i2Coalition Submits Comments To USTR On Reviews Of Trade Agreement Violations

The i2Coalition has submitted public comments in response to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) request regarding the administration’s reviews and report to the president on trade agreement violations and abuses. The request is available on the federal register here. 

The request was in accordance with Executive Order 13796 of April 29, 2017 (82 FR 20819). This order “requires the United States Trade Representative and the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, to conduct comprehensive performance reviews of all bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral trade agreements and investment agreement  to which the United States is a party.” In addition, “all trade relations with countries governed by the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with which the United States does not have free trade agreements but with which the United States runs significant trade deficits in goods” are also under review.

The i2Coalition’s comments focus on intellectual property infringement disputes in relation to trade agreements and negotiations. Specifically, when conducting the performance reviews of current and future trade agreements, any review should focus on the infringement itself, and not on conduits. Doing so will help support traditional intellectual property interests without impacting the significant economic growth new technologies bring, as well as the positive trade surplus of the Internet’s infrastructure providers. The comments can be found here or embedded below.

https://i2coalition.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Request-for-Comments-Regarding-the-Administrations-Reviews-and-Report-to-the-President-on-Trade-Agreement-Violations-and-Abuses.pdf