VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #1645 2790456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060456Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4425
INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9485
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6387
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4434
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6942
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2035
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC

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