Cablegate: Sri Lanka: Embassy Colombo Trade Agreement
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLM #1645 2790456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060456Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4425
INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9485
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6387
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4434
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6942
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2035
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
UNCLAS COLOMBO 001645
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS AND EB/TPP/MTA E KOCH; STATE PASS TO USTR
FOR HIRSH; COMMERCE/TCC/4110; USDA/ITP/FAS/BERTSCH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: EMBASSY COLOMBO TRADE AGREEMENT
COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING
REF: SECSTATE 152063
1. The following responds to reftel request for information
on how post is organized for trade agreement compliance and
monitoring.
A. Description of how post is currently organized for
monitoring agreements and responding to foreign trade barrier
complaints, including the establishment of teams at posts.
- The two-officer Economic and Commercial section handles all
issues related to trade agreements and trade barriers. The
Economic section chief has the lead on trade agreement
issues, including monitoring compliance. The deputy in the
section has the lead on commercial issues, including trade
barrier complaints.
B. Name of a contact person at post to coordinate post,s
periodic compliance inquires, and ensure complaints are
reported promptly to relevant Washington agencies.
- Contact person is Robert Gabor, Head of the Economic and
Commercial Affairs section. Backup is Richard Merrin,
Economic and Commercial officer.
C. Description of complaint response activities at post
including examples of recent compliance success and ongoing
compliance issues.
- Post meets with individual companies upon their request to
address trade compliance or other trade and investment
problems. Where needed, Post advocates with government
officials for resolution of such cases.
- In response to a government request for proposals for a
major procurement of equipment, Post objected directly to the
government regarding terms in the RFP which clearly favored a
particular foreign producer. Post subsequently arranged for
U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) assistance to the
host government to support re-drafting a fairly written RFP.
- In the above case, the final RFP terms were ultimately
re-written to favor the foreign producer. In light of this
case, Post frequently emphasizes that government procurement
should be transparent and competitive. Government
procurement will be an agenda topic during the upcoming round
of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks.
- IPR enforcement will be an agenda topic during the upcoming
round of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA)
talks.
D. Description of proactive monitoring efforts at post.
- Post meets regularly with representatives and members of
the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, and routinely
solicits their observations on the government,s adherence to
its trade agreement commitments.
- Post and the American Chamber of Commerce have established
an IPR working group to promote IPR awareness and
enforcement. The group meets regularly with Sri Lankan
Police, Customs, and IPR enforcement officials.
- Post works with U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to
conduct programs on IPR enforcement in Sri Lanka and to send
GSL officials to the United States for IPR training.
- Post monitors media reporting of complaints lodged by
rights holders (such as U.S. motion picture studios and
producers of brand-name garments) and follows the judicial
proceedings of cases that go to court.
BLAKE