[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 248 (Thursday, December 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66963-66964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31795]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments Concerning Compliance With
Telecommunications Trade Agreements
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative
ACTION: Request for written submissions from the public.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (``Section 1377''), the
Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') requests
comments on: the operation and effectiveness of the World Trade
Organization (``WTO'') Basic
[[Page 66964]]
Telecommunications Agreement; the telecommunications provisions of the
North American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA''); and, other
telecommunications trade agreements in force with respect to the United
States, including those with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(``APEC'') members, the European Union (``EU''), the Inter-American
Telecommunications Commission (``CITEL''), Japan, Korea, Mexico and
Taiwan. The USTR will conclude the review by March 31, 2002.
DATES: Submissions must be received by 12 noon on January 28, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff
Committee, ATTN: Section 1377 Comments, Office of the United States
Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20508
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Schagrin, Office of Industry
and Telecommunications (202) 395-5663; or Demetrios Marantis, Office of
the General Counsel (202) 395-7305.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1377 requires the USTR to review
annually the operation and effectiveness of all U.S. trade agreements
regarding telecommunications products and services of the United States
that are in force with respect to the United States. The purpose of the
review is to determine whether any act, policy, or practice of an
economy that has entered into a telecommunications trade agreement with
the United States is inconsistent with the terms of such agreement, or
otherwise denies to U.S. firms, within the context of the terms of such
agreements, mutually advantageous market opportunities. For the current
review, the USTR seeks comments on whether:
(1) any WTO Member is acting inconsistently with commitments under
the WTO Basic Telecommunications Agreement (including the WTO Reference
Paper) or with other WTO obligations (including the Annex on
Telecommunications), in a manner that affects market opportunities for
U.S. telecommunications products and services;
(2) Canada or Mexico has failed to comply with NAFTA
telecommunications commitments (including under Chapters 11, 12, and 13
of that agreement);
(3) APEC or CITEL members, the EU, Japan, Korea, Mexico or Taiwan
have failed to abide by commitments under additional telecommunications
agreements with the United States.\1\
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\1\ These agreements include:
Mutual Recognition Agreements for conformity assessment
of telecommunications equipment with the EU (1997), APEC countries
(1998), and CITEL countries (1999) and
Bilateral Agreements with:
Japan: on Nippon Telegraph and Telephone procurement (1999);
public sector procurement of telecommunications products and
services (1994); international value-added network services (1990-
91); open government procurement of all satellites, except for
government research and development satellites (1990); network
channel terminating equipment (1990); and cellular and third-party
radio systems (1989) and cellular radio systems (1994);
Korea: on type approval of telecommunications equipment (1992/
1996), transparent standard-setting processes (1992/1997), and non-
discriminatory access to Korea Telecommunication's procurement of
telecommunications products (1992/1996);
Mexico: on test data acceptance agreements between product
safety testing laboratories (1997); and
Taiwan: interconnection pricing for provision of wireless
services (1998) and, licensing and provision of wireless services
through the establishment of a competitive, transparent and fair
wireless market (1996).
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(4) outstanding issues remains from the 2000-2001 review conducted
under Section 1377.\2\
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\2\ See USTR Press Release 01-20 (available at www.ustr.gov) for
detailed information of the results of the 2000-2001 Section 1377
review, which considered practices of Colombia, Mexico, Japan, South
Africa, and Taiwan as well as five EU Member States (France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom).
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For further details on these agreements, please see 63 FR 1140
(January 8, 1998).
Public Comment: Requirements for Submissions
The USTR invites submissions concerning the operation and
effectiveness of the WTO Basic Telecommunications Agreement; the NAFTA;
and other telecommunications trade agreements in force with respect to
the United States, including those with APEC members, CITEL members,
the EU, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Taiwan.
Interested persons must provide fifteen copies of any submission,
in English, to Gloria Blue, Office of the United States Trade
Representative, by noon on January 23, 2002. Interested parties must
also identify on the first page of the comments the telecommunications
trade agreement(s) discussed therein.
All comments will be placed in the USTR Reading Room for inspection
shortly after the filing deadline, except business confidential
information exempt from public inspection in accordance with 15 CFR
2003.6. Confidential information submitted in accordance with 15 CFR
2003.6, must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' in a
contrasting color ink at the top of each page on each of 15 copies, and
must be accompanied by 15 copies of a non-confidential summary of the
confidential information. The non-confidential summary will be placed
in the USTR Public Reading Room.
An appointment to review the comments may be made by calling Brenda
Webb at (202) 395-6186. The USTR Reading Room is open to the public
from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, and is located in Room 3 of 1724 F Street, N.W.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 01-31795 Filed 12-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P