[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26334-26335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11049]
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OFFICE OF THE TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments on Possible Negotiations in the World Trade
Organization To Expand the Information Technology Agreement, Including
Its Product Coverage
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is
requesting comments from the public on whether the United States should
undertake negotiations to expand the Information Technology Agreement
(ITA) and, if so: (1) Which additional information and communications
technology (ICT) products the United States should seek to include and
provide duty-free treatment under the ITA, including both products that
existed when the ITA was concluded in 1996 but that were not covered
under the agreement as well as products that have been developed since
then; and (2) which U.S. trading partners that are significant
producers or consumers of ICT products that are not currently
participants in the ITA the United States should seek to have join the
ITA. The TPSC will consider public comments in formulating U.S.
positions and objectives regarding possible negotiations to expand the
ITA.
DATES: Public comments are due by noon, June 13, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Pietan (Director for Industrial
Trade Policy) or Mary Thornton (Director for Tariff Affairs), Office of
Small Business, Market Access, and Industrial Competitiveness, Office
of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), 600 17th St., NW.,
Washington, DC 20508, telephone (202) 395-5656, Fax (202) 395-9674.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any amendments to the ITA resulting from
negotiations to expand the agreement will be subject to approval by its
current participants.
Background Information
In December 1996, United States and 36 other countries and separate
customs territories reached agreement to eliminate tariffs on a wide
range of ICT products. The resulting agreement, the Ministerial
Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (also termed
the Information Technology Agreement, or ITA) was implemented under the
auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The number of ITA
participants has since grown to 73, reflecting a significant increase
in participation by developing countries, and currently representing
approximately 97 percent of world trade in ITA products. However, many
countries still remain outside of the agreement. Current participants
include: Albania; Australia; Bahrain; Canada; China; Chinese Taipei;
Costa Rica; Croatia; Dominican Republic; Egypt; El Salvador; European
Union (on behalf of its 27 Member States); Georgia; Guatemala;
Honduras; Hong Kong; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Israel; Japan; Jordan;
Korea; Kuwait; Kyrgyz Republic; Macao; Malaysia; Mauritius; Moldova;
Morocco; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Panama; Peru;
Philippines; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Switzerland and Liechtenstein;
Thailand; Turkey; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United States; and
Vietnam. Any WTO Member or any State or separate customs territory in
the process of acceding to the WTO may become a participant in the ITA.
The ITA requires participants to eliminate import duties on covered
products. The elimination of duties under the agreement has helped to
generate substantial growth in ICT trade. Industry sources estimate
that global trade in products currently covered under the ITA grew from
$1.2 trillion in 1996 to $4.0 trillion in 2008.
The ITA currently covers computers and computer equipment,
semiconductors and integrated circuits, computer software products,
telecommunications equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment,
and computer-based analytical instruments. The list of covered products
has not been expanded since the ITA was concluded in 1996. Detailed
information on the ITA, including the text of the agreement and its
annexes specifying the products the agreement covers, can be found
online at: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/inftec_e/inftec_e.htm.
Comments From the Public
The TPSC, led by USTR, is considering a proposal by industry
stakeholders to expand the scope of the ITA significantly to provide
duty-free treatment for a broader range of products and encourage wider
participation in the agreement.
[[Page 26335]]
Interested persons are invited to submit comments, by noon, June 13,
2011, on the desirability of engaging in negotiations to expand the
ITA. Comments are invited in particular on: (1) Additional ICT products
that the United States should seek to include under the ITA, and (2)
U.S. trading partners that are significant producers or consumers of
ICT products that are not currently participants in the ITA and that
the United States should to seek to have join the ITA. Comments on
proposed additional ICT products may address products that existed when
the ITA was concluded in 1996 but that were not covered under the
agreement as well as products that have been developed since that time.
Those comments should include a detailed description of the specific
product(s) and, whenever appropriate, the six-digit (or 8-digit, where
applicable) Harmonized System tariff classification number for the
product(s) concerned. The TPSC requests this advice pursuant to 19
U.S.C. 2155.
Requirements for Submissions
All comments must be submitted in English and must identify (on the
first page of the submission) the subject matter of the comment as the
``Possible Expansion of the Information Technology Agreement.'' In
order to be assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by
noon, June 13, 2011.
In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line
submissions, using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments
should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2011-0003. To find
the docket, enter the docket number in the ``Enter Keyword or ID''
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further
information on using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site, please
consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the
``Help'' tab.)
The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached
document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See
attached'' in the ``Type comment & Upload File'' field. USTR prefers
submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the
submission is in an application other than those two, please indicate
the name of the application in the ``Comments'' field.
For any comments submitted electronically containing business
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential
version should begin with the characters ``BC.'' The top of any page
containing business confidential information must be clearly marked
``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL.'' Any person filing comments that contain
business confidential information must also file in a separate
submission a public version of the comments. The file name of the
public version should begin with the character ``P.'' The ``BC'' and
``P'' should be followed by the name of the person or entity submitting
the comments. If a comment contains no business confidential
information, the file name should begin with the character ``P,''
followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comment.
Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent
possible please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.
Public Inspection of Submissions
Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection
pursuant to 15 CFR 2006.13, except confidential business information
exempt from public inspection in accordance with 15 CFR 2006.15.
Comments may be viewed on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site by
entering docket number USTR-2011-0003 in the search field on the home
page.
USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through
regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements must
be made with Anita Kyler in advance of transmitting a comment. Ms.
Kyler should be contacted at (202) 395-9665. General information
concerning USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.
Donald W. Eiss,
Acting Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2011-11049 Filed 5-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W1-P