Notice2025-15294
Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning Russia's Implementation of Its WTO Commitments
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 12, 2025
Issuing agencies
Trade Representative, Office of United States
Abstract
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments in the preparation of its annual report to Congress on Russia's implementation of its obligations as a Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). This notice includes the schedule for the submission of comments and a public hearing.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 12, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38877-38879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15294]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket Number USTR-2025-0010]
Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning
Russia's Implementation of Its WTO Commitments
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Request for comments and notice of public hearing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is
seeking public comments in the preparation of its annual report to
Congress on Russia's implementation of its obligations as a Member of
the World Trade Organization (WTO). This notice includes the schedule
for the
[[Page 38878]]
submission of comments and a public hearing.
DATES:
October 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for submission of pre-
hearing written comments, requests to testify, and written testimony,
regarding the Russia WTO implementation report.
October 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. EDT: USTR will convene a public
hearing to receive oral testimony related to the Russia WTO
implementation report, at USTR's building located at 1724 F Street NW,
Rooms 1 & 2, Washington, DC. Please be sure to bring required
identification if you wish to attend or participate in the hearing.
ADDRESSES: USTR strongly prefers electronic submissions made through
the Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>
(<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>). Follow the instructions for submitting comments in
sections III and IV below, using docket number USTR-2025-0010. For
alternatives to on-line submissions, please contact Silvia Savich,
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Russia and Eurasia, in
advance of the relevant deadline at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6c3f05001a050d423f0d1a050f042c191f181e4209031c420b031a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e2b18b8e948b83ccb183948b818aa297919690cc878d92cc858d94">[email protected]</span></a> or
202.395.2256.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Silvia Savich, Deputy Assistant U.S.
Trade Representative for Russia and Eurasia, at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3063595c4659511e63514659535870454344421e555f401e575f46"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cc9fa5a0baa5ade29fadbaa5afa48cb9bfb8bee2a9a3bce2aba3ba">[email protected]</span></a> or 202.395.2256.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Russia became a Member of the WTO on August 22, 2012, and on
December 21, 2012, following termination of the application of the
Jackson-Vanik amendment to Russia and the extension of permanent normal
trade relations to the products of Russia, the United States and Russia
filed letters with the WTO withdrawing their notices of non-application
and consenting to have the WTO Agreement apply between them. In
accordance with Section 201(a) of the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik
Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012
(Pub. L. 112-208), USTR is required to submit annually a report to
Congress on the extent to which Russia is implementing the WTO
Agreement, including the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Measures and the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights. The report also must assess Russia's
progress on acceding to and implementing the Information Technology
Agreement (ITA) and the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). In
addition, to the extent that USTR finds that Russia is not implementing
fully any WTO agreement or is not making adequate progress in acceding
to the ITA or the GPA, USTR must describe in the report the actions it
plans to take to encourage Russia to improve its implementation and/or
increase its accession efforts. In accordance with Section 201(a), and
to assist it in preparing this year's report, USTR is soliciting public
comments. You can find last year's report on USTR's website at: <a href="https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/2024%20Report%20on%20the%20Implementation%20and%20Enforcement%20of%20Russia%E2%80%99s%20WTO%20Commitments%20final.pdf">https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/2024%20Report%20on%20the%20Implementation%20and%20Enforcement%20of%20Russia%E2%80%99s%20WTO%20Commitments%20final.pdf</a>.
The terms of Russia's accession to the WTO are contained in the
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization and the
Protocol on the Accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO
(including its annexes) (Protocol). The Report of the Working Party on
the Accession of the Russian Federation (Working Party Report) provides
detail and context to the commitments listed in the Protocol. You can
find the Protocol and Working Party Report on USTR's website at <a href="https://ustr.gov/node/5887">https://ustr.gov/node/5887</a> or on the WTO website at <a href="http://docsonline.wto.org">http://docsonline.wto.org</a>
(document symbols: WT/ACC/RUS/70, WT/MIN(11)/2, WT/MIN(11)/24, WT/L/
839, WT/ACC/RUS/70/Add.1, WT/MIN(11)/2/Add.1, WT/ACC/RUS/70/Add.2, and
WT/MIN(11)/2/Add.1.)
II. Hearing Participation
USTR will convene a public hearing to receive oral testimony
related to Russia's implementation of its WTO commitments on October
15, 2025.
To ensure participation, you must submit requests to present oral
testimony at the hearing and written testimony before midnight on
October 1, 2025, via <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, using Docket Number USTR-2025-
0010. Instructions for submission are in Sections III and IV below.
Remarks at the hearing will be limited to no more than five minutes to
allow for possible questions. Because the hearing will be public,
testimony should not include any business confidential information
(BCI).
Small businesses (generally defined by the Small Business
Administration as firms with fewer than 500 employees) or organizations
representing small business members that submit comments should self-
identify as such, so that we may be aware of issues of particular
interest to small businesses.
Written comments and/or oral testimony should address Russia's
implementation of the commitments made in connection with its accession
to the WTO, including, but not limited to, commitments in the following
areas:
a. Import regulation (e.g., tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, quotas,
import licenses).
b. Export regulation.
c. Subsidies.
d. Standards and technical regulations.
e. Sanitary and phytosanitary measures.
f. Trade-related investment measures (including local content
requirements).
g. Taxes and charges levied on imports and exports.
h. Other internal policies affecting trade (including national
treatment/MFN, subsidy commitments, and state-owned, controlled, and
trading enterprises).
i. Intellectual property rights (including intellectual property
rights enforcement).
j. Services.
k. Government procurement.
l. Rule of law issues (e.g., transparency, judicial review, uniform
administration of laws and regulations).
m. Trade facilitation.
n. Other WTO commitments.
III. Procedures for Written Submissions
To be assured of consideration, submit your pre-hearing written
comments, requests to testify, and written testimony by the October 1,
2025, 11:59 p.m. EDT deadline. All submissions must be in English. USTR
strongly encourages submissions via <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, using Docket
Number USTR-2025-0010.
To make a submission via <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, enter Docket Number USTR-
2025-0010 in the `search for' field on the home page and click
`search.' The site will provide a search results page listing all
documents associated with this docket. The site will provide a search
results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a
reference to this notice by selecting `notice' under `document type' in
the `refine documents results' section on the left side of the screen
and click the `comment' link.
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> allows users to make submissions by filling in a
`type comment' field, or by attaching a document using the `upload
file' field. USTR prefers that you provide submissions in an attached
document and note `see attached' in the comment field on the online
submission form. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.docx) or
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If you use an application other than those two,
please indicate the name of the application in the `type comment'
field.
At the beginning of your submission or on the first page (if an
attachment),
[[Page 38879]]
include the following text: (1) 2025 Russia WTO Implementation Report;
(2) your organization's name; and (3) whether the submission is a
comment, request to testify, or written testimony. Submissions should
not exceed 30 single-spaced, standard letter-size pages in 12-point
type, including attachments. Please do not attach separate cover
letters to electronic submissions; rather, include any information that
might appear in a cover letter in the submission itself. 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. You will receive a tracking number upon completion of the
submission procedure at <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>. The tracking number is
confirmation that <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> received your submission. Keep the
confirmation for your records. USTR is not able to provide technical
assistance for <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>.
For further information on using <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, please consult
the resources provided on the website by clicking on `How to Use
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>' on the bottom of the home page. USTR may not consider
submissions that you do not make in accordance with these instructions.
If you are unable to provide submissions as requested, please
contact Silvia Savich, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for
Russia and Eurasia, in advance of the deadline at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#da89b3b6acb3bbf489bbacb3b9b29aafa9aea8f4bfb5aaf4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d5e64617b646c235e6c7b646e654d787e797f2368627d236a627b">[email protected]</span></a> or 202.395.2256, to arrange for an
alternative method of transmission. USTR will not accept hand-delivered
submissions. USTR may not consider submissions that you do not make in
accordance with these instructions.
General information concerning USTR is available at <a href="http://www.ustr.gov">www.ustr.gov</a>.
IV. Business Confidential Information (BCI) Submissions
If you ask USTR to treat information you submit as BCI, you must
certify that the information is business confidential and you would not
customarily release it to the public. For any comments submitted
electronically containing BCI, the file name of the business
confidential version should begin with the characters `BCI.' You must
clearly mark any page containing BCI with `BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL' at
the top of that page. Filers of submissions containing BCI also must
submit a public version of their submission that will be placed in the
docket for public inspection. The file name of the public version
should begin with the character `P.' Follow the `BCI' and `P' with the
name of the individual or organization submitting the comments.
V. Public Viewing of Review Submissions
USTR will post written submissions in the docket for public
inspection, except properly designated BCI. You can view submissions at
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> by entering Docket Number USTR-2025-0010 in the search
field on the home page.
Edward Marcus,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2025-15294 Filed 8-11-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3390-F4-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 12, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.