83 FR 54164 - Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 208 (October 26, 2018)

On October 16, 2018, the United States Trade Representative notified Congress of the Administration's intention to enter into negotiations with Japan for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments on a proposed U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement including U.S. interests and priorities, in order to develop U.S. negotiating positions. You can provide comments in writing and orally at a public hearing. Our aim in negotiations with Japan is to address both tariff and non-tariff barriers and to achieve fairer, more balanced trade.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 208 (Friday, October 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54164-54165]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23569]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

[Docket Number USTR-2018-0034]


Request for Comments on Negotiating Objectives for a U.S.-Japan 
Trade Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for comments and notice of public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On October 16, 2018, the United States Trade Representative 
notified Congress of the Administration's intention to enter into 
negotiations with Japan for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. The Office of 
the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public 
comments on a proposed U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement including U.S. 
interests and priorities, in order to develop U.S. negotiating 
positions. You can provide comments in writing and orally at a public 
hearing. Our aim in negotiations with Japan is to address both tariff 
and non-tariff barriers and to achieve fairer, more balanced trade.

DATES: 
    November 26, 2018: Deadline for the submission of written comments, 
and for written notification of your intent to testify, as well as a 
summary of your testimony at the public hearing.
    December 10, 2018: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will 
hold a public hearing beginning at 9:30 a.m., at the main hearing room 
of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington 
DC 20436.

ADDRESSES: You should submit notifications of intent to testify and 
written comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments in 
parts 2 and 3 below. For alternatives to on-line submissions, please 
contact

[[Page 54165]]

Yvonne Jamison, Trade Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395-3475.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
written comments, please contact Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475. 
Direct all other questions to David Boling, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade 
Representative for Japan, at (202) 395-5070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    The decision to launch negotiations for a U.S.-Japan Trade 
Agreement is an important step toward achieving fairer, more balanced 
trade with Japan and was preceded by bilateral consultations on trade 
under the U.S.-Japan Economic Dialogue. In April 2018, new bilateral 
trade and investment consultations were announced, led by U.S. Trade 
Representative Robert Lighthizer for the United States, in order to 
intensify engagement on bilateral trade. These consultations culminated 
in the announcement in September 2018 that the United States and Japan 
plan to enter into negotiations for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. See 
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/joint-statement-united-states-japan/.
    On October 16, 2018, following consultations with relevant 
Congressional committees, the United States Trade Representative 
informed Congress that the President intends to commence negotiations 
with Japan for a U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement.

2. Public Comment and Hearing

    The TPSC invites interested parties to submit comments and/or oral 
testimony to assist USTR as it develops its negotiating objectives and 
positions for the agreement, including with regard to objectives 
identified in section 102 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade 
Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4201). In 
particular, the TPSC invites interested parties to comment on issues 
including, but not limited to, the following:
    a. General and product-specific negotiating objectives for the 
proposed agreement.
    b. Relevant barriers to trade in goods and services between the 
United States and Japan that should be addressed in the negotiations.
    c. Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of 
removal or reduction of tariffs and removal or reduction of non-tariff 
barriers on articles traded with Japan.
    d. Treatment of specific goods (described by HTSUS numbers) under 
the proposed agreement, including comments on:
    i. Product-specific import or export interests or barriers.
    ii. Experience with particular measures that should be addressed in 
the negotiations.
    iii. Ways to address export priorities and import sensitivities in 
the context of the proposed agreement.
    e. Customs and trade facilitation issues that should be addressed 
in the negotiations.
    f. Sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to 
trade that should be addressed in the negotiations.
    g. Other measures or practices that undermine fair market 
opportunities for U.S. businesses, workers, farmers, and ranchers that 
should be addressed in the negotiations.
    USTR must receive written comments no later than Monday, November 
26, 2018. The TPSC will hold a hearing on December 10, 2018, in the 
Main Hearing Room at the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E 
Street SW, Washington DC 20436. If necessary, the hearing will continue 
on the next business day. Persons wishing to testify at the hearing 
must provide written notification of their intention by November 26, 
2018. The intent to testify notification must be made in the `type 
comment' field under docket number USTR-2018-0034 on the 
www.regulations.gov website 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 
file name 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.

3. Requirements for Submissions

    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make online 
submissions, using the www.regulations.gov website. 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) the 
`U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement.'
    To submit comments via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number 
USTR-2018-0034 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 website, please consult the resources provided on 
the website by clicking on `How to Use This Site' on the left side of 
the home page.
    The www.regulations.gov website 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 you provide comments 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 
an application other than those two, 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 also must 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 or reply 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, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
www.regulations.gov. You must make any alternative arrangements before 
transmitting a comment and in advance of the applicable deadline with 
Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475.
    USTR will place comments in the docket for public inspection, 
except business confidential information. General information 
concerning USTR is available at www.ustr.gov.

Edward Gresser,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States 
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2018-23569 Filed 10-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F9-P