82_FR_23797 82 FR 23699 - Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives Regarding Modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement With Canada and Mexico

82 FR 23699 - Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives Regarding Modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement With Canada and Mexico

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 98 (May 23, 2017)

Page Range23699-23700
FR Document2017-10603

The United States intends to commence negotiations with Canada and Mexico regarding modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The NAFTA was negotiated more than 25 years ago, and, while our economy and U.S. businesses have changed considerably over that period, NAFTA has not. The United States seeks to support higher-paying jobs in the United States and to grow the U.S. economy by improving U.S. opportunities under NAFTA. Our specific objectives for this negotiation will comply with the specific objectives set forth by Congress in section 102 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments on matters relevant to the modernization of NAFTA in order to inform development of U.S. negotiating positions.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 98 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017) 
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23699-23700]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10603]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives Regarding 
Modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement With Canada 
and Mexico

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments and notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The United States intends to commence negotiations with Canada 
and Mexico regarding modernization of the North American Free Trade 
Agreement (NAFTA). The NAFTA was negotiated more than 25 years ago, 
and, while our economy and U.S. businesses have changed considerably 
over that period, NAFTA has not. The United States seeks to support 
higher-paying jobs in the United States and to grow the U.S. economy by 
improving U.S. opportunities under NAFTA. Our specific objectives for 
this negotiation will comply with the specific objectives set forth by 
Congress in section 102 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade 
Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. The Office of the United 
States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments on 
matters relevant to the modernization of NAFTA in order to inform 
development of U.S. negotiating positions.

DATES: If you want to testify at the hearing, you must provide written 
notification and a summary of your testimony by Monday, June 12, 2017. 
Written comments also are due by Monday, June 12, 2017. A hearing will 
be held at 9 a.m. in the Main Hearing Room of the United States 
International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, 
on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You should submit notifications of intent to testify and 
written comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments in 
part 3 below. For alternatives to on-line submissions, please contact 
Yvonne Jamison, Trade Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395-3475.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
written comments or participation in the public hearing, contact Yvonne 
Jamison at (202) 395-3475. Direct all other questions regarding this 
notice to Daniel Watson, Deputy Assistant United States Trade 
Representative for North America, at (202) 395-9587.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Background

    The United States commenced bilateral trade negotiations with 
Canada more than 30 years ago, resulting in the U.S.-Canada Free Trade 
Agreement, which entered into force on January 1, 1989. In 1991, 
bilateral talks began with Mexico, which Canada joined. The NAFTA 
followed, entering into force on January 1, 1994. Tariffs were 
eliminated progressively and all duties and quantitative restrictions, 
with the exception of those on a limited number of agricultural 
products traded with Canada, were eliminated by 2008. NAFTA also 
includes chapters covering rules of origin, customs procedures, 
agriculture and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, government 
procurement, investment, trade in services, protection of intellectual 
property rights, and dispute settlement procedures. For the full NAFTA 
text, please see https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/Home/Texts-of-the-Agreement/North-American-Free-Trade-Agreement.
    On May 18, 2017, following consultations with relevant 
Congressional committees, the U.S. Trade Representative informed 
Congress that the President intends to commence negotiations with 
Canada and Mexico with respect to the NAFTA.

2. Public Comment and Hearing

    To assist USTR as it develops its negotiating objectives and 
positions for the agreement, the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) 
invites interested persons to submit comments and/or oral testimony at 
a public hearing on matters relevant to the modernization of the NAFTA. 
In particular, the TPSC invites comments addressed to:
    (a) General and product-specific negotiating objectives for Canada 
and Mexico in the context of a NAFTA modernization.
    (b) Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of 
removal of any remaining tariffs and removal or reduction of non-tariff 
barriers on articles traded with Canada and Mexico.
    (c) Treatment of specific goods (described by HTSUS numbers), 
including comments on--
    (1) Product-specific import or export interests or barriers,
    (2) Experience with particular measures that should be addressed in 
negotiations, and
    (3) Addressing any remaining tariffs on articles traded with 
Canada, including ways to address export priorities and import 
sensitivities related to Canada and Mexico in the context of the NAFTA.
    (d) Customs and trade facilitation issues that should be addressed 
in the negotiations.
    (e) Appropriate modifications to rules of origin or origin 
procedures for NAFTA qualifying goods.
    (f) Any unwarranted sanitary and phytosanitary measures and 
technical barriers to trade imposed by Canada and Mexico that should be 
addressed in the negotiations.
    (g) Relevant barriers to trade in services between the United 
States and Canada and Mexico that should be addressed in the 
negotiations.
    (h) Relevant digital trade issues that should be addressed in the 
negotiations.
    (i) Relevant trade-related intellectual property rights issues that 
should be addressed in the negotiations.
    (j) Relevant investment issues that should be addressed in the 
negotiations.
    (k) Relevant competition-related matters that should be addressed 
in the negotiations.

[[Page 23700]]

    (l) Relevant government procurement issues that should be addressed 
in the negotiations.
    (m) Relevant environmental issues that should be addressed in the 
negotiations.
    (n) Relevant labor issues that should be addressed in the 
negotiations.
    (o) Issues of particular relevance to small and medium-sized 
businesses that should be addressed in the negotiations.
    (p) Relevant trade remedy issues that should be addressed in the 
negotiations.
    (q) Relevant state-owned enterprise issues that should be addressed 
in the negotiations.
    USTR must receive written comments no later than Monday, June 12, 
2017.
    A hearing will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 9:00 a.m., in 
the Main Hearing Room at the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E 
St. SW., Washington, DC 20436. If necessary, the hearing will continue 
on the next business day. Persons wishing to testify orally at the 
hearing must provide written notification of their intention by Monday, 
June 12, 2017. The intent to testify notification must be made in the 
``Type Comment'' field under docket number USTR-2017-0006 on the 
regulations.gov Web site and should include the name, address and 
telephone number of the person presenting the testimony. You should 
attach a summary of the testimony by using the ``Upload File'' field. 
The name of the file also should include who will be presenting the 
testimony. Remarks at the hearing should be limited to no more than 
five minutes to allow for possible questions from the TPSC.
    You should submit all documents in accordance with the instructions 
in section 3 below.

3. Requirements for Submissions

    Persons submitting a notification of intent to testify and/or 
written comments must do so in English and must identify (on the first 
page of the submission) ``NAFTA Negotiations.''
    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments 
via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2017-0006 on the 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 and click on the link entitled ``Comment Now!'' (For 
further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please 
consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on ``How to 
Use This Site'' on the left side of the home page.)
    The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments 
by filling in a ``Type Comment'' field, or by attaching a document 
using an ``Upload File'' field. USTR prefers that comments be provided 
in an attached document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to 
type ``See attached'' in the ``Type Comment'' field. USTR prefers 
submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the 
submission is in a different application, please indicate the name of 
the application in the ``Type Comment'' field.
    For any comments submitted electronically containing business 
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential 
version should begin with the characters ``BC.'' Any page containing 
business confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS 
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page. Filers of submissions 
containing business confidential information must also submit a public 
version of their 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. Filers 
submitting comments containing no business confidential information 
should name their file using the name of the person or entity 
submitting the comments.
    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.
    As noted above, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments 
through www.regulations.gov. Any alternative arrangements must be made 
with Yvonne Jamison in advance of transmitting the comments. You can 
contact Ms. Jamison at (202) 395-3475. General information concerning 
USTR is available at www.ustr.gov.
    Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public 
inspection, except business confidential information. Comments may be 
viewed on the www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant 
docket number in the search field on the home page.

Edward Gresser,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States 
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2017-10603 Filed 5-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F7-P

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 98 / Tuesday, May 23, 2017 / Notices 23699 address the reasonableness of a rail specific objectives for this negotiation Agreement/North-American-Free-Trade- carrier’s practices. This information will comply with the specific objectives Agreement. collection brings transparency to the use set forth by Congress in section 102 of On May 18, 2017, following of fuel surcharges by Class I carriers and the Bipartisan Congressional Trade consultations with relevant permits the Board to monitor this Priorities and Accountability Act of Congressional committees, the U.S. practice. Under 49 CFR 1243.3, the 2015. The Office of the United States Trade Representative informed Congress Board monitors the current fuel Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking that the President intends to commence surcharge practices of Class I carriers in public comments on matters relevant to negotiations with Canada and Mexico order to provide an overall picture of the modernization of NAFTA in order to with respect to the NAFTA. the use of fuel surcharges and bring inform development of U.S. negotiating 2. Public Comment and Hearing some transparency to the use of fuel positions. surcharges by rail carriers. Failure to DATES: If you want to testify at the To assist USTR as it develops its collect this information would impede hearing, you must provide written negotiating objectives and positions for the Board’s ability to fulfill its statutory notification and a summary of your the agreement, the Trade Policy Staff responsibilities. The Board has testimony by Monday, June 12, 2017. Committee (TPSC) invites interested authority to collect information about Written comments also are due by persons to submit comments and/or oral rail costs and revenues under 49 U.S.C. Monday, June 12, 2017. A hearing will testimony at a public hearing on matters 11144 and 11145. be held at 9 a.m. in the Main Hearing relevant to the modernization of the Under the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501–3521, Room of the United States International NAFTA. In particular, the TPSC invites a federal agency that conducts or Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., comments addressed to: sponsors a collection of information Washington, DC 20436, on Tuesday, (a) General and product-specific must display a currently valid OMB June 27, 2017. negotiating objectives for Canada and control number. A collection of ADDRESSES: You should submit Mexico in the context of a NAFTA information, which is defined in 44 notifications of intent to testify and modernization. U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c), (b) Economic costs and benefits to written comments through the Federal includes agency requirements that U.S. producers and consumers of eRulemaking Portal: http:// persons submit reports, keep records, or removal of any remaining tariffs and www.regulations.gov. Follow the provide information to the agency, third removal or reduction of non-tariff instructions for submitting comments in parties, or the public. Section 3507(b) of barriers on articles traded with Canada part 3 below. For alternatives to on-line the PRA requires, concurrent with an and Mexico. submissions, please contact Yvonne agency’s submitting a collection to OMB (c) Treatment of specific goods Jamison, Trade Policy Staff Committee, for approval, a 30-day notice and (described by HTSUS numbers), at (202) 395–3475. comment period through publication in including comments on— FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For (1) Product-specific import or export the Federal Register concerning each procedural questions concerning written proposed collection of information. interests or barriers, comments or participation in the public (2) Experience with particular Dated: May 17, 2017. hearing, contact Yvonne Jamison at measures that should be addressed in Jeffrey Herzig, (202) 395–3475. Direct all other negotiations, and Clearance Clerk. questions regarding this notice to Daniel (3) Addressing any remaining tariffs [FR Doc. 2017–10419 Filed 5–22–17; 8:45 am] Watson, Deputy Assistant United States on articles traded with Canada, BILLING CODE 4915–01–P Trade Representative for North America, including ways to address export at (202) 395–9587. priorities and import sensitivities SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: related to Canada and Mexico in the OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES 1. Background context of the NAFTA. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE (d) Customs and trade facilitation The United States commenced issues that should be addressed in the bilateral trade negotiations with Canada negotiations. Request for Comments on Negotiating more than 30 years ago, resulting in the (e) Appropriate modifications to rules Objectives Regarding Modernization of U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, of origin or origin procedures for the North American Free Trade which entered into force on January 1, NAFTA qualifying goods. Agreement With Canada and Mexico 1989. In 1991, bilateral talks began with (f) Any unwarranted sanitary and AGENCY: Office of the United States Mexico, which Canada joined. The phytosanitary measures and technical Trade Representative. NAFTA followed, entering into force on barriers to trade imposed by Canada and ACTION: Request for comments and January 1, 1994. Tariffs were eliminated Mexico that should be addressed in the notice of public hearing. progressively and all duties and negotiations. quantitative restrictions, with the (g) Relevant barriers to trade in SUMMARY: The United States intends to exception of those on a limited number services between the United States and commence negotiations with Canada of agricultural products traded with Canada and Mexico that should be and Mexico regarding modernization of Canada, were eliminated by 2008. addressed in the negotiations. the North American Free Trade NAFTA also includes chapters covering (h) Relevant digital trade issues that Agreement (NAFTA). The NAFTA was rules of origin, customs procedures, should be addressed in the negotiations. negotiated more than 25 years ago, and, agriculture and sanitary and sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES (i) Relevant trade-related intellectual while our economy and U.S. businesses phytosanitary measures, government property rights issues that should be have changed considerably over that procurement, investment, trade in addressed in the negotiations. period, NAFTA has not. The United services, protection of intellectual (j) Relevant investment issues that States seeks to support higher-paying property rights, and dispute settlement should be addressed in the negotiations. jobs in the United States and to grow the procedures. For the full NAFTA text, (k) Relevant competition-related U.S. economy by improving U.S. please see https://www.nafta-sec- matters that should be addressed in the opportunities under NAFTA. Our alena.org/Home/Texts-of-the- negotiations. VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:15 May 22, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00179 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1

23700 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 98 / Tuesday, May 23, 2017 / Notices (l) Relevant government procurement This Site’’ on the left side of the home entering the relevant docket number in issues that should be addressed in the page.) the search field on the home page. negotiations. The www.regulations.gov Web site Edward Gresser, (m) Relevant environmental issues allows users to provide comments by Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, that should be addressed in the filling in a ‘‘Type Comment’’ field, or by Office of the United States Trade negotiations. (n) Relevant labor issues that should attaching a document using an ‘‘Upload Representative. be addressed in the negotiations. File’’ field. USTR prefers that comments [FR Doc. 2017–10603 Filed 5–22–17; 8:45 am] (o) Issues of particular relevance to be provided in an attached document. If BILLING CODE 3290–F7–P small and medium-sized businesses that a document is attached, it is sufficient should be addressed in the negotiations. to type ‘‘See attached’’ in the ‘‘Type (p) Relevant trade remedy issues that Comment’’ field. USTR prefers DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION should be addressed in the negotiations. submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or (q) Relevant state-owned enterprise Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission Federal Aviation Administration issues that should be addressed in the is in a different application, please negotiations. Notice of Intent To Rule on Request To indicate the name of the application in USTR must receive written comments Release Airport Property Release at the ‘‘Type Comment’’ field. the Mobile Regional Airport, Mobile, no later than Monday, June 12, 2017. A hearing will be held on Tuesday, For any comments submitted Alabama June 27, 2017 at 9:00 a.m., in the Main electronically containing business AGENCY: Federal Aviation Hearing Room at the U.S. International confidential information, the file name Administration, DOT. Trade Commission, 500 E St. SW., of the business confidential version ACTION: Notice of intent to rule on land Washington, DC 20436. If necessary, the should begin with the characters ‘‘BC.’’ release request. hearing will continue on the next Any page containing business business day. Persons wishing to testify confidential information must be clearly SUMMARY: The FAA is considering a orally at the hearing must provide marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’ request from the Mobile Airport written notification of their intention by on the top of that page. Filers of Authority to release 5.38± acres of non- Monday, June 12, 2017. The intent to submissions containing business aeronautical airport property located at testify notification must be made in the confidential information must also the Mobile Regional Airport in Mobile, ‘‘Type Comment’’ field under docket submit a public version of their Alabama, to be sold to the County of number USTR–2017–0006 on the comments. The file name of the public Mobile. regulations.gov Web site and should version should begin with the character DATES: Comments must be received on include the name, address and ‘‘P.’’ The ‘‘BC’’ and ‘‘P’’ should be or before June 22, 2017. telephone number of the person followed by the name of the person or ADDRESSES: Comments on this notice presenting the testimony. You should entity submitting the comments. Filers may be mailed or delivered in triplicate attach a summary of the testimony by submitting comments containing no to the FAA to the following address: using the ‘‘Upload File’’ field. The name business confidential information Jackson Airports District Office, Attn: of the file also should include who will should name their file using the name Kevin Morgan, Program Manager, 100 be presenting the testimony. Remarks at of the person or entity submitting the West Cross Street, Suite B, Jackson, MS the hearing should be limited to no comments. 39208–2307. more than five minutes to allow for In addition, one copy of any possible questions from the TPSC. Please do not attach separate cover comments submitted to the FAA must You should submit all documents in letters to electronic submissions; rather, be mailed or delivered to Jennifer F. accordance with the instructions in include any information that might Shearer, C.M., Director of Aviation, P.O. section 3 below. appear in a cover letter in the comments Box 88004, 8400 Airport Blvd., Mobile, 3. Requirements for Submissions themselves. Similarly, to the extent AL 36608–0004. possible, please include any exhibits, Persons submitting a notification of FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: annexes, or other attachments in the intent to testify and/or written Kevin Morgan, Program Manager, same file as the submission itself, not as Jackson Airports District Office, 100 comments must do so in English and separate files. must identify (on the first page of the West Cross Street, Suite B, Jackson, MS submission) ‘‘NAFTA Negotiations.’’ As noted above, USTR strongly urges 39208–2307, (601) 664–9891. The land In order to ensure the timely receipt submitters to file comments through release request may be reviewed in and consideration of comments, USTR www.regulations.gov. Any alternative person at this same location. strongly encourages commenters to arrangements must be made with SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA make on-line submissions, using the Yvonne Jamison in advance of is reviewing a request by Mobile Airport www.regulations.gov Web site. To transmitting the comments. You can Authority to release 5.38 acres of submit comments via contact Ms. Jamison at (202) 395–3475. property at the Mobile Regional Airport www.regulations.gov, enter docket General information concerning USTR under the provisions of Title 49, U.S.C. number USTR–2017–0006 on the home is available at www.ustr.gov. Section 47107(h). The property will be page and click ‘‘search.’’ The site will Comments will be placed in the purchased by County of Mobile for provide a search-results page listing all right-of-way acquisition project to sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES docket and open to public inspection, documents associated with this docket. widen Tanner Williams Road. The except business confidential Find a reference to this notice and click property is adjacent to Tanner Williams on the link entitled ‘‘Comment Now!’’ information. Comments may be viewed Road on the northwest portion of airport (For further information on using the on the www.regulations.gov Web site by property consisting of seventeen www.regulations.gov Web site, please different partial parcels totaling 5.38 consult the resources provided on the acres. The net proceeds from the sale of Web site by clicking on ‘‘How to Use this property will be used for eligible VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:15 May 22, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00180 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\23MYN1.SGM 23MYN1


Document Created: 2017-05-23 02:14:34
Document Modified: 2017-05-23 02:14:34
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionRequest for comments and notice of public hearing.
DatesIf you want to testify at the hearing, you must provide written notification and a summary of your testimony by Monday, June 12, 2017. Written comments also are due by Monday, June 12, 2017. A hearing will be held at 9 a.m. in the Main Hearing Room of the United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.
ContactFor procedural questions concerning written comments or participation in the public hearing, contact Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475. Direct all other questions regarding this notice to Daniel Watson, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for North America, at (202) 395-9587.
FR Citation82 FR 23699 
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