Identification of Countries Under Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974: Request for Public Comment

Résumé

Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242), requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection. Section 182 is commonly referred to as the "Special 301" provision in the Trade Act. In addition, USTR is required to determine which of those countries should be identified as Priority Foreign Countries. On May 3, 2004, USTR announced the results of the 2004 Special 301 review and stated that an Out-of-Cycle Review (OCR) would be conducted in the summer for Israel. USTR requests written comments from the public concerning the acts, policies, and practices relevant for this review under section 182 of the Trade Act.