USTR Seeks Comments for Out-of-Cycle 'Special 301' IP Review of Thailand

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments from foreign governments through Oct. 27, and from everyone else through Oct. 20, on whether and how the agency should identify Thailand based on its intellectual property protection regime or market access it provides Americans who rely on IP protection, USTR said in Thursday's Federal Register. USTR announced Sept. 15 it was starting an out-of-cycle review of Thailand’s “Special 301” status because of positive steps the country took. The agency put Thailand on the Special 301 priority watch list in its 2017 Special 301 report in April. Thailand requested the review “in light of its efforts to achieve substantial progress” in its IP regime, USTR said.