Coordinated Response on Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Fair and Resilient Trade Pillar Submitted to USTR

View the enclosed response, submitted April 11, 2022

Working with its International Policy Advisory Group (IPAG), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has submitted a coordinated response to the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Request for Comments (RFC) on the Proposed Fair and Resilient Trade Pillar of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

The RFC, published in a March 2022 Federal Register notice, is the result of an announcement from President Biden on October 27, 2021, stating that “the United States would explore with partners the development of the IPEF that will define our shared objectives around trade facilitation, standards for the digital economy and technology, supply chain resiliency, decarbonization and clean energy, infrastructure, worker standards, and other areas of shared interest.”

While USTR and the U.S. Department of Commerce will lead the IPEF's pillars on Fair and Resilient Trade; Supply Chain Resiliency; Clean Energy, Decarbonization, and Infrastructure; and Taxation and Anti-Corruption, USTR is additionally seeking public comment on “matters relevant to the Fair and Resilient Trade pillar, including U.S. interests and priorities, in order to develop U.S. negotiating objectives and positions and identify potential partners.”

ANSI requested feedback from the standardization community and IPAG, and  incorporated the comments and recommendations provided by member organizations into the final submission. ANSI’s coordinated response addresses:

• ANSI’s role in facilitating U.S. companies’ competitiveness and their access to foreign markets
• Issues related to technical barriers to trade and market-driven standardization, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) principles, flexibility for stakeholders to choose international standards from multiple sources, broader standards and regulatory harmonization in the region, and the public-private-partnership best practices in the IPEF design
• ANSI’s engagement with Indo-Pacific partners through technical assistance and capacity building programs, including Standards Alliance, the U.S.–Indo-Pacific Standards & Technology Cooperation Program (STCP), and the U.S.–India Standards and Conformance Cooperation Program (SCCP)
• Conclusion and recommendations

Read the full response, submitted on April 11, 2022.