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- The Administration also placed three additional trading partners on the "priority watch list"; these are Australia, the European Community and Saudi Arabia.
For "watch list countries":
- The Administration also announced that "out-of-cycle" reviews would be conducted with the following countries:
-- Cyprus: we seek the lifting of the suspension of criminal penalties for copyright violations. -- Italy: we seek sustained enforcement of copyright laws, introduction of legislation to increase penalties and other actions to deter piracy. -- Pakistan: we seek effective action against trademark and copyright violations (particularly regarding textile designs). -- Spain: we seek elimination of market access restrictions affecting motion pictures. -- Venezuela: we seek fulfillment of commitments to improve patent and copyright laws. - The Administration also placed twelve other trading partners on the "watch list".
Ambassador Kantor commended the progress that Greece made during the course of the past twelve months in enacting a modern copyright law, and announced the removal from the "watch list" of three countries; they are Canada, Germany and Paraguay.
- BACKGROUND: TITLE VII
Title VII of the 1988 Trade Act directs the Administration to identify, in an annual report to Congress, foreign countries that are discriminating, as defined by the statute, against U.S. goods or services in their government procurement practices. The report also provides information on countries or practices of concern, but which do not meet the statutory requirements for identification.
On the identification of Japan, Ambassador Kantor said, "Despite years of negotiations and two trade agreements, the Japanese construction market remains fundamentally closed to foreign firms. As provided under the statute, today marks the start of a 60-day consultation period, during which we will seek rectify the situation."
