USTR Requesting Comments on Foreign Trade Barriers
The U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) Trade Policy Staff Committee is requesting public comments for inclusion in the 2008 version of the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.
Information submitted should relate to one or more of the following categories of foreign trade barriers:
- Import policies (e.g., tariffs and other import charges,quantitative restrictions, import licensing, and customs barriers);
- Standards, testing, labeling, and certification;
- Government procurement (e.g., "buy national'' policies and closed bidding);
- Export subsidies (e.g., export financing on preferential terms and agricultural export subsidies that displace U.S. exports in third country markets);
- Lack of intellectual property protection (e.g., inadequate patent, copyright, and trademark regimes);
- Services barriers;
- Investment barriers;
- Anticompetitive practices with trade effects tolerated by foreign governments;
- Trade restrictions affecting electronic commerce; and
- Other barriers (including bribery and corruption).
The 2007 version of USTR's National Trade Estimate on Foreign Trade Barriers can be found here.
Labels: USTR