capacity and offering technical assistance to developing countries and, specifically, the least 
developed countries that need it.  
4.383.   We wonder whether the United States Go vernment has made detailed notifications to the 
various WTO bodies concerning the whole web of regulations comprising the economic, commercial 
and financial embargo against Cuba from its inception to the present day, including inter alia  the 
1992 Cuban Dem ocracy Act (Torricelli Act), the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act signed 
on 12  March  1996, as well as the more recent measures introduced by President Donald Trump for 
the same purpose. If we go deeper into the compliance by the Government of th e United States of 
America with its notification obligations concerning the measures for its embargo against Cuba, we 
clearly see a sustained pattern of non -compliance with its obligations as a WTO Member.  
4.384.   As we have demanded for over six decades now, Cuba  calls on the United States to eliminate 
once and for all its discriminatory and unjustified policy of a genocidal embargo against Cuba, and 
in its place restore fair and balanced trade with our country in accordance with the rules and 
regulations of this Organization.  
PERU  
4.385.   Peru and the United States have a long -standing, very close relationship in various areas. It 
is a relationship that is firmly based on shared values and principles, such as respect for democracy 
and the rule of law, and promotion and de fence of human rights. We cooperate on economic matters 
as well as in various other areas including security, the war on drug trafficking and organized crime.  
4.386.   Peru and the United States share a vision favouring economic openness, and also agree on 
the impo rtance for development of promoting a free economy driven by trade and investment. As a 
result of this shared understanding, we have a Trade Promotion Agreement that has been in force 
since 2009. Over the ten years the Agreement has been applied, the accum ulated level of bilateral 
trade has risen significantly to reach USD 132  billion, and is marked by complementarity, growth 
and diversification. Almost half the products exported by Peru to the United States consist of 
non-traditional exports that benefit m icro, small and medium -sized Peruvian enterprises.  
4.387.   I should therefore like to take this opportunity to reiterate Peru's interest in continuing to 
expand and diversify its trade relations with the United States and also to continue strengthening 
and deepeni ng this close relationship of friendship and cooperation between our two countries.  
4.388.   I also wish to say that Peru shares the readiness of many Members to discuss ways to 
improve, strengthen or reform the multilateral trading system, and we are committed to stepping 
up our dialogue to improve the negotiating function of this Organization. To this end, we have 
expressed general support for the objective of the proposal submitted by the United States, together 
with other Members, to improve compliance with the WTO transparency obligations. We have 
participated with the best intentions in this debate, with specific proposals that we hope will continue 
to be discussed in the best spirit of cooperation.  
4.389.   As we have said in other bodies of this Organization, Peru is ready to pursue a constructive 
discussion on the issues of concern to the United States relating to the functioning of the dispute 
settlement system. This is a question to which Peru attaches the utmost importance, and we 
therefore encourage Members to dee pen the dialogue and take up these concerns and proposals 
relating to the multilateral trade framework in good faith, in particular to resolve the difficult situation 
surrounding the continued functioning of the Appellate Body.  
4.390.   Accordingly, in the context of the process of submitting questions for this Trade Policy Review 
we have addressed a number of questions to the United States on how it considers that we can WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  undertake the improvement, strengthening or reform of the WTO, including the dispute settlement  
mechanism.  
4.391.   Both jointly with the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries, and also individually, 
Peru has shared the concern of many Members about the systemic implications for the multilateral 
trading system of such a lengthy blockage of the star t to the selection process for the missing 
members of the Appellate Body. This deadlock poses an ever -increasing threat to the stability of the 
multilateral trading system and may have undesired consequences for international economic 
relations.  
4.392.   We therefo re again call on the United States to join in working together in order to find a 
rapid and definitive solution to this impasse over the functioning of the Appellate Body, so as to 
restore its full operational capacity by beginning the selection process fo r its missing members.  
4.393.   Lastly, I should like to thank the United States for its replies to our questions, which are 
being studied by the authorities in our capital. We wish the United States delegation every success 
in this Trade Policy Review.  
PHILIPPINES  
4.394.   The Philippines associates itself with the ASEAN statement delivered by Thailand, recognizing 
the valuable economic partnership between the ASEAN member states and the United States. As 
ASEAN's third largest trading partner, we recognize the impact of U.S . trade and investment policy 
on ASEAN's economic development and we continue to work on promoting the economic cooperation 
between ASEAN and the United States.  
4.395.   The Philippines and the US have longstanding bilateral relations based on our strong 
historical and cultural ties . According to the US Census Bureau, there are more than 4 Million Filipinos 
in the United States, which demonstrates the strong people -to-people ties between our two 
countries.  
4.396.   Based on 2017 data, the US is the Philippines thi rd largest trading partner at US$17.44 
Billion and the fifth major source of foreign direct investments estimated at US$173.42 Million.  
4.397.   The Philippines -US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) serves as a valuable 
mechanism for the expansion of t rade and investment flows between our two countries where  regular 
discussions are held to strengthen the economic partnership between our two economies.  
4.398.   As strongly commended in the review reports, the US economy is currently in its ninth 
consecutive year  of expansion with real GDP rising to an annual rate of 2.2% in the first quarter of 
2018 and accelerating to 4.1% in the second quarter. However, of some concern is the US current 
account deficit, which has been increasing since 2013 reaching US$ 469.1 bi llion in 2017.  
4.399.   The Philippines notes that since the last review in 2016, the focus of U.S. trade policy has 
shifted to adopting policies that are intended to support its national security and strengthen its 
economy. These policies are reflected in the U.S . President's 2018 Trade Policy Agenda with the 
objective to achieve free, fair, and reciprocal trade relations which they consider critical to the U.S. 
national security policy. It also focuses on renegotiating trade deals, enforcing U.S. trade laws and 
U.S. rights under existing trade agreements, and reforming the multilateral trading system.  
4.400.   The Philippines appreciates the proposals of the US to improve and reform the WTO, which 
the Philippines is reviewing and studying in a constructive spirit, and in the context of each WTO 
member being required by their domestic constitutions to first and foremost promote the national 
welfare and that of their citizens; and that the multilateral trading system must also work towards 
this end. Developing countries like  the Philippines have long championed the principle that for global 
GDP growth to be meaningful, the growth must be inclusive and not leave anyone behind.  
4.401.   As the U.S. pursues all these, we would encourage the U.S. to continue leading in upholding 
the rules -based multilateral trading system at the core of the WTO. Now, more than any other time 
in the life of the WTO, U.S. leadership is needed.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.402.   The Philippines has submitted some written questions on the United States' trade policy 
review reports, and we thank  the U.S. in advance for its responses.  
4.403.   In closing, the Philippines looks forward to further enhancing our mutually beneficial 
economic relations through bilateral, regional, and multilateral fora.  
TRINIDAD  AND  TOBAGO  
4.404.   Trinidad and Tobago and the United States enjoy a cordial relationship and we are 
encouraged by the continued growth of the U.S. economy. As noted in the reports, the period under 
review marked the 9th consecutive year of growth in that country 's Gross Dom estic Product (GDP). 
The continued growth of the U.S. economy is especially welcomed by this delegation in view of the 
fact that the United States is the largest economy in the world, and is highly integrated into the 
global economy, and also given that th e United States is Trinidad and Tobago 's largest trading 
partner. Our commercial contact with the United States has traditionally been strong and in recent 
years Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from a favourable balance of trade with the US.  
4.405.   Both reports  relevant to this review have highlighted the programmes known collectively as 
the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). The CBI reflects the US 's commitment to Caribbean Basin 
economies through duty -free access to the U.S. market for a wide range of goods and  has been 
described as a vital element in U.S. economic relations with its neighbours in the Caribbean. We 
have taken note of the Twelfth Report to Congress on the Operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic 
Recovery Act (CBERA), which was prepared by the Of fice of the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR) on 29 December 2017. The aforesaid Report identified Trinidad and Tobago as the leading 
source of U.S. imports under CBI tariff preferences since 2005 and the leading market for U.S. 
exports to the CBI region in 2016. The Report has noted that it is clear that CBI beneficiary countries 
and U.S. industries are actively using the preference provisions. It is in this context that we 
encourage the extension of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA ) and the consequent 
preferential duty treatment beyond 30 September 2020. We applaud the efforts of the United States 
to facilitate the economic development and export diversification of Caribbean economies, and 
Trinidad and Tobago envisages the continuat ion and expansion of this mutually beneficial 
commercial relationship.  
4.406.   We have now seen the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), and have 
noted the efforts thus far of the United States in relation to support for the Agreement. We lo ok 
forward to intensified participation by the U.S. in contributing to the effective implementation of the 
TFA in developing countries. We remain sanguine that the United States will be active in supporting 
developing countries in this area.  
4.407.   My delegation  expresses its gratitude to the United States for the responses provided to the 
advance written questions which we submitted.  
4.408.   Please  allow me to take this opportunity to reaffirm Trinidad and Tobago 's commitment to 
strengthening the longstanding relationship of cooperation with the United States of America, which 
is aimed at mutual growth and development.  
4.409.   We wish the United States a successful Trade Policy Review.  
INDONESIA  
4.410.   Indonesia a ssociates itsel f with the ASEAN statement made by Thailand.  
4.411.   My delegation is pleased to participate in this Trade Policy Review. As the largest economy 
in the world, the United States of America has been playing a very important role, not only in global 
trade, but also a s an important trade and investment partner to Indonesia.  
4.412.   Indonesia has been, forging a mutually beneficial trade relationship, with the United States. 
In the last five years, our bilateral trade, in non -oil products, has recorded a slight increase of 0.39 % 
per annum. In 2017, the total value of non -oil products traded by Indonesia and the United States, 
reached a value of USD 25.9 billion.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.413.   During the years between 2013 up to 2017, Indonesia 's export of non -oil products to the 
United States, demonstrated a n increase, at the rate of 2.29% per annum. At the same time, the 
United States remains as one of the most important sources of Indonesia 's imports in non -oil 
products.  
4.414.   Exports of Indonesia to the United States, are predominantly agricultural products, suc h as 
rubber, palm oil, and coconut (copra), as well as fishery and marine products. Meanwhile, imports 
from the United States are dominated by several products, including but not limited to agricultural 
products, such as soy beans, wheat, cotton, and elect ronic appliances.  
4.415.   With regard to investment, the value of U.S. investment into Indonesia, in 2017, amounted 
to USD 1.9 billion, spread over 579 projects. This puts the United States, as Indonesia 's 6th largest 
source of foreign investment. Yet, Indonesia i s of the view that, there is scope for further 
improvement in our bilateral investment cooperation.  
4.416.   While experiencing a strong economic and trade relations, with the United States, for the 
past decade, Indonesia 's exports are still facing unnecessary res trictions to trade in the 
United  States ' market.  Indonesia is of the view that, those restrictions have significantly prevented 
our trade relations fr om reaching its optimum level. We are hopeful that this Trade Policy Review 
can serve our interests in fin ding solution to address those obstacles.  
4.417.   To this end, we have submitted a number of written questions, related to our concerns on 
the United States ' trade policies, as well as on the United States ' trade -related policies and practices. 
We look forward to  receiving responses to our written questions.  
4.418.   Indonesia looks forward to further working with the United States, in strengthening the 
multilateral trading system.  
4.419.   In conclusion, my delegation wishes the delegation of the United States, success in their 
Trade P olicy Review.  
ISRAEL  
4.420.   Israel and the United States have close economic and trade relations including a free trade 
agreement signed in 1985.  
4.421.   The United States remains the largest single economy in the world and Israel 's most 
important single trading pa rtner.  
4.422.   Since the last review, one of the main developments in the U.S. trade policy has been the 
shift towards policies intended to support its national security and strengthen its economy. On the 
fiscal side, the economy received a boost with the Tax Cuts  and Jobs Act of 2017. These major shifts 
in U.S. policy has had some important effect on trade, both in the bilateral and the multilateral 
arena. The impact has been felt in the strict enforcement of U.S. trade laws and U.S. rights under 
the existing trad e agreements as well as a call for a comprehensive WTO reform. The overarching 
2018 Trade Policy Agenda is driven to achieve "free, fair, and reciprocal " trade relations, which are 
deemed critical to U.S. national security policy.  
4.423.   Israeli companies have c learly benefited from strong demand on the U.S. market. The U.S. 
accounts for 35% of the total Israeli exports of goods, a trend that has steadily and exponentially 
grown since the 1985 FTA. Amongst the top import categories, we have: precious metal and st one 
(diamonds), pharmaceuticals, electrical machinery, and optical and medical instruments. U.S. 
foreign direct investment (FDI) in Israel (stock) was USD 26.7 billion in 2017, a 158.3% increase 
from 2016. U.S. direct investment in Israel is led by manufac turing, professional, scientific, and 
technical services, and information services. The result of these investment and tech collaborations 
is not only mutually beneficial, but has and continues to benefit consumers by improving quality of 
life and health a ll over the world.  
4.424.   Similar to others, we are concerned by some measures under Section 232 investigations that 
so far have imposed import surcharges on steel and aluminum. These have real and systemic WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  implications across trade and the global economy. We are similarly concerned with the possibility of 
new such measures that may be applied in the future.  
4.425.   On the multilateral front, U.S. participation and leadership in the WTO is needed now more 
than ever if we want to ensure the future wellbeing of this Organization. On the transparency and 
notification front, Israel appreciates the U.S. for its constructive role in spearheading a proposal that 
puts forward some creative and practical solutions to a very i mportant problem that has affected 
the WTO for many years. Israel looks forward to working with the U.S. on this matter, as well as 
others. I would be remiss if I did not mention a pressing matter on which we all expect the U.S. to 
engage and find a soluti on as soon as possible, and this is the launching of the selection process for 
the AB Member vacant positions. Members have heard the concerns by the U.S. and have put 
forward various proposals. Israel believes this matter is of great importance for the co ntinued 
success of the WTO and we hope the U.S. engages with all Members in order to find a sustainable 
solution as soon as possible.  
4.426.   I would like to conclude by saying that the U.S. is not only a very important trade partner 
for Israel and a dear friend. We also share close ties across many other fronts, which we value and 
appreciate and look forward to continuing  building on these.  
4.427.   Lastly, we wish the U.S. a very successful TPR, and best wishes in the year to come to all of 
you. 
EGYPT  
4.428.   The United States holds an impressive economic record throughout the current decade. As 
the S ecretariat report indicated, the U.S. economy has been expanding for nine consecutive years. 
Real GDP growth averaged 2.2% in 2017, up from 1.6% in 2016, and conti nues to accelerate.  
4.429.   Such a boastful record accounts for sound macroeconomic policies, predominantly in trade 
and investment. Needless to say, the United States is the world 's main recipient of foreign direct 
investment, the world 's largest importer, and th e world 's second largest exporter, underpinned by 
a highly diversified and technological export base.  
4.430.   Given such a high profile, the United States carries a huge responsibility in promoting global 
trade and the multilateral trading system. It is worth men tioning that during the period under review, 
the United States implemented several positive measures improving its trade policy, which reflected 
its overall commitment to the WTO.  
4.431.   On the bilateral front, Egypt and the United States have maintained mutually  beneficial trade 
and investment relationships that have flourished for almost four decades.  
4.432.   Egypt takes its place among the major U.S. trade partners in Africa and the Middle East. 
Likewise, the United States is one of Egypt 's largest trade partners  with a trade volume of 
USD 5.6 billion in 2017, up 12.9% from 2016. There are expectations that such growth trends will 
continue in the upcoming years.  
4.433.   Egypt is a beneficiary country under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and 
the establishment of Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs) which help increase Egyptian exports to the 
U.S. 
4.434.   Egypt opts to further develop its economic relations with the United States, particularly to 
enhance trade, and att ract more investments in Egypt.  In light of this endea vour, Egypt submitted 
three questions to the United States, concerning the tariffs imposed pursuant to Section 232 the 
Presidential Proclamations adjusting imports of Steel and Aluminum, and eagerly awaits the reply.  
4.435.   Finally, Egypt congratulates the United  States for its impressive economic record in the 
period under review. We would like to conclude by wishing the delegation of the United States a 
fruitful Trade Policy Review.  
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  RUSSIAN  FEDERATION  
4.436.   The United States remains one of Russia 's largest trading partners. Our statistics shows that 
the amount of our bilateral turnover  in 2017 reached USD  23.1 billion, which is 15. 8% higher than 
in 2016.  
4.437.   We cannot underestimate the influence of the U.S. on global markets. However, they are 
also liable for such posi tion, and they should not abuse it. We have a number of questions and 
serious concerns with regards to U.S. trade and investment policies. I would like to voice some of 
them today.  
4.438.   First, let me start by pointing out that , since the last review in 2016 , the trade policy of the 
U.S. has undergone fundamental changes. President Trump has introduced a new economic 
strategy, aimed at "promoting fair deals " between the U.S. and its trade partners. In practice, this 
turned out to be nothing more than bilateral a ttempts to bully other States into providing additional 
advantages for American businesses.  
4.439.   We believe that this dangerous transformation of the U.S. trade policy presents a serious 
risk to the global trade, as well as to the WTO. Washington has clearly st arted to drift away from 
multilateral principles of resolving trade issues in favour  of bilateral o r regional bargains. The 
United  States is gradually avoiding meaningful participation in discussion formats, while dismantling 
existing mechanisms in order t o create conditions for the abuse of protectionist measures with 
impunity.  
4.440.   The most striking example of this approach is the position of the U.S. delegation on the WTO 
and its Appellate body reforms. As we have witnessed at the recent Heads of Delegations and General 
Council meetings, the U.S. prefers to either keep silent or to reject all proposals, formulated 
specifically to deal with the U.S. concerns, without putting forward their own solutions to existing 
problems. The only reasonable explanation for s uch behaviour  is that our American colleagues are 
simply not interested in reaching a compromise.  
4.441.   Second, we are alarmed by the excessive use of unilateral  sanctions against several WTO 
Members and O bservers. We strongly believe that the work of this Organ ization should not be 
politicized, so I will not dwell here on the true nature of these unlawful economic and trade 
restrictions. Speaking from a strictly international trade standpoint, sanctions are increasingly used 
by the U.S. as an instrument of prote ctionism, aimed at ousting competition from the global markets 
and providing unfair advantages to American companies. These practices are highly destructive for 
the world economy as they disrupt international trade, lead to a breach of mutual trust and 
confidence, and unravel business relationships.  
4.442.   We have become aware of the U.S. plans to introduce a new set of unilateral trade 
restrictions against Russia. Among them – a possible ban on most import/export operations, which 
may effectively bring the trade between our countries to a freeze.  
4.443.   I would like to use this opportunity to remind the United States of its commitments and warn 
the U.S. delegation of the profound negative impact that this will have on the interests of American 
businesses and the overall credibility of the U.S. as a trade partner.  
4.444.   We look forward to reviewing the responses to our comments.  
TURKEY  
4.445.   The United States ' economy is currently in an expansion period of its business cycle. The 
fiscal stimulus practices from 2017 have contributed to  this cycle to continue its path in 2018 in an 
accelerated manner.  
4.446.   However, as also pointed out by the IMF outlook, this cycle may not be long-lasting  as: 
• the public  deficit and debt are expanding.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  • inflation is triggered together with an increase in intere st rates, - and protectionism takes 
the lead in trade policy.  
• The risk of a new economic turmoil for coming years cannot be discarded.  
• Escalating trade tensions do not help in having a more optimistic outlook either.  
4.447.   The United States is the world 's largest exporter of agricult ure products (barring the intra -EU 
trade.)  
4.448.   It is also the world 's largest producer in many agriculture products and much of agriculture 
is heavily export oriented. Therefore, its agriculture policies have significant impact on g lobal 
agriculture trade.  
4.449.   Following the adoption of the 2014 Farm Bill, the trade -distortive agriculture supports 
increased more than 26% in 2014 -2015 period.  
4.450.   Agriculture supports register high levels in terms of value of production for some products.  
4.451.   The a mendments made to the Farm Bill in 2018 have introduced additional trade distorting 
supports, especially in cotton sector.  
4.452.   We are concerned that the U.S. agriculture supports have become steadily and increasingly 
more trade distortive since 2014.  
4.453.   Also, the  trade -distorting requirements on U.S. food aid program mes as well as practice on 
monetization of at least 15% of non -emergency food donations, remain to be concerns.  
4.454.   Being the largest agriculture exporter of the world, we expect from the United States to be 
mindful of the trade impacts of its agriculture policies and to conduct less distortive practices.  
4.455.   The United States is a significant player and one of the driving forces  of the system from 
very beginning.  
4.456.   As others already underlined , the U.S. is an ac tive M ember which has consistently stood for 
the multilateralism in trade for decades and strongly supported the WTO and its functions.  
4.457.   In this review period, the tendency that the U.S. has increasingly been confronting the very 
fundamental principles of  the multilateral system, has been striking. This, if maintained, risks the 
entire edifice of international trade rules, diligently built over decades.  
4.458.   It is deeply regrettable that the United States, who for decades has been one of the main 
architects, rece ntly has resorted to patently unilateral tariff measures.  
4.459.   We are deeply concerned about the additional duties of the U.S. on steel and aluminum 
imports to protect its domestic industry from the economic effects of competing imports.  
4.460.   Although the U.S. insists that these measures were taken on the grounds of  national security, 
like many other WTO Members, Turkey also believes that these measures are, by their very nature, 
purpose and design, economically -motivated safeguard measures.  
4.461.   Turkey also fails to unde rstand why, from a national security perspective, Turkish exports of 
steel warrant double the amount of duty as compared to exports of other WTO Members.  
4.462.   In addition, we would like to point out the growing numbers of CVD investigation s by the 
U.S. on impor ts of iron and  steel products. In these investigations, we also urge the U.S. to take 
into account WTO panel and Appellate Body decisions on "cross-cumulation " methodology and not 
to cumulate the effects of subsidized imports with the effects of non -subsid ized, dumped imports.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.463.   A brief comment on the current impasse in the Appellate Body and the U.S. position: while 
we understand some of the concerns expressed by the United St ates, we also expect the 
United  States to join the consensus to launch the selectio n process and to bring concrete proposals 
through engaging current discussions with a result oriented approach.  
4.464.   The U.S. has traditionally been an important trading partner and export market for Turkey.  
4.465.   Our trade volume reached almost USD 21 billion in 2017, which increased nearly four times 
in comparison to the last twenty years.  
4.466.   The trade deficit has been traditionally in favour  of the U.S. Last year, our exports increased 
by 30.7% to reach USD 8,6 billion and our imports increased by 11.2% to reach USD 12,1 billion. 
U.S. FDIS in Turkey amount to USD 11,3 million and are still significant.  
4.467.   In late 2017, the USTR announced new enforcement priorities for the eligibility criteria set 
by the U.S. Congress to benefit from the GSP Scheme and accordingly the U STR have reviewed the 
list of eligible products in this scheme.  
4.468.   On the other hand, USTR has initiated a review process about the compliance of Turkey with 
the U.S. eligibility criteria for benefitting from the GSP scheme.  
4.469.   We expect the U.S. to conduct its reviews of the GSP eligibility on an objective basis and in 
conformity with the WTO principles.  
4.470.   We believe that maintaining Turkey in the GSP program me will have a significant beneficial 
effect for both Turkish and U.S. economic interests.  
4.471.   Turkey remains committed to achieve a balanced and sustainable trade relations with the 
U.S. and looking forward to maintaining  this positive trend for 2018 and throughout 2019.  
4.472.   Long-term economic goals of Turkey and the U.S. are increasingly intertwined. The path of 
the bilateral trade volume underlines this fact. Both countries need to continue creating conditions 
conducive for economic growth for its businesses.  
4.473.   In terms of trade policy regime of the U.S., Turkey submitted a number of written questions 
in advance, seeking further detail and clarification on policy direction and approach. These questions 
relate to the United States ' trade and investment regime, trade policies and practices by measure, 
intellectual property rights and services sector.  
4.474.   We wi ll highly appreciate the U.S. response. We will examine them carefully.  
4.475.   We see United States as a key player in the WTO whose active role in further advancing the 
multilateral trading system is critical. We will continue work together with U.S. towards an open and 
rules based multilateral system.  
4.476.   We wish United States a successful completion of its fourteenth Trade Policy Review.  
NEPAL  
4.477.   The United States is the largest economy highly integrated into the global economy and 
trade. Any change in U.S. trade has far -reaching consequences for the world at large. Also, the 
United States continues to be the largest recipient of international capital flows, which has resulted 
in strengthening of the U.S. dollar. An appreciating U.S. dollar has implications t o the world 
economy, specifically to the growth and development of smaller economies. Trade is the balancer.  
4.478.   Nepal enjoys a strong, cordial and cooperative relationship with USA. The political and 
diplomatic relations between two countries have always been  fostered on understanding, friendship 
and cooperation. The U.S. partnership has been important in building peaceful, prosperous, resilient 
and democratic society through modernization of governance, and promotion of equitable and 
sustainable development.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.479.   In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in 2015, U.S. came out with a response in 
support of the recovery process of Nepal, and granted duty free access to 77 tariff lines to the U.S. 
market under a Trade Preference Act. Nepal has been a beneficiar y of U.S. GSP program me from 
the very beginning. Nepal wishes to have productive utilization of the trade preference programs 
through promotion of investment and trade capacity -building so as to achieve stronger economic 
growth.  
4.480.   The 4th Trade and Investmen t Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting held in 
November at senior officials level in Washington D.C. underscored the need to diversify bilateral 
trade and investments, covering potential areas of both goods and services as well as technical 
assistanc e. Both sides noted Nepal 's new era of political stability as an opportunity to promote 
business environment.  
4.481.   Similarly, under the Millennium Challenge Cooperation (MCC), U.S. is focusing on 
improvement of power and road connectivity in Nepal, two critica l areas that help sustainable 
development. The fund under the MCC programme is going to be utilized for strengthening power 
transmission lines and improving road maintenance.  
4.482.   USA is the second largest export destination for Nepalese products. Nepal mainly exports 
woollen  carpets, pashmina products, leather and leather products, handicrafts, medicinal herbs and 
essential oils, silver jewelleries , travel goods to the USA.  
4.483.   Being the world 's largest economy with sophistication, and with 80% contribution of the  
services sector to the GDP, U.S. has a great role to play in protecting the interest of the small 
developing economies and least developed countries.  
4.484.   Finally, the delegation of Nepal wishes to get constructively engaged  with the US, as well as 
other M embe rs, in strengthening the multilateral trading system in the interest of all. We wish the 
U.S. a very successful and productive trade policy review.  
BENIN  
4.485.   The United States economy has experienced significant growth, accelerating from 1.6% of 
GDP in 2016 to  4.1% in the second half of 2018.  
4.486.   Since the previous Review in 2016, a number of changes have taken place in US trade policy, 
in particular with respect to tax levels (tax cuts), monetary policy (raising of the federal funds rate), 
increase in the current account deficit, which represented about 2.4% of GDP in 2017, and so forth.  
4.487.   In 2017 there was also an upturn in production, especially machinery and mining, following 
declines in 2015 and 2016.  
4.488.   The other major development is the trade measures adopted by t he United States since the 
first quarter of this year, which affect production and trade of goods and services worldwide.  
4.489.   The delegation of Benin urges the United States to continue to contribute to promoting the 
liberalization of international trade based  on rules and multilateralism.  
4.490.   In this connection, we stress the need for all WTO Members, including the United States, to 
work towards achieving the reforms that need to be made to improve the Organization's rules, as 
well as its principles and mechanisms , and ensure that the Appellate Body can again function 
effectively.  
4.491.   At the bilateral level, the Benin delegation appreciates the United States' contribution to the 
promotion of Benin's economic and social development in the framework of the cooperation be tween 
the two countries as well as through other trade and financial tools and instruments, such as the 
AGOA Act, the Enhanced Integrated Framework programme, Aid for Trade, and the WTO 
Director -General's Consultative Framework Mechanism on Cotton.  
4.492.   Lastly,  having regard for the transparency ensured by notifications, the delegation of Benin, 
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  in favour of cotton, would like to ask the United States delegation t he following question: at what 
date or period will the United States notify to the WTO, on a disaggregated basis using the table 
proposed by the C -4, the various forms of domestic support it provides to the cotton sector, which 
distort international trade in this product?  
4.493.   In conclusion, the delegation of Benin wishes the United States a successful review of its 
trade policy.  
SRI LANKA  
4.494.   The most technologically powerful economy in the world with a per capita GDP of nearly 
USD 60,000, the U.S. economy has demonstrated an accelerated growth in the second quarter of 
2018 compared to the first quarter and the preceding year. The United States is also remaining the 
position as the world 's foremost destination for Foreign Direct Investments. We have noted that, as 
a result of lowering its tax rates for corporates and individuals, the Federal budget deficits are 
projected to increase, from 4.2% of GDP in 2018 to 5.1% in 2022.  
4.495.   As a founding M ember of the GATT and WTO, the United States remains committed to the 
multilateral trading system. We wish to commend the high degree of transparency that the 
United  States maintains in terms of notifications to WTO on its trade policy measures. They are also 
one of the major users of WTO 's dispute settlement mechanism, which de monstrates their trust on 
the multilateralism.  
4.496.   The tariff regime of the United States is stable and maintains the highest degree of 
predictability according to the World Tariff Profile 2018. As per this report the simple average applied 
tariff is same as the simple average bound tariff. Most of the tariff lines remain at low or Zero level. 
More than two -thirds of the tariff lines face zero or less than 5% of tariff. The binding coverage of 
its tariff schedule is 100%.  
4.497.   Let me briefly reflect on the bilater al relations between the United States and Sri Lanka. The 
United States is Sri Lanka 's largest single export market destination since 1979. Our exports to U.S. 
reached USD 2.9 billion in 2017, with an increase of 3.7% from 2016. Sri Lanka 's imports from U.S. 
in 2017 were valued at USD 810 million, recording an increase of 50% in comparison to 2016. U.S. 
is the 6th largest supplier to Sri Lanka. The vast majority of exports from Sri Lanka to the USA are 
apparel products accounting for nearly 75% of total exp orts. Industrial supplies, gemstones, tea, 
and spices are other major items of our exports. Top U.S. exports to Sri Lanka include animal feeds, 
medical equipment, soybeans, plastics, dairy products and wheat. Sri Lanka is also a beneficiary of 
U.S. GSP sch eme, however, this benefit is not available for our most exp ort interest item to the 
United  States market, i.e. Apparel.  
4.498.   USA is an important source of foreign direct investments to Sri Lanka. With the entry of U.S. 
apparel giant MAST Industries in 1987, t here have been about 200 projects with U.S. collaboration 
for a cumu lative investment of approx. USD  300 million in Sri Lanka. In terms of tourism, more than 
57,000 tourists have arrived to Sri Lanka from the United States in 2017.  
4.499.   Sri Lanka has signed a number of bilateral treaties with the United States to improve bilateral 
trade and economic relations. They include, among others:  
• The Protocol Amending the Convention between the Government of Sri Lanka and the 
Government of the United States of America f or the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the 
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income, which was signed in 1985.  
• The U.S. and Sri Lanka Air Transport Agreement, signed in 2002.  
• The US –Sri Lanka Trade And  Investment Framework Agreement (T IFA) signed in 2002.  
4.500.   Sri Lanka is the first country in South Asia to implement Container Security Initiative under 
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bureau. Sri Lanka is also participating in the U.S. Mega -
Port Initiative to utilize the expertise of the United States Department of Energy and the National 
Nuclear Security Administration to make the Port of Colombo safer.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.501.   The two countries commenced their diplomatic relations in 1948, soon after S ri Lanka gained 
Independence. This year we celebrated the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations.  
4.502.   The Government of U.S. has been providing development and  humanitarian assistance to 
Sri Lanka since 1956 in the areas of agriculture, environment and natural resources, health, 
education, good governance, business development and trade. The Government of U.S. has provided 
USD 134.6 million in assistance to communities in Sri Lanka for relief and reconstruction efforts, 
economic assistance to restore livelihood,  toward infrastructure projects and technical assistance to 
mitigate the effects of the tsunami devastation in 2004.  
4.503.   During a visit of U.S. Counsellor of the State Department to Sri Lanka in December 2015, 
the first US -Sri Lanka partnership dialogue to im prove Governance, Development Cooperation and 
People -to-People ties; Economic Cooperation; Security Cooperation and International and Regional 
Affairs, was announced.  
4.504.   In the multilateral front, my delegation appreciates the United States ' highly valued 
contribution to the multilateral trading system and its active engagement in the negotiations in the 
WTO. The dynamic role played by Ambassador Dennis C. Shea and his team in Geneva in proactively 
engaging in ongoing activities of WTO is highly commendable. W e sincerely hope that their dynamic 
engagement will further strengthen WTO as the multilateral trade rules making body. In closing, my 
delegation sincerely wishes the United States ' delegation a successful deliberation on its fourteenth 
Trade Policy Review . 
VIET  NAM 
4.505.   We also would like to associate ourselves with the ASEAN Joint Statement delivered by 
Thailand.  
4.506.   Since the last Trade Policy R eview, we are encouraged to learn that the U.S. economy is in 
its ninth consecutive year of expansion. In 2017, real GDP  growth averaged 2.2%, up from 1.6% in 
2016. In the first quarter of 2018, real GDP rose at an annual rate of 2.2%, before accelerating in 
the second quarter to 4.1%, respectively. The United States economy has been strong during the 
period under review, w ith accelerating growth, low unemployment, and inflation at a sustainable 
rate.  
4.507.   Fiscal policy turned pro -cyclical in 2018, with the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 
2017, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act o f 2018. Tax rates 
were lowered for businesses and individuals: the top corporate tax rate was re duced from 35% to 
21%, and the tax system was changed from global to territorial. Federal budget deficits are projected 
to continue increasing, from 4.2% of GDP  in 2018 to 5.1% in 2022.  
4.508.   Trade relations between Viet Nam and the United States have seen continuous high -rate 
growth since the Bilateral Trade Agreement came into force in 2001. Two -way trade reached 
USD 54.5 billion in 2017. Viet Nam is currently the 27 th largest importer of goods and the 16th 
largest trading partner of the United States.  
4.509.   With regard to investment, the United States is among the to p ten foreign investors in 
Viet Nam wi th total accumulated capital of  USD 9.96 billion.  
4.510.   Bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries are currently in a good 
development stage, shaped by extensive and faithful cooperation in many fields.  
4.511.   For mutual benefit of Viet Nam and the United States, we are confident that both parties will 
continue to  promote closer cooperation in the future through multilateral and bilateral cooperation 
frameworks.  
4.512.   Viet Nam strongly believes that the United States will continue to take initiatives in 
strengthening and promoting the role of the rule -based multilateral trading system, especially in 
ensuring the effective function of the multilateral trading system. We look forward to working 
together with the United States in ensuring that multilateralism remains at the core of international 
trade relations.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.513.   In conclusi on, we wish the United States a successful Trade Policy Review and look forward 
to the fruitful interactive dialogue with the U.S. delegation during the review.  
AFGHANISTAN  
4.514.   My delegation commends the G overnment of the United States presenting their 
comprehensive trade policy report and the constant economic growth rate in recent years.  
4.515.   While Afghanistan values its historic relationship with the United States, we acknowledge the 
very instrumental role o f United States amongst other friends of Afghanistan, during  the past 
17 years after fall of Taliban Regime, in a new and critical journey of my contrary towards a secure, 
open, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan.  
4.516.   Afghanistan would like to specifically  recognize the commitment in blood and treasure that 
the United States has shown since 2001 as our key ally.  
4.517.   The United States is the Afghanistan 's largest donor  and has contributed more than 
USD 132 billion in various forms of aid to Afghanistan over the past decade and a half, from building 
up and sustaining the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) to economic 
development. This a ssistance has increased the Afghan G overnment capacity and improved the 
economic infrastructures, public service delivery, economic growth and human development since 
2002.  
4.518.   According to the USTR, Afghanistan is currently the 95th largest goods  trading partner of 
U.S. with USD 956 million in total (two way) goods trade during 2017. We value and acknowledge 
the U.S. GSP treatment to Afghan exports.  
4.519.   The U.S. investment in Afghanistan also grown and expanded during these years. We hope 
that the U.S. continue to invest in Afghanistan 's economy further.  
4.520.   I would to take this opportunity to thank the Government of the Unite d States and specially 
the USAID, USTR and Commercial Law Development Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce 
for their invaluable assistances and supports provided to my country during its accession to WTO.  
4.521.   During accession process, USAID worked very e xtensively with the Afghan Government and 
the private sector to assist and guide Afghanistan through the lengthy and complex journey towards 
WTO Membership, a progress that drove broad legal and institutional reforms to improve my 
country 's macroeconomic a nd business environment. U.S. support did not stop by accession, but, 
continued in the post accession era , in particular in areas of technical assistance and capacity 
building for Geneva and capital based officials  of my G overnment . I am deeply grateful to  the USAID, 
CLDP and especially to  the esteemed colleagues of U.S. Mission to WTO in Geneva for their great 
and invaluable support and assistance.  
4.522.   I would like to underline the importance of U.S. commitment and leadership to preserve 
multilateral trading system and address th e challenges which threat this O rganization in particular 
the Dispute settlement system and Appellate B ody selection impasse in an open, transparent and 
inclusive dial ogue and cooperation among all M embers.  
4.523.   I conclude my statement by wishing the U.S. delegation a very successful and productive 
Trade Policy Review and very joyful upcoming holidays to everybody.  
MYANMAR  
4.524.   Myanmar associates itself with the statements of ASEAN and  the LDCs Group.  
4.525.   Myanmar and the United States have establish ed diplomatic relations since 1947. The Trade 
and Investment Framework Agreement between the two countries was signed in 2013.  
4.526.   The United States has restored the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade benefits 
to Myanmar starting from 13 November 2 016. According to our trade data, the bilateral trade 
between the two countries has increased, year on year. In 2017 -2018 Fiscal Year, the trade turnover WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  reached over USD  718 million. Myanmar 's major export items to the U.S. are garment, agricultural 
produ cts and marine products. Major import i tems from the U.S. are machinery and spare parts, 
iron and  steel products, aircraft and spare parts.  
4.527.   In terms of the Foreign Direct Investment in Myanmar, the volume of investmen t from the 
United States was USD 432.79 million until October 2018. We hope our bilateral relationship will 
enhance the development of trade and investment between our two countries in future.  
4.528.   According to the Secretariat 's report, the U.S. economy is in its ninth years consecutive year 
of expansion with an annual GDP growth averaged 2.2%.  
4.529.   The U.S. remains the world 's top destination for foreign direct investment as well as the 
largest single economy in the world. According to the IMF 's data, the US 's economy accounts for 
more than one -quarter of the world total.  
4.530.   According to the Secretariat 's report, the U.S. is one of the world 's largest exporters and 
importers. The merchandise trade volume of the U.S. was USD 3,953 billion and the services trade 
volume was over USD 1,349 billion in 2017.  In addition, the U.S. continues to be the largest foreign 
investor abroad. The stock of outward FDI of the U.S. was USD 6 trillion and inward FDI was over 
USD 4 trillion in 2017.  
4.531.   The current trade policy agenda of the U.S. is driven to achieve free, fair , and reciprocal 
trade relations. It also focuses on renegotiating and revising trade deals. We learned that U.S. trade 
policy rests on five major pillars: supporting U.S. national security, strengthening the U.S. economy, 
negotiating better trade deals, e nforcement of U.S. trade laws, and reforming the multilateral trading 
system.  
4.532.   The U.S. is advocating reforms to the WTO Multilateral Trading System and trying to improve 
compliance with WTO notification requirements. We hope that the U.S. will remain acti ve in WTO.  
4.533.   At this critical juncture of the WTO 's system under many challenges, we are happy to see 
effective supports of the U.S. to the WTO especially in functioning and strengthening multilateral 
trading system including the WTO 's Dispute Settlement Mec hanism, enforcing global trade rules, 
and bringing the current WTO 's trade negotiation forward.  
4.534.   My delegation is pleased to convey our sincere appreciation to Ambassador Dennis C. Shea 
and his team for their constructive engagement throughout this TPR.  
4.535.   In conclusion, we wish the delegation of the United States every success i n its 14th Trade 
Policy Review.  
MAURITIUS  
4.536.   We note with satisfaction the commitment expressed by the U.S. delegation to free and open 
trade as well as the US ' support to regional integration initiatives.  
4.537.   Our delegation takes this opportunity to thank the United States for the extension of African 
Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which remains the cornerstone of the economic and trade 
relations between the U.S . and Sub -Sahara n Africa, including Mauritius. It is worth noting that AGOA 
preferential imports into the U.S. which represent more than 35.4% of total U.S. preferential imports 
from SSA, has witnessed a three -fold increase since the year 2000.  
4.538.   The long -term extensions of AGOA, which are now slated to expire in 2025, provides the 
predictability needed to both businesses and governments in Sub -Saharan Africa in planning for 
their developments . With a view to further strengthening our relations, Mauritius loo ks forward to 
working with the U.S. for a long -term solution so as to ensure that there is no trade disruption 
beyond 2025.  
4.539.   We also look forward to working with the U.S. side with a view to finding solutions on issues 
of interest to us namely Government Procurement, Standards and other technical requirements and 
Capacity Building and Assistance.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.540.   At present, only specific categories of countries including LDCs and U.S. bilateral FTA parties 
are exempt from GPA membership requirement to tende r for U.S. Government contracts. We would 
like to point out that non -LDCs, irrespective of their specificities and inherent vulnerabilities, are 
constrained by the current Tr ade Agreements Act (TAA) rules.  In this respect, we request the U.S. 
to initiate a review process  in order to widen the exception clause to more countries.  
4.541.   Furthermore, the U.S. standards and technical requirements tend to be onerous, especially 
given the resource and capacity constraints of Sub -Saharan countries and may represent a challenge 
to expor ters looking to access the U.S. market and thus, limits the fu ll potential of AGOA benefits. 
In this respect, it is proposed that the U.S. take into consideration other prevailing international  
standards in view of harmoniz ing standar ds and technical requi rements.  
4.542.   With respect to trade capacity building, Mauritius would like to express its appreciation for 
assistance received from the USAID East Africa Trade and Investment Hub under the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement. Mauritius wishes  to continue working wit h the Hub to further address the 
supply capacity constraints of SMEs and women entrepreneurs.  
4.543.   Finally, w e wish the delegation of the United States a successful trade policy review.  
TAJIKISTAN  
4.544.   Diplomatic relations between Tajikistan and United Stat es were e stablished in 
February  1992. Within the framework of bilateral economic relations , the United States ' Government 
actively provided technical assistance to the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in the process 
of the country 's accession to the WTO thr ough the implementation of the USAID project.  
4.545.   The main feature of Tajik -U.S. partnership is the further expansion of trade relations, 
implementation of joint socio -economic projects and deepening cooperation in different areas of the 
economy. For nine mon ths, in 2018, trade turnover between  the two countries made up 
USD 56 million , of which export constitutes USD 4.4 million  and import USD 51.6 million . The 
important areas of further cooperation between Tajikistan  and the United States  include energy, 
particularly the construction of power lines, mini -hydropower plants, processing of agricultural 
products, raw cotton, information and telecommunication, transport and communication 
infrastructure, and tourism sectors.  
4.546.   The United States is  the largest economy in the world, and is highly integrated into the global 
economy. The higher consumer spending, strong business investment, and strong growth in exports 
and manufacturing led to real GDP growth of 4.2 % in the second quarter of 2018.  
4.547.   As an original M ember of the WTO , the United States has taken commitment to improve 
trade facilitation process and deposited its instrument of acceptance o f the TFA to the WTO in 
January  2015. The United States submitted numerous notifications during the peri od under review 
and was involved in 21 disputes as a respondent and 13 as a complainant.  
4.548.   My delegation acknowledges the United States continued efforts to improve the business 
environment and facilitate international trade. We are confident that by its act ive participation in the 
ongoing discussions of the WTO reform the United States will continue to support the development 
and advance the multilateral trading system.  
4.549.   In conclusion , I wish the United States a very constructive and successful trade policy review.  
KYRGYZ  REPUBLIC  
4.550.   The history of the bilateral relations between the U.S. and the Kyrgyz Republic starts from 
1991, when the U.S. one of the first countries recognized the independence of the Kyrgyz Republic.  
4.551.   It is worth to note that , despite of far distance, countries could establish resilient and stabile 
framework of cooperation in trade -economic, political and cultural spheres.  
4.552.   The cooperation between the parties within the regular visits of authorities and high business 
representatives of the coun tries gives hope for further constructive and mutually beneficial WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  cooperation. One of them, the last visit of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic,  Mr. Zheenbekov , to 
the US.  
4.553.   Another important milestone event  that we would like to inform is that on the pr eceding 
meeting in 2017 on the level of prime -minister of the Kyrgyz Republic with the Chair of the American 
Business Council, parties expressed interest in deepening cooperation in investments, manufacture 
and agriculture spheres.  
4.554.   Trade and economic relat ions between the Kyrgyz Republic and the United States are 
regulated by the WTO agreement and both countries enjoy the Most Favoured Nation treatment in 
trade. The legal framework regulating trade and economic relations between the two countries 
includes t he following agreements: On trade relations; On investment promotion; On investment 
protection of 8 May  1992; On promotion and mutual protection of investment of 19 January 1993; 
On further development of bilateral cooperation and support of  economic refo rms in the 
Kyrgyz  Republic of 15 February 2002.; about support of economic reforms and management of Fund 
of Economic Development of 25 October 2010. In 1998, the U.S. Congress adopted the law on 
granting normal trade relations to Kyrgyzstan (the withdrawa l of the amendment of Jackson -Vanik).  
4.555.   The intention of the United States to move towards barrier -free trade system along with 
granting the status of the GSP to the Kyrgyz Republic opens unique opportunities for domestic 
producers of the Kyrgyz Republic to export products from the Kyrgyz Republic to the U.S. market in 
compliance with sanitary, phytosanitary and technical requirements of the US.  
4.556.   We firmly believe that the granting of GSP status by the U.S. to Kyrgyzstan has positive 
effects on our country 's perspectives to expand export destinations of the Kyrgyz goods.  
4.557.   This opportunity is not only for Kyrgyz exporters but also from the market point of view 
seems very attractive for investing into Kyrgyzstan 's market for further launching of export -oriented 
enterprises.  
4.558.   Kyrgyzstan has obtained the opportunity to export more than 3500 goods into the U.S. 
market on a duty -free basis. This list mainly consists of some agricultural goods; manufactured 
items and inputs; mineral products; chemicals; leather product ion and others.  
4.559.   Foreign trade turnover according to the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic 
with United States for the period 2015 -2017 has positive trend, demonstrating growth 27% starting 
from USD 123,2 million  to USD 156,3 million . 
4.560.   The share of import dominates under the export, what reflects the need of the 
Kyrgyz  Republic from the US.  
4.561.   The main exports goods from Kyrgyzstan to the United States are during the last decade 
are: inorganic chemicals, leather goods, natural and artificial, carpets and carpets, knitted and textile 
clothing, finished textiles, different devices and appliances and others  
4.562.   Import – cars, planes, pharmaceuticals, machinery equipment, spare parts for automobiles, 
meat, earthmoving machines and others.  
4.563.   Besides the t rading of goods, the service sector has also further potential for growth. 
Therefore, we suggest expansion of tourism sector and widen cooperation in services sector.  
4.564.   After announcing the figures, we would like to separately note about the institutes, which 
are bridging our countries through activity. It is needed to say about the operations of USAID in my 
country. USAID cooperates with more than 60 enterprises in Kyrgyzstan to realize the potential of 
the private sector as a driving force for sustainab le economic growth, infrastructure improvement, 
investment mobilization and job creation. In 2017 alone, these pa rtnerships mobilized more than 
USD 25 million in capital investment from these enterprises, which is also beneficial for many 
entrepreneurs, sm all businesses and farmers.  
4.565.   As a result of this work, local producers have made significant progress. A number of clothing 
manufacturers for the first time began to meet high quality standards and production of international WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  buyers who are interested in ex port contracts worth more than  USD 2 million a year. Due to 
compliance with international requirements and food safety standards, several local farmers have 
signed contracts worth more than USD 4 million for the export of products from Kyrgyzstan to the 
United States, Kazakhstan and other countries in the region.  
4.566.   Another institute we would like to pay attention, is the activity of the American Chamber of 
Commerce in the Kyrgyz Republic, which operates starting from 2005. The AmCham is a leading 
internationa l business Association that aims to create a favourable  and competitive business 
environment in Kyrgyzstan. AmCham represents more than 90 companies, promoting and protecting 
the interests of local businesses in the international arena, as well as foreign companies in 
Kyrgyzstan. In carrying out its activities, AmCham acts as a link between businessmen, politicians 
and investors to achieve mutually beneficial solutions. The number of events organized by the 
Amcham for attracting the business to the Kyrgyz R epublic is growing day by day.  
4.567.   As result of consistent and serious work of the parties, in 2017 Bishkek hosted the first 
Kyrgyz -American Business forum, which was attended by over 160 participants. The American 
delegation, which included representatives o f large transnational corporations, expressed interest in 
exploring business opportunities in the Kyrgyz Republic.  
4.568.   This forum is considered a significant event in the activation of Kyrgyz -American relations. 
The forum between the two countries gathered com panies of the United States of America, such as: 
General Electric, AES, Baker McKenzie, AGCO, Coca Cola, AGCO Amity, Baker & McKenzie, Mobilized 
Construction, Visa Inc. and U.S. -Kyrgyz Business Council (USKGZBC) and others.  
4.569.   In light of the mentioned facts,  we believe, that above stated testimonies about the prospects 
of opening new horizons in cooperation between the Kyrgyz Republic and the United States.  
4.570.   Smoothly coming to the logical end of my statement, we wish the a successful 14th trade 
policy review to the delegation of the United States.  
LESOTHO  
4.571.   It is indeed a matter for delight to notice that the U.S. economy expanded in 2017 and in 
the second quarter of 2018, real GDP rose to 4.1%. This augurs we ll for the majority of the WTO 
Members who trade more  with this largest economy in the world.  
4.572.   We note that in the period under review , the United States continued on implementing a 
number trade and investment frameworks and also continued to meet its obligations in the WTO 
including submitting notifications covering areas such as agriculture, anti -dumping, subsidies and 
countervailing measures, SPS, T BT, and import licensing, to name but a few.  
4.573.   Lesotho particularly appreciates the measures that the United States has taken to help 
developing countries and Leas t developed countries (LDCs) become better integrated into the 
multilateral trading system. To this end we welcome the renewal of the Generalized System of 
Preference which extended the programme from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020. We further 
laud the  expansion of two -way goods trade with sub -Saharan Africa under the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act (AGOA) which grew by 5.8 % from USD 36.9 billion in 2015 to USD 39 billion in 
2017.  
4.574.   Thanks to the enactment of AGOA,  countries like Lesotho have been able  to establish one of 
the largest textiles and garment manufacturing industries in Sub -Saharan Africa (SSA), creating 
many jobs in particular for women. Lesotho has thus been one of the leading exporters of apparel 
under AGOA. It is therefore my delegation 's position that AGOA should be preserved and it should 
not be eroded at all as AGOA has been the lifeblood for the textile industry in Lesotho and other 
African countries.  
4.575.   Whilst AGOA provides approximately 6500 tariff lines of products duty free to the beneficiary 
countries, it has not been used to its full potential due to, amongst others, supply side constraints. 
Thus, more has to be done for Africa to fully benefit from AGOA.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.576.   Moreover , we commend the United States for the Millennium Challenge Corporat ion (MCC) 
which focuses on trade -related infrastructure to help developing countries tackle the most critical 
obstacles to private investment and economic growth to reduce poverty. Lesotho performed 
particularly well in the last MCC compact and looks forwa rd to the second compact under the MCC 
with great enthusiasm to consolidate the gains made in the initial compact.  
4.577.   Finally, my delegation wishes the Government of the United States every success in its trade 
policy review.  
NIGERIA  
4.578.   Nigeria notes that the Un ited States Trade Policy i s very important to the entire M embership 
of the WTO, being the biggest trading partner of many of the WTO Members, including Nigeria. As 
a major economic player, the trade policies and practices of United States have direct impac ts on 
the economies of most of the WTO members. It is, therefore, not surprising that 1,700 questions 
were submitted by 40 M embers on the U.S. Trade Policy. The fact that we didn 't submit advanced 
written questions, should not diminish our strong interest in the trade policy regime. The United 
States is the largest economy in the world, highly integrated into the global economy. Therefore, 
any changes in its trade and economic policies has far -reaching consequences for the world at large, 
as was evidenced b y the financial crisis of 2008, the impact of which reverberated around the world.  
4.579.   It is worth highlighting  that the overall trade objectives state the goals of U.S. trade 
negotiations, including among others: to obtain more open, equitable, and reciprocal  market access; 
to obtain reductions in barriers to trade and investment which decrease U.S. market opportunities; 
to strengthen the system of international trade and investment disciplines, including dispute 
settlement; to foster economic growth and risin g living standards, enhanced competitiveness and 
full employment in the United States, and to enhance the global economy; to ensure trade and 
environmental policies are mutually supportive; to promote respect for workers ' rights; to seek 
provisions in trad e agreements ensuring that they do not weaken or reduce the protections afforded 
in domestic environmental and labour laws; to ensure equal access to trade opportunities to small 
and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs).  
4.580.   According to the Secretariat report, sin ce the last review in 2016, the focus of U.S. trade 
policy has shifted to adopting policies that are intended to support its national security and 
strengthen its economy. These priorities are reflected in the President 's 2018 Trade Policy Agenda. 
Nigeria f urther notes this reaffirmation as reflected in the Government report, that the U.S. Trade 
Policy rests on five major pillars: n amely, supporting U.S national security, strengthening the U.S 
economy, negotiating better trade deals, aggressive enforcement o f U.S Trade laws, and reforming 
the multilateral trading system. In this regard, we appreciate the strong commitment of the 
United  States towards building a better multilateral trading system.  
4.581.   As highlighted in the Secretariat report, the thrust of the Tra de Policy of the United States 
changed during the review period. The President 's 2018 Policy Agenda is driven to achie ve "free, 
fair, and reciprocal " Trade relation, considered critical to the U.S. National Policy. In times of 
reforming the multilateral sy stem, the agenda advocates "sensible and fair reforms to the WTO ". It 
knows that the United States remains com mitted in working with all WTO M embers who share the 
United States ' goal in fair and reciprocal trade deals. According to the Secretariat report, the United 
States continues to be an active user of anti -dumping (AD) duties between 2015 and 2018, the 
number of AD investigation initiation increased, totalling  133. There were 34 0 AD, orders in place 
as of end -July 2018, com pared with 269 on 30 June 201 6. 
4.582.   We note from the Secretariat report that the U.S. economy is dominated by the service 
sector (including government services), whose share in GDP has risen since 2015; services now 
account for over 80% of GDP while the share of manufactu ring has fallen b elow 12% (11.6 % in 
2017) and agriculture contribution was less than 1% in 2017. According to the  Secretariat report, 
the United  States continues to be the world 's foremost destination for Foreign Direct Investments 
(FDI) because of its open markets, liberal investments regime, large consumer base, higher 
education system, skilled and productive workforce, a business environment that encourages 
innovation, legal protections, and the world 's largest venture capi tal and private equity market.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.583.   We note th at consistently services sector continues to contribute substantially to the U.S. 
economy, accounting for about 80% of GDP and employment. U.S. remains the world 's leading 
services market, in terms of both imports and exports. We note also that services ex ports continue 
to outpace services imports, with a positive contribution to the current account balance. However, 
while the U.S. is a net exporter in the major services categories, its balance continues to be negative 
in transport, communication, and compu ter and information services. It would, therefore, be 
interesting to hear from the U.S. delegation the Government 's plans to further liberalize its services 
sector, particularly, to accommodate the export interests of developing countries. Nigeria strongly  
believes that increased openness by the United States would reaffirm its leadership role, which is 
very crucial in advancing the objectives of t he multilateral trading system.  
4.584.   Nigeria acknowledges that through GSP and other tariff preferences such as AGOA , the U.S. 
continue to encourage trade expansion, niche specialization and investment for the growth of 
developing ec onomies especially those of Sub –Saharan Africa (SSA). In this regard, we wish to thank 
the United States for extending the AGOA preferences  from 2015 to 2025 through the Preference 
Extension Act of 2015 and for expanding the Rules of Origin with a view to further promote regional 
integration. Furthermore, we also wish to express our gratitude to the United States Government 
for extending the benefits under AGOA to Nigeria. Since inception, AGOA had been the cornerstone 
of the US -African engagement on trade and investment. Since 2000, it has an important and positive 
impact on the U.S African trade. AGOA, has also provided incentives for reform s that promote rules -
based market oriented economies, and it has supported regional integration. In this regard, Nigeria 
appreciates the contribution of AGOA to Africa 's development, particularly, in promoting export of 
several products including textiles and apparels, leather products, agro -processing products from 
the Sub Saharan Africa to the United States etc. AGOA has no doubt, contributed significantly to job 
creation and flow of investments in many  Sub-Saharan African Countries.  
4.585.   However, it should be  noted that despite the positive contributions of AGOA to African 
countries, there are some challenges that hinder the realization of its full benefits. These challenges 
include but not limited to: SPS requirements, restrictive Rules of origin, lack of reg ional value chains, 
and uncertainty about the future of AGOA. Although SPS is important for ensuring food quality, plant 
and animal health, we observe that these challenges have imposed additional demands for Nigerian 
exports. This is a major limitation to  the export of our agricultural products to the U.S. under AGOA. 
We continue to look forward to an enduring partnership between the United States and Nigeria as 
well as other ECOWAS countries with a view to deepening the regional economic integration 
initiatives and successfully address the development cha llenges facing our sub - region.  
4.586.   The U.S. is an important trading partner to many members, including Nigeria. We enjoy a 
mutually beneficial bilateral trade relation with United States. In year 2000, Nigeri a entered into a 
Trade and Investment Framework agreement (TIFA) with United States, and Nigeria -United States 
Bi- National Commission. TIFA establishes a framework for structured dialogue on bilateral, regional 
and multilateral Trade Issues; Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) enforcement; Investment Flows; 
as well as partnership for economic Cooperation. The U.S. is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria, 
even though the investments are largely in the upstream sector of the Oil and Gas. The U.S. Foreign 
Direct Investment (FDI) flow into Nigeri a has increased from USD 5.2 billion in 2010 to USD 8 billion 
in 2012. Nigeria 's bilate ral trade with the U.S. totalled USD 18.2 billion in 2013 as against 
USD 35 billion a couple of years back. The sharp decline in the trade volume is as a result of a boom 
in shale oil/gas production and the attendant reduction in the demand for crude oil. Nigeria urges 
the U.S. Government to encourage further investment in the downstream sector of the Oil and Gas 
as well as other st rategic sectors of the Nigerian economy where great opportunities abound. This 
is with a view to scaling up the volume of trade between the two countries. In a bid to further 
strengthen engagements on Trade and Investment, the two countries signed a MOU on  Commer cial 
Investment Dialogue on 21  November 2017 in Abuja. While Nigeria and the United States, shares 
robust trade and investment ties, as in any bilateral relationship, there is scope to expa nd and 
deepen the relationship.  
4.587.   The United States is among t he leading providers of Aid for Trade. In this context, Nigeria 
welcomes the strategy that would help countries benefit from ambitious reforms in trade rules that 
are being negotiated in the WTO and in other trade agreements. We commend the effort of the U .S 
in promoting trade and economic growth in developing countries through a wide range of technical 
assistance and trade capacity building activities. In particular, we are grateful to the United States 
for its support to Nigeria in conducting its national  Needs Assessment exercise in 2008, 2013 and 
2014 respectively, preparatory to the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement upon its WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  entry into force. We count on the continued support of the United States, on the seamless 
implementation of  our commitments under the TFA.  
4.588.   The openness and transparency of the U.S trade regime have been key contributing factors 
to the efficiency that characterizes the U.S. economy; although in few important areas, significant 
barriers to market access persist. Reduci ng these barriers would lessen distortions in global market, 
frictions with trading partners and more importantly, strengthen the multilateral trading system. 
Therefore, continuing progress in eliminating trade restrictions and increasing transparency would 
benefit the U.S economy.  
4.589.   Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Ambassador Dennis Shea for 
his active role in every facet of the work of the WTO, together with his dedicated team in Geneva. 
The U.S is visible in all the WTO bod ies and committees. The U.S involvement is particularly felt in 
the TPR of Members in general, Accession processes, TBT, SPS, Services Domestic Regulation, 
Electronic Commerce; and Committee on the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation 
Agreement, to  mention a few. We both recognizes the growing importance of digital trade and the 
continued efforts to strengthen good regulatory practices. The U.S.  leadership in the WTO, 
historically, has impacted positively on many of the trade rules. However, Nigeria , is not unmindful 
of the concerns raised by the United Stat es with regard to the functioning of the WTO broadly. We 
note that the U.S is not simply raising concerns; we are delighted and reassured that the U.S will 
take important steps, necessary to addre ss these concerns. We share the view that the WTO is faced 
with unprecedented challenges, which we must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Nigeria, 
believes that the WTO, like other multilateral institutions, periodically requires update, reform and 
mode rnization, in response to changing circumstances. In this regard, Nigeria, welcomes the 
opportunity to engage in the discussions on the WTO reform process, which must be broad, balanced 
and takes due and appropriate regard of all perspectives, including th ose of developing countries, 
at different stages of development. We agree with the United States that the WTO has achieved 
positive results in the past, and has the potential to achieve even more in the future. We also share 
the view that if the WTO is to be a vibrant negotiating and implementing forum, Members must take 
advantage of every opportunity to advance work and grasp results as they present themselves. 
Nigeria will continue to work closely wit h the United States, and other M embers, based on common  
interests, in our build up to MC12, as we intensify the process of identifying opportunities to achieve 
accomplishments, even if on incremental basis. On this note, we wish the delegation of the U.S a 
successful trade policy review.  
CAMBODIA  
4.590.   Cambodia associates itself with the statement made by Thailand on behalf of ASEAN and the 
statement to be made by Central African Republic on behalf of the LDCs Group.  
4.591.   My delegation congratulates the United States for maintaining economic growth since its last 
review. We acknowledge the important role that the United States has been playing in and 
contributing to the WTO Multilateral Trading System.  
4.592.   We also wish to express our appreciation and thanks to the United States for its supports to 
the Least -Developed Coun tries (LDCs) including Cambodia through granting the GSP scheme and 
providing trade -related assistance as well as capacity buildings within the Enhanced Integrated 
Frameworks (EIFs), Aid for Trade, bilateral assistance and other forms of development assist ance 
through USAID and international institutions.  
4.593.   I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the United State to increase their DFQF 
for LDCs as mandated by previous ministerial decisions. The United States preferential and 
assistance have made s ignificant contributions to our developments. At the most recent, Cambodia 
had received USAID assistance for the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in 
classifying categories to notify to the WTO and also received technical assistance in con ducting our 
second Trade Policy Review last year.  
4.594.   The United States is the second largest export destination for Cambodia.  In strengthening 
our bilateral trade and economic relation, the United States and Cambodia have established a July 
2006 Trade and Inv estment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the aim to promote greater trade WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  and investment flows in both countries and providing a forum to address bilateral trade and 
investment issues.  
4.595.   Finally, I express our appreciation to the Permanent Mission of the Uni ted State in Geneva 
for their good cooperation and I wish the U.S. every success in its 14th Trade Policy Review.  
JAMAICA  
4.596.   Jamaica and the U.S. share historical and strong bonds of friendship and cooperation at the 
bilateral, regional and multilateral level s, including in the field of trade. This dates back to the 
establishment of formal diplomatic  relations in 1962. As testament to the vibrancy of this 
relationship, the U.S. has been Jamaica 's main trading partner since then. In 2017 alone, Jamaica 's 
total merchandise trade to the U.S. accounted for USD 2,973  million , or 42% of overall merchandise 
trade, reflecting a steady increase over the last three years.  
4.597.   Jamaica also continues to benefit from a long -standing trading relationship with the US , 
through whi ch the country exports a range of traditional and non -traditional products, duty -free, to 
the U.S. market,  primarily under the Caribbean Basin Initiative  (CBI), through the Caribbean Basin 
Economic Recovery Act and the Caribbean Basin Trade  Partnership Act , which govern our trade 
relations with the United States. Over 90% of Jamaica 's exports are eligible to enter the U.S. market 
duty-free through these instruments. Jamaica also benefits from the U.S. generalized system of 
preferences.  
4.598.   We note the very positive report s shared in respect of the U.S. economy, currently in its 9th 
consecutive year of expansion , and the prospects for the future. We note that , in 2017, real GDP 
growth averaged 2.2% , up from 1.6% in 2016. This has risen to 4.1% by the second q uarter of 
2018 as a result of rising incomes, wealth gains, high levels of consumer confidence, business sector 
confidence, supporting financial conditions and a favourable external environment, and , in the later 
stages , by the strong labour market. This a ugurs well for the global economy, including trade and 
investment.  
4.599.   In that context, the U.S. is an important source of foreign direct investment for Jamaica,  and 
has provided, inter alia , over USD 100 million in support for expanding and diversifying energ y 
sources available on the island.  
4.600.   We note from the presentation that the services sector continues to play a dominant role in 
the U.S. economy , as the U.S. remains the largest exporter and importer of services. For Jamaica, 
over 1 million American tourist s enjoy the beauty and charm of the country each year and, in turn, 
hundreds of thousands of our nationals visit the US , thereby contributing to its economy. The 
presence of a large Jamaican diaspora in the U.S. also contributes significantly to the divers ity, 
culture and economy of the US , while also promoting Jamaica 's economic development by way of 
workers ' remittances which flow to the island.  
4.601.   We commend the U.S. delegation for a very positive report overall, including on its 
impressive notification rec ord under the various WTO agreements, its continued active role and 
engagement in international trade, as well as its very generous contribution to developing countries , 
such as Jamaica,  and least developed countries by way of trade -related technical assistance which 
ultimately enhances their ability to participate more effectively within the multilateral trading 
system.  
4.602.   In that connection, Jamaica currently benefits from a number of projects and programmes  
provided by the U.S. Agency for International  Development (USAID) such as the Development Credit 
Authority Agreement with is aimed at providing financing for business start -ups and MSME 
enterprises in the productive sectors of the Jamaican economy. The programme , which will last eight 
years , from 201 5 to 2023 , uses partial guarantees to share risk s with Jamaican financial institutions , 
and will serve to strengthen the ability of local banks to provide loans to start -ups and MSMEs 
involved in renewable energy, crafts, the tourism industry, manufacturin g, mining and information 
technology.  
4.603.   At the regional level, the U.S. and the Caribbean community have a long -standing framework 
of cooperation in trade and investment, commencing in 1991 with the CARICOM -U.S. Council on WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  Trade and Investment, superseded in  2013 by the CARICOM -U.S. Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement  (TIFA) . The TIFA  is intended  to no t only strengthen existing trading, both trade  
investment and economic cooperation , but importantly take account of the multilateral trading 
environment.  
4.604.   We have observed that the redirection of Washington 's policy to focus on the implementation 
of its 2018 Trade Policy Agenda and the priorities contained therein caused for , among other things , 
negotiating better trade deals, the enhance  enforcement of the U.S. trade laws and rights on the 
existing trade agreements , and reform of the multilateral trading system. The US, as our major 
trading partner, combined with an effective rules -based multilateral trading system , are mutual ly 
reinforcing for Jamaica as a s mall vulnerable economy given that the trade remains a primary vehicle 
for the pursuit of economic growth, job creation and national development, as well as the attainment 
of the sustainable development rules.  
4.605.   Jamaica is of the view that , as the world 's leading economy, the U.S. continues to be an 
important player, crucial to the preservation and effective c ooperation of the multilateral rules -based 
trading system. In this regard, Jamaica highly values the assurance s given by the U.S. of its 
continued l eadership and commitment to same.  
4.606.   Further, we reiterate the need for continued dialogue and constructive engagement by all 
Members of the WTO in an inclusive and transparent manner , as we work collaboratively to promote 
a rules-based multilateral trading s ystem that functions optimally and yields maximum trade benefits 
for all, including an improved quality of life for all our citizens.  
4.607.   Congratulations again to the U.S. and best wishes for a successful review.  
PAKISTAN  
4.608.   We wish to congratulate the United Sta tes for its economic performance which is now in its 
ninth consecutive year of growth as reflected in its real GDP growth from 1.6% in 2016 to averaging 
2.2% in 2017 and accelerating to 4.1% this year.  
4.609.   The United States continues to be one of Pakistan 's major trading partners. It is our largest 
export destination with 16.3% of our total exports going to the United States in 2017. Pakistan 's 
exports to the United States were USD 3.6 billion in 2017, up from 3.8% (USD 131 million) in 2016. 
Import of goods fro m the Un ited States into Pakistan were USD 2.8 billion in 2017,  showing an 
increase of 33.2% (USD 700 million) from 2016. The United States remains one of the largest 
destinations for clothing and textiles exports from Pakistan with 23.28% of Pakistan 's total exports 
of the product going to the United States. Pakistan also benefits from the United States GSP scheme 
which allows for the duty -free access for certain goods in the United States market with 5% of our 
total exports to the U.S. benefiting from the  scheme.  
4.610.   The United States is also the 3rd largest source of foreign dire ct investment in Pakistan with 
USD 136.3 million inflows in FY 2017 -2018. In this regard, the American Business Council, based in 
Pakistan, which is an affiliate of the United States Chamber of C ommerce, has a membership of 
64 U.S. companies, most of which are Fortune 500 companies, operating in Pakistan across a range 
of sectors.  
4.611.   The United States -Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) is the 
primary mechanism for b oth Parties to discuss trade and investment issues. Intersessional meetings 
are held regularly, the most recent meeting being held in Islamabad in June 2017. Pakistan and the 
United States also have a bilateral taxation treaty since 1959.  
4.612.   The United State s also remains an important partner in the provision of technical assistance 
in a wide range of sectors across Pakistan through the USAID programs. Investments under the 
program have gone into a range of sectors and injected much -needed support into the ec onomy. 
We welcome, in particular, the recent technical assistance provided under the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement.  
4.613.   As already underlined by others, the United States economy is globally one of the most 
significant ones in the world. Its health and policies have the potential to affect the well -being of the WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  global economy and impact all its trading partners particularly s maller economies. We urge the 
United States to resolve the issues and concerns with its trading partners in an amicable and 
mutually advantageous manner.  
4.614.   We appreciate the active role of United States in WTO Trade Facilitation Committee and 
fisheries subs idies negotiations. We urge the United States to continue demonstrating its leadership 
role in strengthening the rules based multilateral trade system and particularly in resolving the 
current impasse in the functioning of Appellate Body.  
4.615.   Finally, we look  forward to working with the United States for an open and rule based 
multilateral trading system and we wish the United States a very successful and fruitful Trade Policy 
Review.  
CENTRAL  AFRICAN  REPUBLIC  ON BEHALF  OF THE LDC GROUP  
4.616.   The United States, which  represents a major player in world trade, has indicated that it 
experienced a positive economic growth during the period of review, with rates of 1.6% and 2.2% 
of GDP in 2016 and 2017, respectively. This dynamic will continue beyond 2018 according to the 
Government 's estimates, which is very good news for the country and to the extent that it would 
also contribute to a beneficial effect for the world economy and trade growth between the 
United  States and the rest of the world.  
4.617.   The U.S. economy appears to continue to be resilient since its last review, with sustained 
domestic consumption, low unemployment, and inflation at a sustainable rate.  
4.618.   From the point of view of trade relations with LDCs, our economies benefit greatly from the 
United States ' Generaliz ed System of Preferences (GSP) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act 
(AGOA). The LDC Group takes the opportunity here to commend and thank the United States for 
the extension of these two preference programmes up to 2020 for the GSP and until 2025 for  AGOA.  
4.619.   The LDC Group would also be delighted to see these preferences strengthened and expanded 
to include more LDCs and their products — for the purposes of better integrating our economies into 
the world trade.  
4.620.   LDCs seeking to improve their productive ca pabilities and export to the rest of the world - 
for better development and improvement live quality of our populati ons - rely highly on the 
United  States to maintain and strengthen their aid for trade programmes, whether in the multilateral 
context in coo rdination with the WTO, the Enhanced Integrated Framework and other international 
organizations; or as part of specific programmes, such as those led by USAID and other U.S. 
agencies for trade and development.  
4.621.   We wish to express our sincere thanks to the U nited States for all that has already been 
done under these programmes in the area of capacity building for trade, through support for the 
enhancement of our institutional structures and through the construction of infrastructure to help us 
in the transpor tation and export of our goods. We hope that these programmes could be expanded 
to the benefit of even more LDCs.  
4.622.   The United States is a major player in the multilateral trading system, and we believe that 
the United States has a key role to play in preser ving this system, for an inclusive and equitable 
trade, which allow notably our countries to ensure a share of international trade growth 
corresponding to the necessities of our development.  
4.623.   Thus, in the context of the WTO, we thank the United States for e fforts made and we continue 
to encourage them to contribute at best to the operationalization of the decisions taken in favour  of 
LDCs during previous ministerial conferences, including on rules of origin and regarding the service 
waiver in favour  of LDC s ervice providers.  
4.624.   We also hope that the United States will make a decisive contribution to the conclusion of 
an Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which would also defend the LDCs interest in the development 
of artisanal and subsistence fisheries and a sust ainable exploitation of our fisheries resources as well 
as preserve our rights in waters under our jurisdiction. Needless to say , since our subsidies are not WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  those causing overfishing. Also, on agriculture, and especially on the cotton issue, which is vita l for 
many LDCs, the United States plays a fundamental role, and we here thank them for their 
involvement and the submission of a recent communication to advance discussions on this topic.  
4.625.   Lastly, the United States is a driving force for the global economy  and the stability of the 
multilateral system. We can only encourage them to preserve our system and we take the 
opportunity to congratulate them again for their economic performance and growth prospects.  
4.626.   The Central African Republic, on behalf of the LDC Group, wishes the United States a full 
success of its 14th Trade Policy Review.  
PANAM A 
4.627.   We congratulate the United States on its dedicated commitment to the World Trade 
Organization. The United States is one of the WTO's most active Members and participates  
continuously in all the committees, as well as in the groups on e -commerce, trade facilitation, 
fisheries and Friends of MSMEs. We would also like to express our appreciation for its efforts to 
strengthen transparency in the WTO.  
4.628.   The United States is Pana ma's biggest trade partner. We maintain strong, long -standing 
bilateral trade and investment ties and our relations were strengthened with the entry into force of 
our trade promotion treaty on 31  October  2012.  
4.629.   The United States is Panama's main market for exports of goods, totalling some 
USD 120 million, and our main source of imports, at about USD 3,084  million in 2017. If we include 
trade with our free zone, according to the statistics of the United States Census Bureau in 2017 the 
United States had a sur plus in goods of USD 6  billion, the eighth highest figure with individual 
countries. United States foreign direct investment in Panama in 2017 was the highest, at about 
USD 1,739  million.  
4.630.   The United States is the largest user of the Panama Canal and of our  ports, and there are 
over 30 daily direct flights linking Panama City to 17 airports in the United States.  
4.631.   Trade between our two countries also includes large items in the financial services, 
insurance, air transport, maritime transport and tourism sector s. As Panama is a dollarized country, 
there are strong links between our banks and financial institutions. Since 2011, Panama has 
participated in the exchange of tax information with the United States agreed under the TIEA 
framework.  
4.632.   We wish the United Sta tes success in this TPR and take this opportunity to highlight the work 
of its WTO team.  
URUGUAY  
4.633.   We wish to begin by congratulating the United States on its ninth consecutive year of 
expansion, buoyed by rising incomes, wealth gains, and high business and consumer confidence. In 
2017, the real GDP growth rate reached an average of 2.2%, compared with 1.6% in 2016. In the 
first quarter of 2018, real GDP rose at an annual rate of 2.2%, before accelerating in the second 
quarter to 4.2%.  
4.634.   Again in 2017, exports of goods totalled USD 1.55 trillion while imports reached 
USD 2.35 trillion, so that the merchandise trade deficit reached USD 807.5  billion (4.2% of GDP). 
On the other hand, the services and primary income accounts showed large surpluses in 2017.  
4.635.   The MFN tariff regime is generally characterized by stable and, for the most part, low or no 
tariffs. The simple average tariff (4.8%) remains virtually unchanged. The United States is also one 
of the countries with the fewest non -tariff barriers in the world.  
4.636.   However, we must stress that the proliferation of trade -restrictive measures as well as the 
uncertainty created by such measures creates broad risks for world trade and may bring about a 
chain of consequences for economic growth, employment and consumer pr ices throughout the world.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.637.   We must also stress that the United States stands out as one of the main producers and 
exporters of goods and services that embody intellectual property, which is present in some 60% of 
its goods exports, and IP -intensive industr ies account for over one third of its GDP.  
4.638.   We note that during the review period, the United States operated several programmes to 
facilitate trade. Having formally accepted the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in January  2015, 
the United States provided a  notification on transparency, the operation of its single window, 
measures on the use of customs brokers, and the TFA contact point in June  2017. Equally important, 
in February  2018 it announced that economic operators may use its electronic portal to dec lare 
goods, obtain permits, and access transaction and trade data.  
4.639.   In the area of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, work has continued on certain 
trade -related aspects of the implementation of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, including 
risk-based  supplier identification, the certification of food -producing entities in foreign countries, and 
the launch of the Voluntary Qualified Imports Programme (VQIP), an expedited review and entry 
programme for food.  
4.640.   Bilaterally, during the review period, as pre viously, Uruguay maintained friendly and 
constructive relations with the United States in both the political and the economic sphere. The 
expansion of our bilateral relationship was reflected in our trade. In 2017, our bilateral trade stood 
at USD 2.2  billion, 25% higher than in 2012.  
4.641.   Trade between the United States and Uruguay is substantial, positive and growing. In 2006, 
the United States and Uruguay signed a bilateral investment treaty, and in 2007 we signed a Trade 
and Investment Framework Agreement (T IFA). In 2008, we negotiated protocols on trade facilitation 
and the environment. These agreements show our mutual commitment to our bilateral trade and 
investment relations. We are committed to continuing our joint work through the 
United  States -Uruguay T rade and Investment Council under the TIFA to identify further areas where 
we can deepen our bilateral trade relations and strengthen our ties.  
4.642.   Lastly, I should like to mention the responsibility and fundamental role incumbent upon the 
United States, stemm ing from its historical leadership as well as the size of its economy, to unblock 
the current impasse in the Appellate Body's ability to function, and to avoid situations that hinder 
the search for consensus -based solutions and endanger the world trading s ystem. As shown by the 
various initiatives presented in the course of this year, the United States' commitment to the WTO 
remains primordial for strengthening and improving this Organization. Taking into account our 
shared concern for agriculture, Uruguay particularly stresses the interest shown with respect to 
market access. In this connection, we urge the United States to continue seeking concrete and 
significant results in order to give a new boost to the WTO's negotiating function.  
4.643.   In conclusion, we wis h to highlight the outstanding work carried out by Ambassador 
Dennis  Shea together with his efficient and dedicated team at the US Mission in Geneva.  
4.644.   Uruguay wishes the United States every success in its fourteenth Trade Policy Review.  
GEORGIA  
4.645.   The United S tates is the world 's largest single economy, one of the biggest exporters and 
one of the leading manufacturers. Therefore, each and every development related to the U.S. 
economy and any trade measure implemented by  the U.S. has a global impact. The importa nce of 
the U.S. in smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system cannot underestimated.  
4.646.   I am delighted to stress that Georgia and the United States enjoy friendship and close 
partnership, which traces its roots back to 1991, when Georgia regained i ts independence. 
Cooperation incorporates every sphere including trade and economic political, cultural and 
humanitarian.  
4.647.   It is also impor tant to note  that, despite the geographical distance , trade between Georgia 
and the U.S. has been steadily increasing  over the years. As the latest trade data demonstrates, the 
bilateral trade between the two states has increased by 39% and estimated over USD 440 million 
placing the U.S. in primary position in ranking among Georgia 's top foreign trade partners.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.648.   We are p leased to highlight that in comparison to the same period of the 2017, in 10 months 
of 2018 export has shown 43% increase and amounted to USD 140 million . The export enhancement 
is based on the increase of such export commodities as ferroalloys, ferti lizers, wine, and 
medicaments.  
4.649.   We would hereby like to emphasize that Georgia has been the U.S. GSP beneficiary since 
2001, under which Georgian exporters are enabled to exp ort to the U.S. market up to 
3400 commodities under preferential trade regime.   
4.650.   My delegation also would like to stress that Georgia highly values the format of High -Level 
Dialogue on Trade and Investment between our countries. This is clearly one of the best formats for 
achieving strategic goals set out in Strategic Partnership Agreeme nt. We hope very much that it will 
be a good platform for further development of bilateral economic ties, including the potential 
enhancement of trade relations through the possible enactment of free trade agreement.   
4.651.   In conclusion, let me express Georgia 's appreciation for the U.S. continuous support to its 
economic revitalization and reiterate that the Unites States is a valued partner for Georgia and we 
wish for the stronger economic ties and looking forward to work with the U.S. to achieve the set 
goals.  
4.652.   I wish the delegation of the United States a successful and fruitful review.  
HAITI 
4.653.   I should like to begin by recalling that, aside from our historical and political links, the 
United  States is Haiti's main trading partner. Any reform of United States p olicy has a direct impact 
on the Haitian economy, which depends heavily upon it.  
4.654.   My delegation has noted that, since the last Review in 2016, the focus of US trade policy has 
shifted to adopting policies that are intended to support its national security a nd strengthen its 
economy.  
4.655.   My delegation welcomes the performance of the US economy, which is growing strongly for 
the ninth consecutive year: real GDP rose at an annual rate of 2.2%, and then accelerated in the 
second quarter to 4.1%. At the same time, un employment fell and inflation remained at or around 
the 2% target throughout the review period.  
4.656.   Nevertheless, my delegation is seriously concerned by the openly protectionist policy that 
the United States administration has recently applied, which may well  shortly undermine the good 
results achieved so far at the national level, and at the international level lead to a trade war whose 
severest repercussions will fall on the most vulnerable economies.  
4.657.   My delegation has also noted that reform of the multilate ral trading system is one of the 
five pillars of US trade policy. We welcome the commitment of the United States but hope that this 
reform process will be carried out transparently, without exclusion and for the benefit of all Members.  
4.658.   With respect to trad e-related technical assistance, my delegation is pleased to see the 
United  States' continuing commitment to supporting the work of the WTO Secretariat through its 
voluntary contribution to the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund: the United States' 
contributions to the WTO since 2001 have totalled over USD 17  million.  
4.659.   My delegation also wishes to thank the United States for its additional support to the 
Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), a technical assistance programme for the LDCs to enable 
them t o integrate trade into their national development plans.  
4.660.   My delegation welcomes the programmes under the "Caribbean Basin Initiative" (CBI), 
namely the CBERA (1983), CBTPA (2000) and the 2002 Foreign Trade Act, which represent a set of 
trade preferences benefiting the Caribbean countries in general and Haiti in particular on the United 
States market. Since entering into force, these preferences have helped the Caribbean countries to 
diversity their exports and contributed to their economic growth.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.661.   My dele gation takes this opportunity to thank the United States for having granted Haiti, in 
addition to these programmes, other advantages under the HOPE and HOPE II Acts (2006 and 2008) 
and the 2010 Haiti Economic Lift Programme Act (HELP). The implementation o f these combined 
preferences (HOPE/HELP and CBTPA) has enabled the Haitian subcontracting sector to increase its 
exports to the US market, estimated this year at more than USD 600  million.  
4.662.   In conclusion, the Haitian delegation wishes the United States dele gation every success for 
this fourteenth Trade Policy Review.  
BOLIVARIAN  REPUBLIC  OF VENEZUELA  
4.663.   At the outset we must denounce once again in this Organization the international financial 
blockade promoted by the United States against our country, which has led to the closure of 
operations with many correspondent accounts. This is a matter with extraterritorial implications that 
affect transnational companies and other governments that have traditionally maintained sound 
trade relations with Venezuela, jeopar dizing our people's access to food, medicines and commodities 
and thereby adversely affecting domestic and international trade.  
4.664.   Nevertheless, trade relations between Venezuela and the United States have remained 
strong. Venezuela's oil exports represent th e bulk of this trade, as our country is the fourth largest 
supplier of oil to the United States.  
4.665.   Venezuela's exports between July and September  2018 showed an increase of 32.89% over 
the same period in 2017, according to the Census Bureau figures.  
4.666.   Oil expo rts represented 95.58% of total exports to the United States: during the third quarter 
of 2018, they posted a 33.63% increase over the same period in 2017. Non -oil exports, which 
accounted for the remaining 4.42% of total exports, rose by 19.01% compared w ith the same 
quarter in 2017.  
4.667.   Meanwhile, according to the Census Bureau's US international trade data, total imports from 
the United States amounted to USD 1,355  million for the third quarter of 2018, up 42.62% over the 
figure for the same quarter in 2017.  
4.668.   The fact is that trade between our two countries is substantial enough. We therefore call for 
an end to the unilateral coercive measures against Venezuela, which, far from favouring the good 
understanding that should exist between trade partners, create d istortions that end up harming the 
population of the country concerned and impairing its legitimate right to development. We need to 
return to the path of mutual respect, which pragmatically should characterize our trade relations 
despite our political and  diplomatic differences.  
4.669.   Other measures of concern to us are those applied by the United States to imports of steel 
and aluminium under Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. These measures have been 
justified by the United States on grounds of alleg ed injury caused to its aluminium industry as a 
result of the quantities and conditions of imports, which implies that the measure should have been 
applied on the basis of the Agreement on Safeguards. Accordingly, were the safeguard rules applied, 
countrie s like ours would be excluded.  
4.670.   The measure based on alleged national security grounds aims to enable domestic producers 
to increase their production capacity, and political alliances are taken into account as a factor for 
exclusion from the measure. Hence,  not being a member of any such political alliance, our country 
is on the list of WTO Members affected by this discriminatory measure.  
4.671.   Lastly, our delegation also wishes to express its concern over the blocking of the Appellate 
Body selection process, whic h will affect one of the main pillars of this Organization, namely, dispute 
settlement, as well as over the proposal on transparency sponsored by the United States together 
with other delegations, which Venezuela cannot support as it seeks to impose puniti ve measures 
and additional burdens on the countries that have the most difficulty in complying with their 
notification obligations.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.672.   As we wish the United States a successful Trade Policy Review, we would like to close our 
statement with a vote of confidenc e that the commitment made here by the United States to the 
shaping of a strong, fair and predictable multilateral trading system, based on solidarity and on 
common and transparent rules, may lead to a swift resolution of the issues of concern to the major ity 
of this Organization's Members in the interests of the peoples of the world.  
BARBADOS  
4.673.   Barbados and the United States continue to enjoy a longstanding, cordial relationship linked 
by cooperation, including in the areas of trade, investment, sec urity and  education. The 
United  States continues to be one of Barbados ' largest trading partners and source m arkets for our 
tourism sector. Together with our neighbours in the Caribbean region, Barbados benefits from the 
Caribbean Basin Ec onomic Recovery Act (CBERA ). Barbados values the existing relationship between 
our two nations and looks forward to fostering even greater synergies in the areas of trade and 
investment.  
4.674.   The United States like Barbados is a founding Member of the WTO and share the common 
commitment  to ensuring a fair and equitable multilateral trad ing system for all WTO Members.  We 
therefore recogniz e the significant contribution that the  United States has made to the WTO's 
trade -related assistance activities for developing countr ies and LDCs, which  exceeded USD  17 million 
since 2001.  
4.675.   Barbados is of the belief that as we commence our deliberations today, it is critical to take 
stock of the current realities and challenges confronting the global economic system and therefore 
the context in which we  are undertaking this Review. The context is one in which we believe is 
charged with great uncertainty and that is chall enged by a rise in anti -globaliz ation rhetoric; a retreat 
from multilateralism; and the rise of protectionism. These challenges can signifi cantly inhibit our 
ability to arrive at the agreement necessary to take forward the multilateral trade agenda, and 
threaten to paralyse, irreparably: the critical, fundamental rule making and dispute set tlement 
functions of the WTO. We strongly believe tha t unless this context is changed, it will be difficult to 
envisage the maintenance of an open, transparent, rules -based multilateral system, which 
engenders predictability, certainty and guarantees that all countries, including the vulnerable 
amongst us, a re more fully integrated into the global economy.  
4.676.   Despite this dismal context, we are heartened to hear that the world 's largest economy and 
largest investor abroad, has experienced nine consecutive years of growth, with real GDP increasing 
by 1.6 % and 2.2 %, respectively in 2016 and 2017 and has so far experienced up to 4.2 % growth  
in the second quarter of 2018.  The United States has also projecte d continued growth up to 2020. 
Over the review period, it is evident that the United States has employed and num ber of strategies 
to bolster growth, raise incomes, improve employment and engender consumer and business 
confidence in the country.  
4.677.   Barbados particularly takes note of the i mpact that an increasing number  of natural disasters 
and wildfires have had on the  in the United States, in particular its agricultural secto r. We therefore 
commend the United States on the amendments to the 2014 Farm Bill, which allow for the creation 
of an indemnity programme aimed at helping to offset losses due to hurricanes and wil dfires in  2017 
as well as amendments to some of their existing disaster relief programmes. The 2017 Tropical 
Hurricane season in the Caribbean and Pacific region served as reminder to us, and to the wider 
multilateral community that natural disasters, clim ate change and vulnerability, for Small Island 
Developing States (SIDS) like those in the Caribbean and the Pacific, are lived realities, which impact 
significantly on trade and investment gains and socio -economic growth.  
4.678.   We take note of the five major pr iorities of the US ' 2018 Trade Policy Agenda, particularly 
that which relates to reforming t he multilateral trading system.  On this, we note the concerns raised, 
and the areas in which the U.S. considers reforms are necessary. For us, in the event that WTO  
Members agree to engage in WTO reform, the discourse must be open, inclusive, and transparent, 
and be accommodative of the interests of all WTO Members.  
4.679.   The issue of development has been mentioned as one which some, including the U.S. have 
considered wort hy of WTO reform. W e would , therefore , wish at this time to take the opportunity to 
remind, that for us, we consider per capital income alone to be an inadequate measure given that it WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  does not take into account the issues of economic or environmental vulne rability and therefore so 
called "middle income " small island developing states are adversely impa cted by such a classification. 
Vulnerability must be core to any discourse in the WTO or other international discussions on 
development which includes treatme nt for countries like Barbados.  
4.680.   In conclusion, Barbados wishes the United States a successful conclusion to its fourteenth 
Trade Policy Review.  
MONTENEGRO  
4.681.   Montenegro appreciates the opportunity to participate in the fourteenth Trade Policy Rev iew 
of the Un ited States. As a M ember who recently had  its TPR in April, we know how bi g and 
comprehensive work is behi nd this report. Montenegro welcomes a collaborative approach to 
examine key themes and questions with a view to enable practical exchanges of informat ion on U.S 
trade policy that are intended to support its national security and strengthen its economy.  
4.682.   As a founding WTO Member, the U.S. has been a strong advocate of free trade, and we 
expect it to remai n firmly committed to the multilateral trading system and the objectives of the 
Doha Mandate.  
4.683.   Coming to the bilateral front, the economic and trade ties between  the U.S and Montenegro 
are still modest.  
4.684.   As it is stated in Report, the United States trade pre ference program mes have provided 
special duty -free privileges to goods from developing countries which meet certain eligibility criteria. 
These preference program mes aim to support domestic reforms and economic growth through trade. 
Taking into account tha t Montenegro remains a beneficiary under the Generalized System of 
Preferences (GSP) schemes of the United States, we will appreciate  if you can provide us with 
detail ed information about tariff lines subject to preferential treatment and specific rules of origin 
related on Montenegrins goods imported in  the USA.  
4.685.   We wish to the friendly U.S. delegation  a fruitful Trade Policy Review.  
PLURINATIONAL  STATE  OF BOLIVIA  
4.686.   Bolivia maintains trade relations with the Unite d States in various areas. It is impossible not 
to recognize the role played by the United States in world trade and the impact of its trade policies 
on the entire planet.  
4.687.   A trade policy that is not necessarily consistent with the worldwide commitment to e radicate 
inequalities and is shaped by the vagaries of short -term circumstantial interests is highly dangerous.  
4.688.   The preamble to the Marrakesh Declaration tells us that the aim of trade relations is to raise 
living standards. We would also recall the import ance of considering the Sustainable Development 
Goals, a genuine fair -trade approach and clear policies to overcome inequality as measures that 
should be in place for the benefit of all.  
4.689.   We note with concern that the multilateral trading system is up again st the wall. Unilateral 
coercive measures, protectionist measures, the manipulation of trade rules, the policies on steel and 
aluminium, and the situation of the Dispute Settlement Body are among the difficult situations whose 
solution calls for the utmost  political will.  
4.690.   The United States economy shows positive results domestically, but we echo the speakers 
who have called on those countries that have great global weight to act in keeping with their global 
stature for the well -being of all humanity and to guarantee a fair, equitable, non -punitive and 
rules-based multilateral trading system.  
4.691.   In this context, one may raise the possibility that Sustainable Development Goal 1, to 
eradicate poverty everywhere, should be considered a central element of the fifth pillar of the 
United  States' trade policy presented for the reform of the multilateral trading system.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  4.692.   We reiterate our thanks to the United States delegation for the presentation of its report and 
wish it success in this Trade Policy Review.  
JORDAN  
4.693.   We con gratulate the U.S. for the remarkable economic growth rates in the last 9 years and 
lower unemployment rate s. 
4.694.   Jordan and the U.S. enjoy excellent bilateral relations which represent a symbol of a 
successful and fruitful partnership. Jordan appreciates the support the U.S. Government provides to 
Jordan,  especially the support directed to economic development.  
4.695.   Jordan and the U.S. signed a free trade agreement which entered into force in the year 2001. 
Bilateral trade grew around 6 folds since the entry into force of the FTA as Jordan 's exports to the 
U.S. market reached USD 1.6 billion in 2017 and U.S. exports to Jordan reached USD 2 billion in 
2017.  
4.696.   Jordan attaches great importance to its relations with the U.S. and has been always keen to 
further expand ou r good bilateral economic ties on all levels, which always hold further promising 
opportunities ahead for both countries.  
4.697.   Finally, we wish the U.S. all prosperity and a successful Trade Policy Review.  
IRAN  (OBSERVER )  
4.698.   It is obvious that the WTO TPR Mechani sm contributes tremendously to trade transparency. 
Aligning myself to the statements made by Cuba, Venezuela and the Russian Federation, I would 
like to make the following points.  
4.699.   As per to the trade and development report, international trade trends is no t experiencing 
glowing situation and the situation has been worsen ed by the unilateralism. The situation gets even 
more aggravated when a developed country persists in its addictive habit of imposing unilateral 
economic measures in the form of unlawful san ctions, including secondary sanctions . 
4.700.   It is very upsetting that, according to tradable report issued by the United Nations human 
rights mechanisms, more than 40 countries, all from the South, are affected , directly or indirectly , 
by unilateral sanctions introduced and enforced by the United States and a group of developed 
nations. This issue needs to be addressed in the terms of development before it is too late. They can 
hardly achieve any progress in the term of trade and develo pment and the oral SDG goals on this 
and until we seriously tackle the very painful effects of the unilateral sanctions  on the overall 
wellbeing and development of the developing countries.  
4.701.   The United States ' excessive  resort to unilateral sanctions is mor e than the abuse of 
international financial structure. It is an affront to the rules -based international trading system and 
a stark violation of the principles and values of the Organization.  
4.702.   Last but not least, bearing in mind of the direct and indirect e ffects on access to medicine 
and food security that jeopardize the lives of many innocent people, we hope that the United  States 
refrains unilateralism and politicization of the developmental issues, and join the multilateralism.  
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  5  REPLIES BY THE REPRE SENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES  AND ADDITIONAL 
COMMENTS  
5.1.  Thank you for joining us again today for the continuation of this 14th Trade Policy Review of 
the United States. We appreciated the observations offered by more than 60 Members on t he first 
day of this review, many of which we found constructive.  
5.2.  This morning I 'd like to respond briefly to several themes, and a few comments in particular, 
that we heard on Monday.  
5.3.  We appreciated the acknowledgement from so many that the United States maintains one of 
the most open economies in the world. Our average applied tariff is low and nearly 70 % of all imports 
into the United States in 2017 entered duty -free. U.S. service markets are open to foreign providers, 
and we protect the intellectual pro perty of domestic and foreign innovators and creators alike. Our 
foreign investment regime is open and predictable. These are hallmarks of stability and openness, 
as one Member put it.  
5.4.  So, too, is the United States ' standards development system, which is i nclusive and 
transparent, allows broad stakeholder participation, and adheres to the principles contained in the 
WTO TBT Committee Decision on International Standards. We strongly encourage all Members, 
particularly our friends in Europe, to follow the TBT  Committee Decision.  
5.5.  We were reminded by many Members that the United States is a key engine for global economic 
growth. The United States is in its ninth consecutive year of economic expansion, and, in 2017, we 
were the recipient of 19 % of global goods a nd services exports, excluding U.S. ex ports and intra -EU 
exports. Further, 78 countries had the United States as their first, second, or third largest export 
partner.  
5.6.  We were gratified by Members ' widespread recognition of our active and indispensable 
engagement in every facet of the WTO. Many Members noted U.S. leadership on a proposal to ensure 
that Members fulfil their notification obligations. We are encouraged that they recognize the problem 
and share our objectives, and we look forward to working wit h our co -sponsors and other Members 
on this important element of WTO reform. We also welcomed Members ' recognition of the importance 
of our technical assistance and capacity building in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement.  
5.7.  We appreciate the warm words from a number of Members regarding our trade preference 
programs and the many forms of assistance provided by the United States, from trade -related 
capacity -building before and after WTO accession, to blood and treasure, as one Member said, in 
the ho pe of a better future. The United States undertakes these efforts because we believe in the 
benefits that can accrue to Members from fully implementing the global trade rules as they were 
negotiated by Members.  
5.8.  Not surprisingly, we disagree strongly with c ertain assertions and the premise of some 
comments on Monday.  
5.9.  We heard from one Member that the United States is at the epicenter of the deep crisis in the 
multilateral trading system. This Member 's explanation revealed a misread of the crisis and its root  
causes. The crisis is caused by the fundamental incompatibility o f China 's trade -distorting, 
non-market economic regime with an open, transparent, and predictable international trading 
system. It is compounded by Members ' collective failure over many year s to address this problem.  
5.10.   In one respect, the United States is at the epicenter of the crisis – we are, once again, 
embracing the burdens of leadership to respond to the crisis. This is necessary so that stability and 
openness can be preserved.  
5.11.   A number o f Members raised concerns about increased usage of U.S. trade remedy procedures 
during the period under review. From our perspective, these Members confound the remedy with a 
deeper and more worrying problem that the remedy aims to address. Injurious dumpi ng and 
subsidization  — and the effects that the increasing prevalence of these practices have on the trading 
system  — are problem s that should concern us  all.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  5.12.   It is important to maintain some perspective. While the U.S. accounted for 17% of all initiated 
antidumping investigations during the period of review, 27% of all such investigations  — more than 
one quarter  — were initiated in res ponse to trade from one Member:  China.  
5.13.   To the extent Members are concerned about the trends they observe, they should con sider 
what is actually causing the trend – state-led, mercantilist activity.  
5.14.   On Monday, China quoted the movie Spiderman, stating "With great p ower comes great 
responsibility ". China noted that recent measures taken by the United States suggest we are acti ng 
irresponsibly. China also opined that the United States needs to implement domestic initiatives to 
help our people adjust to economic globalization.  
5.15.   Strip away the jargon,  and here is China 's argument: China will force technology transfer, and 
outright steal it when it sees fit, to become the preeminent producer, particularly in strategic 
industries. China will subsidize and maintain excess capacity in multiple industries, forcing producers 
in other economies to shut down. China will dump its products on  our markets, claiming that all is 
okay because our consumers pay a bit less. If the United States musters a response, we are abusing 
our power and acting irresponsibly. Rather, we should resign ourselves to nursing the wounds  —
inflicted on our citizens.  
5.16.   This is not acceptable.  
5.17.   We also note the deep irony in China 's reference to power and responsibility. China — the 
world 's largest exporter and an economic heavyweight, insists on being treated in the WTO like a 
much poorer Member while maintaining a regime that is fundamentally incompatible with th e rules 
and principles of this O rganization. China apparently believes its power comes with little or no 
responsibility. Rest assured, t his is a conversation that we will pick up in the near future.  
5.18.   Madam Chair, t he United States approaches the end of this review with sincere appreciation 
for the serious engagement of Members during this week, and we are grateful for the role of the 
Secretariat, the Chair, and our discussant in sheph erding us through this process.  
5.19.   In closing, I want to take this opportunity to wish all my colleagues a joyless and restful 
holiday season. Thank you.  
DISCUSSANT  
5.20.   Thank you Sunanta for the opportunity to take the floor again.  
5.21.   As we are nearly at the end of this trade policy review, I woul d like to make three brief 
comments drawing on the statements delivered on the first day.  
5.22.   Firstly, I am pleased that I was correct in predicting that we would have a lively and engaged 
debate, and I 'd like to thank the over 60 delegations that gave thought ful, and often lengthy  
interventions.  
5.23.   It is clear U.S. trade policy is important to all of us. As the largest economy in the world, the 
U.S. is not only vital to global trade but also an engine for the global economy. And, since the U.S. 
is highly integrat ed into the global economy, it is a major trading partner for the vast majority of 
Members - in fact one boasted a bilateral trade relationship dating back 1,000 years and most 
expressed a strong desire to develop even closer trade relations with the U.S. in the future.  
5.24.   Secondly, the openness of the U.S. market to goods and services trade and investment is 
highly valued. And developing and least developed countries particularly appreciate d special GSP 
access, and other schemes such as AGOA, as well as the e xtensive technical assistance and capacity 
building provided by the US.  
5.25.   Concerns were raised on specific trade issues (and I note that agriculture did come up in this 
context), in particular, many mentione d recent trade measures under Section 232. WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  5.26.   Thirdly,  there was considerable debate on the state of the WTO, reflectin g the US ' pivotal role 
in this Organiz ation.  
5.27.   The WTO is facing deep challenges across all three  pillars of the O rganization – the erosion of 
transparency; an inability to reach negotiated outcomes to ensure rules are updated; and mounting 
stress on the dispute settlement system. Only concerted action will resolve these challenges. U.S. 
leadership will be key in stre ngthening and improving the WTO to ensure that it is fit for purpose in 
the 21st century.  
5.28.   This week , the U.S. has again announced its commitment to WTO reform. During the review 
period it has been instrumental in starting discussions on the reform and stre ngthening of this 
institution and has invested in improving the functioning of regular WTO bodies. Some of their ideas 
have been challenging (i.e. notifications compliance and development) and some of their actions 
have been questioned ( Appellate Body impasse, S ections 232 and 301). Members have expressed a 
strong interest in engaging closely with the U nited States to find ways to resolve issues quickly, 
particularly with regard to the Appellate Body.  
5.29.   What is clear is that, as in the establishment of the GA TT, during the Uruguay Round, and the 
establishment of the WTO, constructive U.S. leadership will be critical in upholding and strengthening 
the multilateral trading system – that is so important to us all.  
5.30.   Finally, I would like to thank Dennis and his ver y professional team for the mammoth effort 
in responding to 1,700 questions and for their outst anding work during this review. And with that I 
would like to conclude.  Thank you.  
CHINA  
5.31.   I would like to start by thanking the U.S. colleagues  for their replies to our written questions. 
We are looking into them carefully and we also look forward to receiving the replies to our follow -up 
questions. I would also like to thank Ambassador Frances Lisson and the WTO Secretariat for their 
invaluable efforts made for th is review.  
5.32.   Ambassador Zhang has expressed China 's deep regret and disappointment towards the 
disappearance of responsibility in the United States trade policy.  Ambassador Shea, however, 
pointed at China 9 times in his statement at the first day meeting. I listened carefully to what he 
has stated just no w and China was pointed again. China absolutely refuses to be the scapegoat and 
excuse for unilateralism and protectionism. This is the review of the United States, not China. China 's 
Trade Policy Review  was completed in July this year. If the U nited States has more questions for 
China, we will be delighted to answer three years later. The only thing we should discuss today is 
the compliance of the US ' trade polices with the WTO rules.  
5.33.   In the G overnment report submitted for this review by the United States, it stated that the 
rules of global trade have been tilted against U.S. workers and businesses, and that it will not allow 
any multilateral organization to prevent the U.S. from taking actions that are essential to the 
economic well -being of the American people, etc. These negative perceptions of the multilateral 
trading system, the unrestrained interpretation of its trade policy pillars and the reckless actions 
taken thereafter are the root causes of th e current crisis in the multilateral trading system, and no 
doubt at the epicentre  of the crisis. The U.S. is the largest economy in today 's world and also a key 
founder and player, and major beneficiary of the current international economic order as well as the 
multilateral trading system. The U.S. leadership in observing rules and handling frictions properly 
within the WTO framework is of crucial importance to the global economic stabi lity and M embers ' 
trust and confidence in the multilateral trading syst em. We hope the United States can face up to 
that, instead of finger -pointing others.  
5.34.   We are here today to comment and voice concerns on the trade policies of the United States, 
because we have high expectations on the largest economy in the world to beha ve in the common 
interests of the entire M embership of the WTO. We hope that the United States could work with 
others on equal footing, through consultation, to resolve the crisis facing the WTO, to advance 
necessary reforms of the WTO, so that the WTO can  better play its role in safeguarding international 
economic and trade order in the course of economic globalization, just like what it did when the 
multilateral trading system and rules were first created. We also hope that this policy review could WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  help t he U.S. re-examine its trade policies, reflect on M embers ' views and comments and move to 
correct non -compliances. We believe it is in the interests of both the U.S. and all other Members.  
5.35.   Lastly , on the Sino -U.S. bilateral economic and trade relations, it s stability and healthy 
development is of great importance not only for China and the United States, but also for the global 
economy. We take note of the comments in thi s respect in other M embers ' statements. It is also 
China 's hope that the two sides can follow up the meeting between our top leaders and move in the 
same direction with mutual respect to contribute to the stability of world economic and trade 
environment.  
EUROPEAN  UNION  
5.36.   The 14th TPR of the United States is coming to an end. It has been  a lively discussion on trade 
policy issues which are important not only for the US, but for many WTO Members.  
5.37.   We appreciate the hard work which the U.S. delegation has put into replying to the numerous 
questions of Members. We thank the U.S. for providing clarifications in response to our questions. 
The majority of them indeed address the substance of our concerns.  
5.38.   However, in some cases I must confess that the replies have not fully succeeded in providing 
the reassurance we are seeking in regard to certain  U.S. policies. For example, we would appreciate 
more detailed explanations on the WTO compatibility of certain aspects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs 
Act, domestic support in the agricultural sector, and trade restrictive aspects of the USMCA. We have 
submitted  a limited number of follow -up questions on these issues, as well as on Buy American, and 
two additional questions and we look forward to the replies.  
5.39.   On a positive note, we welcome the U.S. commitment to continue its long record of leadership 
in the WTO that Ambassador Shea confirmed in his statement on Monday and today, including 
contributing to reforming the global trading system.  
5.40.   In fact, numerous Members on Monday expressed their readiness to work with the U.S. to 
address the current shortcomings in t he WTO. We appreciate this as we are firmly convinced that 
unilateral response will always be less effective than cooperation to achieve common goals and look 
forward to dev eloping an agenda to lead this Organiz ation out of its current troubles. We may 
disagree on some of the sources of the current troubles, but solved they must be.  
5.41.   On behalf of the EU, I thank the U.S. delegation for their active engagement in this important 
transparency exercise.  
JAPAN  
5.42.   First of all, we thank the United States ' delegation  led by Ambassador Shea for providing us 
with the excellent oral explanation and written responses regarding our concerns and questions. We 
would also like to express our appreciation for the helpful remarks a nd comments from the 
discussant, Ambassador Lis son of Australia.  
5.43.   Japan has carefully read the answers provided by the United States to our written questions 
and has submitted half a dozen follow -up questions in written form  on some of the issues that the 
previous speaker mentioned .  
5.44.   Most of them are ei ther to request additional explanations or further clarification with regard 
to some of the U.S. 's answers to our previous questions.  
5.45.   We would like to express our appreciation for the great efforts the U.S. delegation has made 
to respond to our concerns si ncerely in such a short period of time.  
5.46.   We are looking forward to receiving answers to our questions in due course.  
5.47.   To conclude my remarks, I would like to reiterate our willingness to work closely with the 
United States as the standard –bearer of free trade, as well as other Members, to continue to promote 
a rules -based multilateral trading system and to ensure its full implementation through the WTO.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  INDIA  
5.48.   We would like to thank Ambassador Frances Lisson and Ambassador Dennis Shea for their 
comprehensi ve statement s and observations at the 14th Trade Policy R eview of the United States.  
5.49.   We note that the economy of the United States continues to strengthen with significant flows 
of capital investments, rising incomes, wealth gains, and high levels of business -sector confidence 
and low levels of unemployment.  
5.50.   The Trade Policy R eview has highlighted the significant impact of the U.S. economic and trade 
policies, measures and various legislations on all of us.  
5.51.   India ha s raised 273 questions for the Trade Policy R eview which highlight the depth and 
coverage of our trade and economic ties. We would like to thank the U.S. again for the responses 
and we look for further clarifications on some issues.  
5.52.   While our bilateral trade in goods and services has continue d to grow, both countries have set 
a target of reaching USD 400 billion which would require breakdown of barriers, deeper integration 
and removing the key impediments in our trade ties.  
5.53.   An area again I wish to particularly highlight is the vast potential of trade in services between 
both countries , which has been threatened to be undermined by some recent restrictive legislations 
and measures on the movement of professionals to the United States.  
5.54.   We do hope that the United States will address the issue holi stically , to alleviate the concerns 
of our services industry. We have already highlighted our other concerns earlier and hope that the 
United States will look into all of these for a solution at the earliest for mutual benefit.  
5.55.   I must point out to the dele gation from D.C. that as far as the WTO is concerned, in spite of 
the not inconsiderable efforts of Ambassador Dennis Shea and his immense charm and 
responsiveness, the U.S. is today not the most popular Member in Geneva. We are more than a trifle 
surprise d that great principles , like non -discrimination , that the U.S. has long championed are being 
seemingly abandoned by it. 
5.56.   Also, the U.S. has been looked at as one of the leading Members advocating the advantages 
of the rules-based multilateral system to pro mote free and fair trade. In brief, the U.S. has long 
been seen not as part of the problem but as part of the solution. We are therefore greatly 
disappointed that it has been resorting to a slew of unilateral trade measures and holding the future 
of the Appellate Body hostage which could sound the death knell of the WTO as we know it today.  
5.57.   In bilateral ties, India looks at the U.S. as an old friend, strategic partner and extremely 
important source a nd destination for both merchandise and services trade. Indians have and 
continue to cherish the U.S. for the freedom, openness, equal opportunity  for all, and the rule of 
law, many of the principles which we have borrowed for our institutions and into our  way of life since 
we became independent.  
5.58.   For many Indians, especially highly scale professionals, the U.S. remains a beacon of hope 
and a land of opportunity for those willing to work hard and with dedication. The fact that CEOs of 
many iconic U.S. compan ies like  Microsoft and Google are first -generation Americans, those who did 
their graduate education in I ndia, is eloquent proof of the s ame. 
5.59.   Let me conclude by stating that we attach great importance to our multifaceted global 
strategic and trade partners hip with the United States. I wish the delegation of the United States a 
Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a safe flight back home.  
MOROCCO  
5.60.   On behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco,  I would like to express our sincere 
thanks and appreciati on for the tireless efforts that have been made by the Secretary of State, the 
Secretariat of the Organization, and the United States delegation.  Our thanks go also to the 
Ambassador , Mr. Dennis Shea, the Chairperson, and the discussant, H.E. Ambassador Fr ances Lisson WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  for their constructive remarks and analysis. We would like also to congratulate you on the progress 
made by the American economy through the efforts made at the level of employment and 
investment. We would like also to stress on the importance  that the U.S. attaches to the Members 
for the effective implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement which will certainly help to boost 
trade between all Members.  
5.61.   Concerning the bilateral relations, I would like to remind that the political relation s between 
Morocco and the United States are based on friendship and mutual respect and are constantly 
evolving positively.  
5.62.   Our relations are ancient and date back more than two centuries since the signing of the 
treaty of TiSA and friendship. The relations hip has gained new impetus following the visit of His 
Majesty the King, Mohammed VI, to Washington in 2000 and 2013, during which the dimension of 
strategic partnership took on its full meaning and significance.  
5.63.   This relation was very encouraged by the signing of the Free Trade Agreement that entered 
into force in 2016 and encouraged the development of our bilateral relations. It is true that there 
has been a moment and for more than 12 years of implementation of this FTA thanks to this positive 
impact on the economic and trade relations between the two countries. But the fact remains that 
the result reached during these years remains below the aspiration  of the two countries and our 
bilateral trade therefore aims for more ambitious level and accelerated the progression noted in 
recent years.  
5.64.   Since 2006, the effective year of the implementation of the FTA, bilateral trade almost tripled, 
reaching about more than USD 4 billion in 2017 , compared to only USD 1.34 billi on in 2006. During 
the same period, exports have more than tripled with almost USD 1 billion compared to 2006 when 
it reached just USD 0.26 billion. Also for the imports, they have more than tripled, reaching more 
than USD 3.15 billion , against only USD 1 billion.  
5.65.   On the other hand, the U.S. investments in Morocco have increased considerably during 201 6. 
Nevertheless, these U.S. investments represented barely 8.2% of the total inflows of  FDI in Morocco 
in 2016.  
5.66.   Despite these developments, bilateral trade re mains below the aspiration of the two countries 
and the trade values remains deficit to the detriment of Morocco.  
5.67.   We hope that the two countries will pursue  their efforts to improve our bilateral trade and 
reach the objective of free trade, namely the chal lenge of growth and development of our respective 
countries.  
5.68.   We exalt you, as the world 's economic leader , to continue to play its key role to ensure that 
trade makes a powerful contribution in expanding the global economy and welfare of populations in 
the world, continue the U.S. involvement in the maintenance of a just and equitable multilateral 
trading system will endlessly increase world trade and prosperity in the world and the well-being of 
people.  
5.69.   Morocco wishes the U.S. delegation a successful trade  review.  
CANADA  
5.70.   First of all, let me thank Ambassador Shea for his comments this morning and for his 
participation and forthcoming comments this morning and on Monday morning. And also to you, 
Ambassador Lisson, for your comments this morning. And we also wish to thank the United States ' 
delegation for thei r answers to the many questions that we posed. We have a couple of follow -up 
questions that we will be sending to the U.S. delegation.  
5.71.   We wanted to reflect for a moment on the comments made during this TP R. We share many 
of the concerns raised by other Members with respect to recent U.S. trade actions, and , in Canada 's 
case, in particular with respect to the actions on steel and aluminium.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  5.72.   But we also note a lot of recognition of the good work the U.S. does to support the WTO. And 
it is on this point that I look forward to increase collaboration in 2019 with the United States and 
with all Members.  
5.73.   The challenges facing this Organization are many , and we will only solve them if we work 
together , pulling in the same direction. I wish you all a very happy holiday season.  
AMABASSADOR  DENNIS  SHEA  (HEAD  OF DELEGATION)  
5.74.   I just want to thank my colleagues for their comments today, I appreciate it v ery much. This 
is a very labour -intensive exercise, a s we mentioned, about 1,700 questions, big reports, lot of work 
done in a compressed period of time. So, I would like to acknowledge Assistant USTR , Dawn 
Shackleford, Neil Beck, Billy Glass from the USTR  in Washington , and others at the table who have 
travelled here from D.C. to participate but they have been working back home on this project for 
quite some time. So, I just wanted to acknowledge them and thank them.  
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  6  CONCLUDING REMARKS B Y THE CHAIRPERSON  
6.1.  This fourteenth Trade Policy Review of the United States has, once again, allowed Members to 
take a close look at the economic, trade, and investment policies of the world 's single largest trader, 
and a key Member of the WTO. I would like to thank H.E. Ambassador Dennis C. Shea and  his 
dedicated team for their forthright and active engagement. My gratitude also goes to our discussant, 
Ambassador Frances Lisson , for her thoughtful comments and remarks and  last, but not least, to 
the 66  delegations that took the floor during these two days.  
6.2.  Members noted that the United Sta tes economy had performed well since the last review. The 
economy was in its ninth consecutive year of expansion, more recently al so stimulated by a 
pro-cyclical fiscal policy. The unemployment rate was at its lowest level in 50 years, consumer and 
busines s confidence were high, while inflation remained subdued. Strong economic growth had been 
accompanied by a widening current account deficit. The United States remained a net exporter of 
services, and the leading exporter of goods and services that embody i ntellectual property. The 
United States was both a top source and destination for foreign direct investment.  
6.3.  Members were of the view that the trade and investment regime of the United States remained 
overall open and liberal. The United States had bound all its tariffs, except for two tariff lines, and 
the simple average applied tariff rate was 4.8% with little or no tariff escalation. Taking account of 
trade preferences, nearly 70% of all imports entered duty free. The United States had taken 
measures to  further facilitate trade, by completing the deployment of core capabilities in its 
Automated Commercial Environment. It strongly backed the entry into force of the WTO Agreement 
on Trade Facilitation, and was supporting other WTO Members in implementing t he Agreement. 
Several Members appreciated the renewal of trade preferences granted under the Generalized 
System of Preferences (GSP) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act  (AGOA) .  
6.4.  Several Members stressed the increasingly active recourse to anti -dumpi ng and countervailing 
measures by the United States, as well as their long duration, and expressed their reservations with 
respect to certain methodologies used in investigations. It was also noted that, in the period under 
review, the United States had ap plied global safeguard measures on solar cell products and large 
residential washing machines. In addition, the United States had taken action under Section 232 of 
the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, related to U.S. national security, in the form of additiona l tariffs 
on imports of steel and aluminium products. The United States had also taken action as a result of 
an investigation under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.  
6.5.  Members also raised concerns with respect to the introduction of new "Buy American " 
provisions with respect to government procurement legislation. The low uptake of international 
standards in the United States, which may result in unnecessary trade barriers, was noted, as well 
as the level of protection of geographical indications, that so me Members considered insufficient. 
The need to reform outdated maritime and cabotage legislation was stressed. Some Members 
questioned the effect on third parties of the introduction of new rules of origin in the automotive 
sector resulting from the reneg otiation of regional trade agreements.  
6.6.  While noting the United States ' efforts to reform global agricultural trade, some Members 
reiterated their longstanding concerns regarding aspects of U.S. agricultural policy, particularly the 
limited market access fo r sugar, dairy and cotton, high tariffs, and the continued use of trade 
distort ing support. The launch of a USD 12 billion aid package for agricultural producers hurt by 
market disruption and retaliatory tariffs was a subject of wide interest. In services,  it was noted that 
the U.S. economy is open to foreign service providers with limited exceptions, and that regulatory 
processes are transparent, accessible and open to public input.  
6.7.  The United States was complimented for being among the main architects of  a rules -based 
international trading system that had underpinned decades of economic growth and prosperity at 
home and abroad. Nonetheless, it was noted that a shift had occurred in U.S. trade policy in the 
period under review, with a distinct new emphasis  on national security considerations in the pursuit 
of free, fair and reciprocal trade relations. In the course of this review, the five pillars of the present 
U.S. Trade Policy Agenda were repeatedly highlighted: the adoption of trade policies supporting the 
national security policy, building a stronger U.S. economy, the negotiation of better trade deals, 
vigorous enforcement of domestic trade laws and rights under existing trade agreements, and reform 
of the multilateral trading system.  WT/TPR/M/ 382 • United States  
 
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  6.8.  Members highlight ed the traditional leadership role of the United States in the GATT and the 
WTO, and expressed their commitment to engage with the United States on constructive proposals 
to improve the functioning of the rules -based multilateral trading system. It was not ed that the WTO 
was facing unprecedented challenges, and that positive initiatives to deal with them could include 
steps to strengthen the notification and transparency functions of the WTO, enhance compliance, 
and end the impasse regarding the dispute set tlement mechanism. On the negotiating front, 
appreciation was expressed regarding the productive engagement of the United States on services 
domestic regulation disciplines, its determination to establish WTO rules prohibiting harmful fisheries 
subsidies, and its active role in the Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce. Building on 
work in the G20 and APEC, the reform of fossil fuel subsidies could also be brought onto the WTO 
agenda.  
6.9.  In the view of the Members, although the short term economic  outlook for the United States 
remained positive, mounting public debt, higher interest rates, and increasing trade tensions were 
clouds gathering on the horizon. It was in this context that the continued support and commitment 
of the United States to a pr edictable, rules based multilateral trading system took on a critical 
dimension, not only for its trading partners near and far, but also for th e long -term economic 
well-being of the United States itself.  
6.10.   The United States received more than 1,700 written  questions prior to this Trade Policy 
Review, and it has already responded to most of them. In a month 's time, Members should receive 
replies to late submissions and follow -up questions that are still outstanding, which will then mark 
the successful conclu sion of this TPR.  
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