USTR Notifies Congress of Administration's Intent to Initiate FTA Negotiations with Thailand
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that USTR Robert Zoellick formally notified Congress, on behalf of the President, of the Administration's intent to initiate negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand.
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According to his letters to Congress, the USTR states that negotiations are expected to get underway by June 2004.
Administration's Specific Objectives in Thailand FTA Negotiations
According to the USTR's letters to Congress, the Administration's specific objectives for negotiations with Thailand are as follows (partial list):
seek to eliminate tariffs and other duties and charges on trade between Thailand and the U.S. on the broadest possible basis, subject to reasonable adjustment periods for import-sensitive products;
pursue fully reciprocal access to Thailand's market for U.S. textile and apparel products;
seek rules of origin, procedures for applying these rules, and provisions to address circumvention matters that will ensure that preferential duty rates under an FTA with Thailand apply only to goods eligible to receive such treatment, etc.; and
seek to strengthen Thailand's laws and procedures to enforce intellectual property rights, etc.
USTR press release (No. 2004-10, dated 02/12/04) available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/02/04-10.pdf
USTR Zoellick's letter to the House of Representatives available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/02/2004-02-12-letter-thailand-house.pdf
USTR Zoellick's letter to the Senate available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/02/2004-02-12-letter-thailand-senate.pdf