SRI LANKA: EMBASSY COLOMBO TRADE AGREEMENT

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