Notice2026-17820
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
September 1, 2026
Issuing agencies
Trade Representative, Office of United States
Abstract
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments to assist 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 for the Russia report and a public hearing.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 168 (Tuesday, September 1, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56275-56276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17820]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket Number USTR-2026-0497]
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.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is
seeking public comments to assist 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 for the Russia report and a
public hearing.
DATES: October 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EDT: Deadline for submission of
written comments, requests to testify, and written testimony.
October 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. EDT: USTR will convene a public
hearing to receive oral testimony at USTR's offices 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="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
(<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>). Follow the instructions for submitting written
comments, requests to testify, and written testimony in sections III
and IV below, using Docket Number USTR-2026-0497. 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#74271d18021d155a2715021d171c34010700065a111b045a131b02"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="287b41445e4149067b495e414b40685d5b5c5a064d4758064f475e">[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#f4a79d98829d95daa795829d979cb481878086da919b84da939b82"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ddee4e1fbe4eca3deecfbe4eee5cdf8fef9ffa3e8e2fda3eae2fb">[email protected]</span></a> or (202) 395-2256.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Russia became a Member of the WTO on August 22, 2012. 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/files/Countries%20and%20Regions/Russia/Russia%20WTO%20Implementation%20Report%202025%20final.pdf">https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Countries%20and%20Regions/Russia/Russia%20WTO%20Implementation%20Report%202025%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="https://docsonline.wto.org">https://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
14, 2026.
To ensure participation, you must submit requests to present oral
testimony at the hearing and written testimony by 11:59 p.m. EDT on
October 1, 2026, via <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, using Docket Number USTR-2026-
0497.
[[Page 56276]]
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 from the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC).
Because it is a public hearing, 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. Trading rights.
b. Import regulation (e.g., tariffs, tariff-rate quotas, quotas,
import licenses, trade facilitation).
c. Export regulation.
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, Most-Favored-Nation treatment, 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) and the status of legal reform.
m. Other WTO commitments.
III. Procedures for Written Submissions
To be assured of consideration, submit your written comments,
requests to testify, and written testimony by the October 1, 2026,
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-2026-0497.
To make a submission via <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, enter Docket Number USTR-
2026-0497 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. 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 on
the link entitled ``comment.''
<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, in such cases, that you write ``see attached'' in the
``type comment'' field on the online submission form. USTR prefers
submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. 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), include the following text: (1) 2026 Russia WTO
Implementation Report; (2) your organization's name; and (3) whether
the submission is a written 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, exhibits, annexes, or other
attachments to electronic submissions. Rather, include any such items
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#3b6852574d525a15685a4d5258537b4e484f49155e544b155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="085b61647e6169265b697e616b60487d7b7c7a266d6778266f677e">[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-2026-0497 in the search
field on the home page.
Mark DiPlacido,
Chair of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2026-17820 Filed 8-31-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3390-F4-P
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