(3 July 2017, Washington, D.C.) The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released the 2017 “Special 301” Report, reviewing global developments on trade and intellectual property (IP) and identifying trading partners with harmful records on protection, enforcement, or market access for U.S. innovators and creators. The Report calls on U.S. trading partners to address IP-related trade barriers, with a special focus on the countries identified on the Watch List and Priority Watch List.
The 2017 Special 301 Report underscores the Administration’s key trade priority of ensuring that U.S. owners of IP have full and fair opportunity to use and profit from their IP around the globe. The theft of IP has resulted in distorted markets and unfair trade practices that harm American workers, innovators, service providers, and small and large businesses.
The Administration is committed to using all possible sources of leverage to encourage other countries to open their markets to U.S. exports of goods and services and provide adequate and effective protection and enforcement of U.S. IP rights. The Report reflects the Administration’s resolve to aggressively defend Americans from harmful IP-related trade barriers.
According to U.S. Government estimates, in total, IP-intensive industries directly and indirectly support 45.5 million American jobs, about 30 percent of all employment in the United States. By identifying the IP-related trade barriers, the Report helps focus efforts towards protecting and creating U.S. jobs, and promoting free and fair trade that benefits all Americans.
Click here to view the 2017 Special 301 Report.
Eleven (11) countries including China, India and Indonesia are on the Priority Watch List. These countries will be the subject of intense bilateral engagement during the coming year.
The announcement in full is here.
