In
recent months, specifically around the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
(TPP), I have been appalled to find much of the Democratic representation in
Congress to be of no service to constituents per displays of ignorance (willful
or not) that are ranted and raved via main stream and/or social media in
manners that, to my mind, have disrespected the dignity of the Halls of the
Senate and of the House of Representatives and have insulted the public servants
who populate those Halls in the course of the work of serving The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
I am
no stranger to advocacy, private and/or public but, typically, I prefer to keep
my criticisms of Democrats, who have stepped up and run for public office and
won, private but that has, surprisingly to me and unusual, as well, really, gotten me little to no substantial
response from the Democrats who represent me on the Hill and that has also
not been practiced many influential Democrats with access to media outlets.
So,
here I am…
publicly asking: Where is your
respect for those who serve you, serve us all, actually?
(You should feel free to comment in the comments section as I'm sure there are others who would love to know that answer to that, too!)
I
have been seriously disappointed by what appears to be last minute Democratic obstruction by talking points of the President’s efforts to move us from a “might is right” foreign policy to
a “let’s let diplomacy work,” foreign policy juxtaposed with building strong
economies with willing partners based on The Common Good on a global level with
trade policies being a primary tool of attainment by some;
I have been alarmingly
troubled by what appears to be a Utopian
call for a direct democracy, which is not our current form of government, by
some and;
I have been profoundly disturbed by what appears to be a total
disregard for our public servants from the President to the appointments and
the staff at USTR who have been charged by Democrats with working to screw the
American worker by some.
Compounding
all of that, I find myself questioning the motives of representatives in my own
Party when all I hear are primarily fanatical calls to stop progress on a
many levels with no mention of the Obama Doctrine, with no mention of
the goals and the accomplishments of the people in one of the agencies implementing said
Doctrine, with no mention of what they, as members of Congress, have done to help
them succeed and/or with no mention of the truth of the process and with few,
if any, evidence based facts.
I am not going to rant and rave and I am not going to
challenge point by point but I am going ask if you’ve read the Office of the United
States Trade Representative Fiscal Year 2015 Budget? Are you aware of the scope
of their work? Are you aware of your role in their work? Are you aware that lack
of funding impacts outcomes – negatively? Are you aware that you're constituency expects you to be aware on their behalf?
Are you?
If
you’ve not read it, you can find the document linked here and just to be on the
safe side, for those who might not click through, I am going to copy and paste
two sections of below that I hope will encourage you to click and read the
document in its entirety.
It
is not an easy document for a participating citizen to digest but I’m sure you’ll
manage – I did. Hell, I even managed to read the Affordable Care Act legislation!
And, perhaps it will prompt you to rethink
your selves and maybe even consider an apology to the public servants you have relegated
to such things soundbites and memes and fundraising e-mails to win whatever it
is you really want to win here because it is not so clear to me...
***
FISCAL YEAR 2015 GOALS AND MEASUREMENTS (P. 37-50)
USTR’s
2015 Annual Performance Goals and Measurements support the overarching
Strategic Goals and Objectives drawn from its Strategic Plan.
Goal
1: Create
and Sustain Better U.S. Jobs by Opening Foreign Markets
Consistent
with the President's trade policy agenda and with the primary goal of
supporting and sustaining well-paying American jobs, USTR will seek to support
the President’s National Export Initiative (NEI) by opening export markets
around the world and reducing trade and investment barriers and distortions by
negotiating, concluding and implementing multilateral, regional and bilateral
trade agreements, as well as by effectively representing U.S. interests in
international bodies, including those established under such agreements.
Objectives:
•
Negotiate and implement agreements that create and sustain well-paying American
jobs, advance the overall trade and economic interests of the United States,
and further the intent and objectives of U.S. trade law.
•
Integrate developing economies, economies in transition, and emerging economies
into the global rules-based trading system, encouraging key emerging economies
to take trade and investment actions consistent with their growing roles in the
global economy, while helping other economies build their capacity to realize
the full benefits of trade liberalization and protect the environment and
worker rights.
•
Effectively represent U.S. interests in international bodies that have been
established under multilateral and other international agreements to achieve
the Administration’s international trade policy goals.
Measurements:
•
Build on the results of the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia
by finding additional opportunities to revitalize the trade negotiation dimension
of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including, where possible, through
reaching agreement on trade-liberalizing elements of the Doha Development
Agenda (DDA) such as agricultural and industrial market access, and other
potential initiatives, such as a plurilateral negotiation on environmental
goods.
•
Work with WTO Members to achieve entry into force of the WTO Trade Facilitation
Agreement in 2015.
•
Conclude agreement to expand the list of products subject to duty elimination
under the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
•
Advance negotiations under the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) to open
foreign markets, create new opportunities for U.S. exporters, and encourage the
adoption of policies that promote fair and open competition in international
markets for services
.
•
Advance negotiations with the world’s largest traders of environmental goods to
eliminate tariffs on these products through a new WTO plurilateral agreement.
•
Negotiate and implement mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with select
countries to facilitate U.S. exports of telecommunications equipment.
•
Pursue negotiations to expand the list of pharmaceutical products subject to
duty elimination under the WTO Pharmaceutical Agreement.
•
Provide policy guidance and support for the ongoing committee work at the WTO
and other international organizations to effectively represent U.S. interests.
•
Conclude WTO accession agreements with candidates, including developing
countries and least developed countries that undertake trade commitments that
meet Administration priorities and are supported by the Congress.
•
Accelerate China’s accession negotiations in the WTO Government Procurement
Agreement (GPA) to support rebalancing of the U.S.-China trade relationship by
expanding U.S. sales into China’s large government procurement market.
• In
cooperation with other relevant agencies, as appropriate, work to ensure that
the WTO’s work on Aid for Trade and other activities for assisting developing
countries is aimed at mainstreaming trade into the development plans of these
countries and supports their effective participation in the trading system
while not exceeding the institutional mandate of the WTO as a trade
organization.
•
Work with existing free trade agreement (FTA) partners, including Australia,
Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman,
Panama, Peru, and Singapore, to ensure that agreements are fully and properly implemented,
and address non-compliance issues that are identified.
•
Conclude the TPP negotiations, with a high-standard, comprehensive outcome that
provides new export opportunities for U.S. agriculture and industry, promotes
U.S. services and investment objectives, protects worker rights, and enhances
environmental protection in participating countries; work with Congress to
obtain approval of the TPP Agreement; and begin the process for entry into
force of the Agreement.
•
Complete TPP intellectual property chapter and medical device and
pharmaceuticals annex negotiations consistently with U.S. goals for timing and
substance.
•
Launch bilateral engagements with TPP candidate countries, in both Asia and the
Western Hemisphere, to ascertain their interest and willingness to join a
high-standard trade agreement, thereby expanding the agreement beyond the
initial countries, further increasing benefits to the United States and
fostering regional integration.
•
Achieve through the APEC forum concrete and meaningful outcomes to address key
trade and investment barriers in the Asia-Pacific region.
•
Through APEC promote adoption of international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)
standards as well as science-based regulatory systems for agricultural
biotechnology and address common challenges.
•
Under the Expanded Economic Engagement (E3) Initiative and our Trade and
Investment Framework Arrangement with ASEAN, seek agreements and policy reforms
that expand U.S. trade and investment with this critical region, build momentum
in our engagement with ASEAN countries, and lay the groundwork for ASEAN
countries to join high-standard trade agreements such as the TPP Agreement.
•
Further strengthen U.S.-Japan trade initiatives and engagement and resolve
barriers to U.S. exports.
•
Successfully conduct negotiations with the EU on a Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (T-TIP) agreement – a comprehensive trade and investment
agreement that will open markets for U.S. goods and services and promote
significantly greater regulatory compatibility, protect worker rights, and
advance environmental goals.
• In
the course of negotiations on the T-TIP, and in parallel with those
negotiations, engage in negotiations to resolve specific agricultural bilateral
trade concerns and develop and implement with the EU joint approaches for
addressing trade-related concerns of common interest in the global trading
system.
•
Develop a strategy to foster fair trade in the North America lumber market
prior to the expiration of the U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement.
•
Further strengthen U.S.-China engagement on key trade and investment issues and
barriers to U.S. exports, working to achieve concrete and meaningful outcomes
through all appropriate fora, including through the U.S.-China Strategic and
Economic Dialogue and the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.
•
Monitor and ensure China’s full compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding
addressing the importation and distribution of films for theatrical release in
China.
•
Work to promote removal of major services sector and investment barriers in
China, particularly in financial services, including insurance services,
express delivery services, legal services; and Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) services, including value-added telecommunications services
and services supplied over the Internet.
•
Advance the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR)
through the negotiation and implementation of relevant trade agreements.
•
Negotiate new agreements that meet the Administration’s intellectual property
and innovation (IPN) trade policy objectives.
•
Advance discussions on IP negotiations in T-TIP consistent with U.S. interests.
•
Develop and execute a strategic and coordinated approach to address the growing
market access challenges posed to U.S. trade and investment interests by
localization barriers to trade.
•
Strive to successfully conclude BIT negotiations with China, India, and
Mauritius; make substantial progress in exploratory BIT discussions with
Cambodia, Gabon, Ghana and a regional investment agreement among the East
African countries; and launch new BIT negotiations with appropriate partners
consistent with Administration criteria.
•
Make substantial progress in bilateral services negotiations in connection with
Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Bosnia on accession to the WTO.
•
Make substantial progress in securing endorsement of US-EU Investment and ICT
principles by Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria.
•
Conclude or significantly advance negotiations toward an agreement with the
government of Egypt to establish customs cooperation, information-sharing and
penalty provisions related to enforcement of preference claims for textile and
apparel goods originating in the QIZs.
•
Continue to implement United States-Mongolia Transparency Agreement.
•
Initiate negotiations and conclude agreements, including bilateral trade
facilitation agreements, to reduce or eliminate specific trade or investment
barriers and distortions to goods and services, including cross-border data
flows.
•
Continue to develop cutting edge trade provisions to advance the Digital
Services agenda in TPP, the International Services Agreement, US-EU T-TIP, MENA
TIP, and among ASEAN countries.
•
Secure expanded access for U.S. food and agricultural exports to key markets
through resolution of unwarranted sanitary and phytosanitary barriers.
•
Advance negotiations on a new Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products with
Israel, which provides for significantly expanded access for U.S. food and
agricultural exports.
•
Negotiate equivalency agreements with countries that are key markets for U.S.
organic exports, promoting increased exports of U.S. organic food and
agriculture products.
•
Continue to engage in plurilateral discussions on aligning regulatory
approaches affecting trade in products derived from modern biotechnology to
facilitate trade.
•
Continue to promote job-supporting, two-way trade and investment with Brazil
through the U.S.-Brazil Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ATEC) and
its subsidiary bodies, including an Investment Dialogue and a Working Group on
IPR and Innovation.
• In
partnership with other agencies, such as the Small Business Administration,
encourage SMEs to expand trade through new and existing trade policy
initiatives.
•
Provide policy guidance and support for multilateral trade negotiations or in
other contexts on market access commitments affecting the textile and apparel
sector worldwide, to provide new export opportunities for U.S. industry.
•
Continue to engage key trade partners and stakeholders on ways to improve
worker rights and working conditions in our inter-connected global economy.
•
Improve worker rights and the enforcement of labor laws by U.S. trade partners
by negotiating strong labor provisions in the TPP and other relevant trade
agreements and building the capacity of our trading partners to fully implement
those commitments.
• In
cooperation with other relevant agencies, design and implement environmental
cooperation mechanisms with FTA partners to enhance implementation of FTA
environment commitments, and negotiate and conclude trade-related environmental
agreements that increase the capacity of developing countries to protect the
environment.
•
Work towards implementation of APEC commitments to reduce applied tariffs to no
more than five percent on APEC-agreed list of 54 environmental goods.
•
Continue work in APEC to address non-tariff barriers that distort trade and
investment in environmental goods and services.
•
Negotiate trade disciplines in FTAs to support environmental conservation
objectives, including with respect to ocean, wildlife, and forestry issues.
•
Continue to negotiate disciplines on fisheries subsidies in FTAs, and build on
results of such negotiations to further advance regional and multilateral
action in this area, including in APEC and the WTO.
•
Continue work in the APEC Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade
to identify cooperative actions and activities to combat illegal forest
products trade that can help support our TPP proposals and commitments in this
area.
•
Continue to engage with China and Indonesia under our bilateral MOUs on
combating illegal logging and associated trade.
•
Partner with State, EPA, and other agencies to support multilateral work on
trade and climate change in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment, and to
ensure outcomes under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other
multilateral environmental agreements are consistent with U.S. trade policy.
• Participate
in implementation of the national strategy to combat wildlife trafficking and
to stem illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products pursuant to the July 1,
2013 Presidential Executive Order on “Combating Wildlife Trafficking”.
•
Engage trading partners on trade in used electronics, including through the
electronics stewardship initiative in APEC.
•
Launch, negotiate, conclude, or put into effect TIFAs with strategically
important areas, such as South Asia, and other appropriate countries that expand
opportunities for U.S. exports.
•
Intensify engagement with Indonesia through the United States-Indonesia TIFA to
support the development in Indonesia of trade policies consistent with the
requirements of the multilateral trading system and address the growing number
of trade and investment irritants.
•
Launch bilateral initiatives to expand trade and investment, encourage reform,
and promote inclusive economic growth in Burma following agreement on a TIFA in
2013.
•
Pursue negotiations and other efforts to implement the Trade and Investment
Partnership Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to include
agreements or other arrangements covering investment, information and
communication technology, trade facilitation, agriculture, services and other
areas, and trade capacity building to enable effective implementation of this
initiative.
•
Utilize the U.S.-Turkey Strategic Framework and newly-established High Level
Committee to promote U.S.-Turkey trade and investment and to support trade and
investment integration in the MENA region.
•
Host a leadership summit in 2014 with African heads of state that promotes the
U.S. trade agenda, including promotion of U.S. exports and investment, supports
regional economic integration and Africa’s goals for a continent wide free
trade area, and encourages trade and economic reforms that promote African
growth and development.
•
Advance President Obama’s Trade Africa initiative, including an exploration of
an investment treaty, cooperation on trade facilitation, SPS and TBT, a
U.S.-EAC commercial dialogue, creation of a new Trade and Investment Center in
East Africa, and a partnership with other donors to support regional economic
integration in East Africa.
•
Conduct a comprehensive review of the AGOA which expires in 2015 to ensure that
any future AGOA program works effectively to benefit both sub-Saharan Africa
and the United States. Use the results of this review to inform consultations
with Congress on renewal options for the AGOA program.
•
Working closely with other USTR offices and the interagency, look for
opportunities to increase U.S. market access in important sub-Saharan markets,
particularly as the EU and other developed partners work to gain reciprocal
market access to African markets for their products.
•
Complete negotiations of a U.S.-ECOWAS Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
•
Implement an outreach program to promote trade and investment opportunities in
support of the PPD on sub-Saharan Africa and the Doing Business in Africa
(DBIA) Campaign, including working with industry associations and business
groups and participating in private sector roundtables and conferences.
•
Work with U.S. Government agencies that provide or fund trade capacity building
assistance to ensure that their assistance programs assist developing countries
to integrate more fully into the global trading system and, in cooperation with
other relevant agencies, work with other donor countries and international
institutions to make the most coherent and effective use of scarce resources.
•
Work with Congress to consider possible reforms or revisions to the GSP program
to take into account evolving global trade relations, including the growing
competitiveness of many emerging market GSP beneficiaries.
•
Provide timely advice and analysis to support active USTR participation in OPIC
Committee.
•
Advance U.S. interests in the development and adoption of standards in the
Codex Alimentarius Commission that facilitate trade in U.S. food and
agricultural products.
•
Work to ensure that other institutions that may engage on issues related to
trade (WIPO, WFP, UNCTAD, OECD, WHO, OAS, and IDB) promote U.S. policies and
objectives.
•
Work with the World Bank, IMF, OECD, and other international institutions to
further Aid for Trade initiatives and promote U.S. trade objectives in the WTO.
Goal
2:
Create and Sustain Better U.S. Jobs by Monitoring and Enforcing U.S. Rights
Consistent
with the President's trade policy agenda, and with a primary goal of creating
and sustaining well-paying American jobs, USTR will closely monitor and
vigorously enforce U.S. rights under trade agreements to maximize their
benefits for American workers, farmers, ranchers, producers, innovators,
service providers, and investors, and address foreign trade and investment
barriers, including through U.S. trade laws that USTR administers.
Objectives:
•
Effectively utilize USTR and other U.S. government resources to monitor unfair
foreign trade barriers and practices, as well as compliance by trading partners
with U.S. trade agreements.
•
Vigorously deploy all available tools to enforce U.S. rights under trade
agreements, to ensure that these agreements meet their potential to create and
sustain well-paying American jobs.
•
Engage stakeholders to collaborate with USTR on enforcement issues.
Measurements:
•
Administer, monitor and enforce our trading partners’ implementation of their
obligations under the WTO Agreement and other trade and investment agreements,
including implementing and enforcing high labor and environment standards and
protecting IPRs in foreign markets.
•
Identify new disputes to be pursued under WTO and/or FTA dispute settlement
procedures or under U.S. trade statutes, including barriers to U.S. exports due
to lack of transparency, use of border measures, localization measures
discriminating against imported goods, and lack of science-based rule-making
processes.
•
Vigorously pursue existing trade disputes to ensure timely resolution. Through
prudent management of personnel and disputes, utilize existing USTR resources
effectively to maximize the likelihood of positive outcomes vindicating U.S.
rights.
•
Where positive outcomes have been achieved in offensive disputes, closely
monitor trading partners’ actions to ensure full implementation. Where the
United States is found not to have complied with trade obligations, work to
achieve implementation and avoid possible countermeasures on U.S. exports,
consistent with U.S. and Administration objectives.
•
Employ WTO and other trade agreement committees, bilateral engagement, and
dispute settlement as appropriate to resolve identified breaches of U.S. trade
agreements.
•
Use WTO bodies to help ensure other members’ compliance with obligations by
pressing for timely compliance with notification requirements in the agreements
to identify possible problems and by using meetings of these bodies to raise
questions about the practices of Members and create pressure to comply.
•
Review implementation of WTO, regional and bilateral trade agreements,
particularly through the preparation of the Annual Report of the President on
the Trade Agreements Program, the National Trade Estimate Report, and the
reports on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures and Technical Barriers to
Trade (TBT) and identify strategies for resolving implementation problems.
•
Solicit public comment on WTO dispute settlement proceedings to ensure that
USTR officials can develop U.S. positions and arguments based on all relevant
available information.
•
Provide public access to U.S. submissions to WTO adjudicatory bodies so that
stakeholders and interested members of the public may provide relevant input.
•
Conduct comprehensive annual Section 1377 review of telecom barriers promoting
progress in removal of major foreign barriers impeding market access of U.S.
telecommunications goods and services suppliers. Maintain effort to promote
elimination of internet blocking.
•
Consult regularly with other agencies, stakeholders, Congress and foreign
officials to obtain information on new barriers to trade with bilateral and
regional partners.
•
Analyze and respond appropriately to petitions filed for action against
perceived unfair trade barriers.
•
Work to ensure that each of our FTAs continue to have the necessary rosters for
panelists to participate in consultation and dispute settlement procedures
under the relevant agreement.
•
Conduct meaningful reviews of FTA implementation in connection with the Joint
Committee or Joint Commission meetings under each FTA.
•
Monitor implementation of each of our FTAs to ensure full compliance with all
FTA and related commitments.
•
Continue to work with industry, Congress and Customs and Border Protection to
address industry concerns about the effectiveness of Customs enforcement of our
trade agreements, in order to insure the integrity of agreement commitments.
•
Continue to build a strong ITEC organization to carry out the directives of the
Executive Order, including obtaining additional staff with varied and
appropriate expertise in a variety of trade disciplines and with appropriate
language skills.
•
Refine procedures to coordinate even more closely, efficiently, and effectively
ITEC with other offices within USTR. Continue to find ways to supplement and
complement, without duplicating, the work of other USTR offices.
•
Expand interagency contacts and coordination, identify and locate appropriate
interagency expertise for ITEC regarding various matters of interest, and
create and integrate staffing mechanisms to simplify sharing of interagency
expertise.
•
Identify issues for priority research and evaluation regarding potential
disputes and in support of negotiations, and systematize processes for sharing
the results of those efforts with appropriate interagency personnel.
•
Identify priority issues for research and monitoring where negotiation or
dispute settlement is not contemplated in the very short term.
•
Consider and address enforcement concerns that affect small and medium sized enterprises.
•
Use all appropriate tools to deliver the full benefit of IPR provisions of
existing FTAs and other trade agreements to stakeholders. Priorities include
the agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama (including obligations with
transition periods) as well as progress on outstanding implementation issues
under other FTAs and issue-specific agreements (China/films, etc.).
•
Further strengthen U.S.-China engagement on key trade and investment issues and
barriers to U.S. exports, working to achieve concrete and meaningful outcomes
through all appropriate fora, including through the U.S.-China Strategic and
Economic Dialogue and the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.
•
Complete the annual Report to Congress on China's WTO Compliance.
•
Seek meaningful progress with China on IPR and innovation issues, and related
market access concerns, in line with Administration objectives.
•
Continue to research, as a priority matter, China’s support for the textile and
apparel industries, with a view to assessing China’s compliance with its WTO
obligations, including with assistance and input from industry.
•
Continuing to monitor and research policy support measures for the textile
sector, in particular by other large textile producing and exporting countries,
to insure compliance with WTO or other international agreements, with a view to
resolving potential conflicts.
•
Develop and implement new, and use existing, mechanisms to monitor Russia’s
compliance with its WTO obligations and take action as necessary to ensure U.S.
exports are treated consistently with WTO obligations.
•
Continue to work with Brazil to find a mutually agreeable solution to the WTO
dispute on Cotton.
•
Continue vigorous U.S. participation in the WTO TRIMs Committee as well as
bilateral efforts to promote elimination of local content measures in Nigeria,
Indonesia, Brazil, China, and India.
•
Continue to make regular use of bilateral and multilateral fora, including WTO
committees and, where appropriate, dispute settlement, to remove India’s
localization barriers to trade especially in the clean energy, healthcare and
ICT sectors.
•
Press for implementation of the government of India’s plan to gradually
eliminate export subsidies in India’s textiles sector by 2014 as required by
the WTO SCM Agreement.
•
Ensure greater market access for U.S. companies in South and Central Asia,
focus on the elimination of localization requirements and ensure compliance
with WTO obligations for Members and countries in the accession process.
•
Use FTA mechanisms to ensure compliance with FTA and WTO obligations in the
MENA region.
•
Coordinate with other U.S. agencies, particularly the Departments of Labor and
State, to prioritize opportunities to engage with countries such as China,
Brazil, India and countries in the Middle East
bilaterally
and through multilateral fora to improve respect for worker rights, including
by advancing efforts to reform labor laws, improve labor institutional
capacity, and to monitor working conditions.
•
Work closely with our inter-agency partners, including the Departments of State
and Labor, to prioritize, monitor, and engage our trade partners to meet worker
rights criteria of our trade preference programs. In particular, actively work
with Jordan and Colombia on the continued implementation of their Labor Action
Plans, with Guatemala to implement the Labor Enforcement Plan in the context of
the dispute settlement case, and with Bahrain, the Dominican Republic,
Honduras, Mexico and others on current labor submissions under the trade
agreements, and continue our worker rights reviews under GSP and AGOA with the
Philippines, Swaziland, Niger and others. Continue to work with Bangladesh on
implementation of the GSP Action Plan, which USTR provided to the government of
Bangladesh. In each of these cases, our goal is to assist countries to resolve
the labor matters raised so that workers are able to exercise their rights and
working conditions are improved.
•
Engage key trade partners and stakeholders on ways to improve worker rights and
working conditions in our inter-connected global economy in order to ensure a
level playing field for U.S. workers and that the benefits of trade are widely
shared.
•
Lead a robust interagency process for monitoring implementation of FTA environment
obligations across all FTA partners, including by implementation of the
interagency-agreed monitoring and enforcement plan.
•
Convene environmental affairs councils and related fora under FTAs to engage
with FTA partners at senior levels on specific implementation issues.
•
Continue to work closely with the Government of Peru to ensure the implementing
regulations of its new Forestry and Wildlife Law are promulgated and continue
to support implementation of the Peru FTA Forest Annex.
•
Continue to work closely with the Government of Peru and the Interagency
Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru to implement the January 2013
bilateral Action Plan, and to monitor other developments relevant to
implementation of Peru’s obligations under the Peru FTA Environment Chapter and
Forest Annex.
•
Utilize high-level bilateral discussions, including through strategic dialogues
and at TIFA Council meetings, to address trade barriers identified with various
bilateral and regional partners.
•
Use all appropriate tools to press for wins on bilateral IPR issues wherever
possible. Major countries of concern include, in addition to China, all
countries on Special 301 Priority Watch List and those with major pending IP
legislation or regulations such as Brazil.
•
Issue a timely, high-quality report to Congress, backed by year-round
engagement with trading partners, on adequacy and effectiveness of IPR
protection and enforcement. Continue improvements to the Special 301 process
(e.g., hearings, notorious markets out-of-cycle review (OCR)). Use the
“notorious markets” OCR to encourage reform by non-state actors.
•
Apply U.S. trade preference programs in a manner that contributes to economic
development in beneficiary countries while addressing issues such as progress
on worker rights and enforcement of intellectual property rights through annual
reviews of GSP product and country practice petitions, and the annual AGOA
country eligibility review process.
•
Continue USTR leadership role in CFIUS Committee in ensuring CFIUS decisions
are consistent with the United States’ open investment policy.
•
Continue to provide significant research, analysis and support to OGC, regional
offices, and State Department regarding NAFTA Chapter 11, FTA disputes and BIT
investor state arbitrations.
•
Maintain a significant role in the interagency process in raising concerns
regarding potential adverse impacts of proposed cybersecurity-related
legislation and policy on U.S. trade and investment interests.
Goal
3:
Develop Strategic and Transparent Policy
Consistent
with the President's trade policy agenda, USTR will consult with the Congress,
communicate with a wide range of stakeholders, including state and local
government officials, and lead interagency trade and investment policy
coordination to obtain broad-ranging input, provide accountability, and develop
sound, strategic U.S. trade policies.
Objectives:
•
Expand and broaden the existing coalition with Congress, interested
stakeholders, state and local governments, and the public to inform and
strengthen the U.S. trade agenda, develop Administration trade policies and
initiatives, advance key trade legislation, including Congressional approval of
Trade Promotion Authority.
•
Foster a robust advisory committee system by appointing, consulting and
engaging with an active group of advisors.
•
Educate the public on the Advisory Committee system and their role within trade
policy.
•
Employ constructive, consensus-building interagency coordination in the Trade
Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) and the Trade Policy Review Group (TPRG).
Measurements:
•
Work with the Congress on legislative initiatives, including providing advice
on trade aspects of proposed legislation, to help ensure consistency with U.S.
international obligations, implement our trade agreements, and advance U.S.
policies as they are developed.
•
Work with U.S. development agencies and other government agencies so that
appropriate assistance programs are in place to support trade agreements and
key trade legislation.
•
Consult broadly and intensively with Congressional committees of jurisdiction
and Congressional Advisors on pending trade policy issues and initiatives. Keep
committees abreast of key issues, opportunities, and constraints in trade negotiations.
Keep committees updated on the positions of our negotiating partners.
•
Consult regularly with Congress and stakeholders on developments regarding the
TPP agreement, including potential new participants in the agreement.
•
Consult with Congress and other stakeholders on new ways to expand trade and
investment with the European Union, including addressing issues of common
concern in third countries.
•
Report on the results of monitoring Russia’s compliance with international
trade obligations.
•
Consult with Congress and other stakeholders to develop and implement new
initiatives for trade and investment integration with and within the MENA
region.
•
Hold conferences with U.S. and Indian States and Central/Federal governments
regarding U.S.-South and Central Asia trade and investment issues.
•
Maintain close collaboration with Congressional trade committees, the Trade and
Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC), and other stakeholders in
developing U.S. negotiating positions on trade and environment matters,
including in the T-TIP negotiations, APEC and WTO initiatives, and relevant UN
processes.
•
Consult with TEPAC and other stakeholders on issues related to the
implementation of environmental obligations in existing FTAs, as well as in implementation
of the TPP agreement.
•
Ensure that meetings of environmental affairs councils and related fora under
FTAs include sessions open to the public, and provide for public input for the
agendas of these public sessions.
•
Consult broadly with Congress and other stakeholders to develop a
U.S.-sub-Saharan Africa trade partnership beyond AGOA preferences, including
exploring possible new models for agreements with African regional economic
communities (RECs) or with the proposed Continental Free Trade Area of Africa.
In that context, work with Congress to amend and ultimately extend AGOA to
enhance the U.S.-Africa economic relationship and support Africa’s development
in line with the Presidential Directive on Development.
•
Build support for trade agreements through existing pro-trade congressional
coalitions and caucuses.
•
Advise agencies and Congress on trade policy implications of relevant domestic
or international cases, laws, and policies.
•
Continue to consult regularly with interested stakeholders on trade
negotiations, trade agreement implementation, and other issues.
•
Monitor and participate in international negotiations led by other agencies on
any topics (e.g., biodiversity, traditional knowledge, climate change, and
pharmaceuticals/health) where proposed inclusion of IP language implicates
trade policy.
•
Monitor international negotiations led by other agencies where services and
investment issues may arise.
•
Convene regular advisory committee meetings and briefings as needed in
coordination with other relevant agencies.
•
Ensure timely re-chartering of committees and appointment of members and ensure
that committees meet statutory reporting requirements.
•
Ensure that the advisory committee system meets the needs of the 21st century
economy and the U.S. national economic interest, by seeking advisory input on
an ongoing basis as issues arise and posting documents for comment to the
Secured Advisory Committee Website.
•
Engage the committees to assist in supporting the trade agenda and provide them
with regular informative updates on USTR issues and activities.
•
Expand the membership and strengthen the effectiveness of the Trade Advisory
Committee on Africa (TACA) to provide relevant advice on enhancing the
U.S.-Africa trade and investment relationship.
•
Effectively utilize the NSC Deputies and sub-Deputies process to ensure USTR
leadership on key Administration trade policy goals and initiatives.
•
Seek to resolve inter-agency trade policy issues at the TPSC level whenever
possible, and in a timely manner, reserving only complex or sensitive decisions
for resolution in the TPRG (deputy head of agency level).
•
Contribute to informed policy making by means of a thorough and up-to-date
understanding of the positions of other countries/entities based on direct
contacts, input from U.S. diplomatic posts, and other sources.
•
Ensure that the Annual Report of the President on the Trade Agreements Program,
National Trade Estimates Report, including the TBT and SPS Reports, reports on
telecommunications issues, special 301, and other reports required by statute
are developed in a transparent manner, with opportunity for input from the
public at large as well as stakeholders and Members of Congress, and accurately
reflect the issues that are raised.
•
Strategically select cities and organizations for trade speeches to demonstrate
the importance of trade to the local economy.
•
Conduct further outreach to U.S. states planning official visits and trade
missions to India.
•
Work closely with the Africa office to find ways to further promote use of
AGOA. Continue our work with the South and Central Asia to examine the options
for programs to help create opportunities for textile and apparel production
within conflict areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
•
Further promote Haiti/Hope/Help by working to arrange a high-profile USTR trip
to Haiti to focus attention on the opportunities provided by those programs,
including opportunities for U.S. exports. Take the lead in providing policy
advice and assistance in support of any Congressional initiatives to reform or
reexamine preference programs which have an impact on the textile and apparel
sector.
• In
collaboration with the ILO, work with of Jordan to improve working conditions
in apparel factories in the QIZs.
Goal
4:
Effectively Communicate Trade’s Benefits
To
ensure the advancement of the President’s trade policy agenda, USTR will
communicate the benefits of international trade and international investment to
domestic and foreign audiences, thereby building public understanding of
trade’s positive impact on economic growth, and support for additional jobs,
and for opening markets around the world to trade and foreign investment.
Objectives:
•
Create and implement a USTR-wide, proactive communications strategy to explain
the job-creating, economy-enhancing benefits of trade to domestic
constituencies and stakeholders.
•
Enhance outreach to state and local governments on the benefits of trade,
particularly those benefits that flow from FTAs and membership in the WTO.
•
Work with the White House and with agency partners to implement an
Administration-wide message on the benefits of international trade.
•
Communicate, in consultation with other agencies, the Congress and interested
stakeholders, the Administration’s unified message to foreign countries and
their citizens explaining the benefits of trade with the United States, in
order to build support for U.S. trade policies and initiatives.
•
Inform stakeholders, state and local leaders of USTR’s efforts to monitor
unfair foreign trade barriers and practices, as well as compliance by trading
partners with U.S. trade agreements.
•
Communicate success to various stakeholders, including state and local elected
officials.
Measurements:
•
Work with other trade agencies, Congressional trade committees, and interested
stakeholders to communicate the benefits of free trade and other agreements to
the Congress, interested stakeholders, state and local governments, and the
public.
•
Work with the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees to develop a
strategy focusing on communicating the benefits of trade.
•
Anticipate the need for and prepare press statements and press events to
counter attacks on a liberalized trade policy.
•
Survey external research to gauge baseline of current public perceptions of
trade and adjust USTR’s messaging strategy and develop trade education
materials.
•
Organize press events around high profile trade liberalization achievements.
• Develop
talking points, fact sheets, press releases, electronic newsletters and
internet strategy to explain the advantages of trade.
•
Build network of private and non-governmental organizations and coordinate
messaging on the benefits of trade.
•
Establish a stronger state-level network of interested stakeholders and work
with this network to offer opportunities for information exchange and trade
education through USTR participation in conferences and external speaking
engagements.
•
Develop and distribute educational materials based on available state and local
trade export data to interested stakeholders, state representatives and local
networks, and seek improved state-level data.
•
Coordinate press statements with interested agencies and the White House in
order to present coherent and mutually reinforcing trade information to the
public.
•
Create an informal trade communications working group that meets periodically
to examine trade messaging and opportunities for interagency and White House
coordination.
•
Build relationships with foreign media and place press statements and attend
press events that build support for free and fair trade in key foreign
countries.
•
Identify foreign constituencies that may be receptive to information regarding
the benefits, including environmental and social benefits, of free and fair
trade.
•
Work with USTR’s public affairs counterparts in foreign governments to
coordinate a communications strategy to advance trade negotiations and to
explain trade disputes.
• Continue
to conduct outreach to the public and to expand interagency coordination of
enforcement efforts.
•
Through cooperation with agencies at the U.S. Export Assistance Centers
(USEACs), other key agencies and stakeholders, work to advance the goals of the
NEI to increase U.S. exports, including through efforts to educate U.S.
businesses – especially SMEs – about global trade opportunities.
•
Identify ways to engage SMEs regarding trade, including through law-related
groups.
•
Ensure full integration of services and investment trade policy goals into
USTR’s strategy for communicating trade benefits.
•
Plan and organize press events hosted by USTR officials and Members of Congress
during trade negotiations in Washington as well as at other negotiating sites
in the United States and abroad.
•
Continue to make the case in speeches and other public events that our trade
agreements and initiatives can and should be part of the solution to urgent
international trade-related environmental challenges, including through our
innovative TPP and T-TIP environment outcomes and proposals and other U.S.
initiatives.
•
Present and discuss evolving U.S. trade and investment policies in the EU, and
the MENA region in business conferences and widely attended meetings of key
private sector stakeholder organizations and relevant embassies.
•
Prepare senior USTR official for public presentation and press interviews on
U.S.-India trade and investment issues during trip to India.
•
Continue outreach efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan to explain U.S.
preference programs and encourage better utilization.
•
Encourage greater coordination and collaboration on trade and investment
decision-making in Central and South Asia.
•
Following up on our participation with OTEXA in the America’s Sourcing Pavilion
at the August MAGIC apparel show, we plan to implement a newly enhanced
outreach program to SMEs in order to promote export and production
opportunities in CAFTA-DR, NAFTA, Peru and Colombia for the textile and yarn
industries.
•
Closely collaborate with industry and other offices and Departments to monitor
trade actions taken by partner countries on textiles and apparel to ensure that
such actions are taken consistent with trade agreement obligations and do not
impede U.S. export opportunities.
•
Continue to work with industry to promote export and other opportunities under
our free trade agreements, including through Magic, American Apparel and
Footwear Association, U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel, TPP
Apparel Coalition, Outdoor Industries Association, Southern Textile
Association, National Council of Textile Organizations, American Manufacturing
Trade Action Coalition, California Fashion Association, Los Angeles textile
Show, Los Angeles Apparel Mart, Texworld, Primesource, and other associations
and events.
•
Continue outreach to AGOA Coalition and other key stakeholders, and as part of
the Administration’s newly launched Doing Business in Africa campaign (an
outgrowth of the PPD), broaden our outreach to the private sector (especially
SMEs), diaspora organizations and businesses, and others to ensure that they
are well informed about the elements of the PPD, its implications for U.S.
trade policy with sub-Saharan Africa, and the growing opportunities for
mutually beneficial U.S.-Africa ventures.
• We
will also use domestic and foreign travel by our senior leadership to further
highlight the goals of the PPD to our African partners and advance PPD-related
initiatives such as the Trade Africa and the U.S.-EAC Trade and Investment
Partnership.
•
Continue to update and implement USTR’s Open Government Plan.
•
Respond appropriately and timely to all statutory requests, such as Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) inquiries and Government Accountability Office (GAO)
investigations/reports.
Goal
5:
Achieve Organizational Excellence
Consistent
with the President’s goals for his entire Administration, USTR will provide the
administrative processes and infrastructure that will strengthen USTR's ability
to perform its core functions at the highest level of excellence, with the most
qualified individuals possible, establishing a workplace that promotes
diversity, initiative, creativity and productivity through the enhancement of
human capital through recruitment, promotion and retention initiatives, and
professional development and training opportunities.
Objectives:
•
Implement a security program that provides a high-degree of protection for USTR
personnel, facilities and sensitive information.
•
Manage resources to maximize USTR future capabilities.
•
Manage USTR more efficiently and effectively.
•
Provide facilities that help USTR staff become more productive.
•
Install information technology and communications systems that increase USTR’s
productivity.
•
Implement a human capital management program designed to help USTR accomplish
its mission.
Measurements:
•
Implement a comprehensive information security program that meets E.O. 13526
and ISOO Directive One.
•
Implement a physical security program that meets HSPD-12.
•
Develop procedures to protect USTR personnel in high threat situations and
environments and provide appropriate level of protection for the USTR office
complex.
***
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013 (P. 51-73)
(Just kidding, I'm not going to give you the whole section ... just the introduction paragraphs, you can go to the document for the rest of it. Just don't miss the point, okay, there's way too much work here being done by way too many people for it to be just some one's talking point!)
I.
Introduction
This
section represents the Annual Performance Report for the Office of the United
States Trade Representative (USTR). It has been developed to carry out USTR’s
obligations under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and to help
the agency measure its performance for FY 2013. This report is produced with
input from the Assistant U.S. Trade Representatives and other senior agency officials.
Non-Federal entities did not provide input into this report.
Further
information on all accomplishments will be available in the 2014 Trade Policy
Agenda and the 2013 Annual Report of the President of the United States on the
Trade Agreements Program that will be published in March 2014 and available at
http://www.ustr.gov. The Mission Statement and Strategic Goals were published
in the Strategic Plan issued in 2013. The FY 2013 – FY 2017 Strategic Plan is
developed in accordance with revisions made by Congress to the GPRA by the GPRA
Modernization Act of 2010 and is available at http://www.ustr.gov.
II.
Mission Statement
USTR
seeks to contribute to U.S. economic growth, competitiveness and prosperity by
opening markets and reducing trade and investment barriers around the world to
create new commercial opportunities for U.S goods and services industries,
workers, ranchers, and farmers.
III.
Summary of Strategic Goals
G., aka Partisan Democrat
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