[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 97 (Friday, May 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24999-25000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12426]



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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Trade Policy Staff Committee; Public Comments on the Accessions 
of Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine to the World 
Trade Organization (WTO), and on U.S. Participation in Negotiations for 
the Terms of Those Accessions

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting written 
public comments concerning U.S. commercial interests and other issues 
related to the accession of Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, 
and Ukraine to the WTO. Public comments should include, but not be 
limited to, information concerning these countries' current trade 
policies and practices which affect (A) market access for U.S. exports, 
e.g., tariffs, non-tariff measures; (B) trade and investment in 
services, and (C) other aspects of their trade regimes subject to WTO 
provisions that affect U.S. trade interests. Comments received will be 
considered in developing U.S. positions and objectives for the 
multilateral and bilateral negotiations that will determine the terms 
of WTO accession for Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, and 
Ukraine.

DATES: Public comments are due by noon on Friday, June 21, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, 
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Chattin, Director for Tariff 
Negotiations (202-395-5097), Peter Collins, Deputy Assistant USTR for 
Services and Investment (202-395-7271) or Cecilia Leahy Klein, Director 
for WTO Accessions (202-395-3063), Office of the U.S. Trade 
Representative.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chairman of the Trade Policy Staff 
Committee invites written comments from the public on market access and 
other issues to be addressed in the course of negotiations with 
Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine for accession to 
the WTO. Each of these countries has applied for membership in the WTO 
and has

[[Page 25000]]

initiated negotiations with other WTO members. The terms of membership 
will be negotiated in bilateral meetings with government 
representatives and in meetings of the Working Parties established by 
the Members of the WTO to conduct the negotiations. All comments will 
be considered in developing U.S. positions and objectives for 
participation in these negotiations, establishment of schedules of 
commitments and concessions in the areas of agriculture, industrial 
goods, and trade and investment in services, and for development of the 
elements of these countries' protocols of accession to the WTO.
    The Committee is seeking public comments on the possible affect on 
U.S. trade of these countries' accession to the WTO, with particular 
reference to tariffs applied to imports and any other trade measures 
currently applied by Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, and 
Ukraine that could be subject to the provisions of the WTO, 
particularly market access issues for goods and services or practices 
that could affect the competitiveness of U.S. goods and services in 
those markets. Issues of interest to the TPSC include, but are not 
limited to: (a) Comments on possible tariff reductions and the removal 
of border measures such as quotas or import licensing requirements; (b) 
uniform application of the trading system (c) the provision of national 
treatment and nondiscriminatory treatment for imports, especially in 
the area of domestic taxation; (d) transparency in application of trade 
laws and regulations; (e) right of appeal in cases involving 
application of trade laws and other laws relating to WTO provisions, 
such as protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights 
(IPR) and services; (f) customs processing issues, such as document 
certification prior to export, fees, customs valuation, and 
certification requirements; (g) industrial export and domestic 
subsidies; (h) agricultural export subsidies and domestic supports and 
incentives; (i) safeguard and unfair trade practice procedures applied 
to imports; (j) plant, animal, and human health and safety 
requirements; (k) labeling and shelf-life requirements; (l) food 
standards and other technical barriers to trade; (m) utilization of 
preshipment inspection services; (n) activities of state trading 
enterprises, including restrictions and other trade-distorting 
practices; (o) price controls and policies; (p) government procurement 
practices; (q) policies concerning trade in civil aircraft, and (r) the 
trade-related aspects of investment policies and the protection and 
enforcement of IPRs. Market access issues for services include, but are 
not limited to, the right of establishment for U.S. services providers, 
the ability to provide services on a cross border basis, and the 
ability of persons to enter temporarily to provide services.
    Information on products or practices subject to these negotiations 
should include, whenever appropriate, the import or export tariff 
classification number used by these countries for the product 
concerned. Submissions also should clearly separate issues by country.
    Persons submitting written comments should provide a statement, in 
twenty copies, by noon, Friday, June 21, 1996, to Carolyn Frank, 
Executive Secretary, TPSC, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 
Room 501, 600 17th Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20508. Non-
confidential information received will be available for public 
inspection by appointment, in the USTR Reading Room, Room 101, Monday 
through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. For 
an appointment call Brenda Webb on 202-395-6186. Business confidential 
information will be subject to the requirements of 15 CFR Sec. 2003.6. 
Any business confidential material must be clearly marked as such on 
the cover letter or page and each succeeding page, and must be 
accompanied by a non-confidential summary thereof. Other countries 
pursuing WTO accession whose negotiations are not yet sufficiently 
advanced to warrant a request for public comment are Algeria, Belarus, 
Cambodia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, the Former Yugoslav Republic 
of Macedonia, Moldova, Nepal, Seychelles, Sudan, Tonga, Uzbekistan, 
Vanuatu, and Vietnam.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 96-12426 Filed 5-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M