Washington, D.C. - Today, the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy ("ACIEP") presented its report regarding the 2004 U.S. Model Bilateral Investment Treaty ("BIT"). Administration is reviewing the U.S. model BIT, last updated in 2004, to ensure that it is consistent with the public interest and the overall U.S. economic agenda. USTR and the State Department co-lead the negotiation of BITs for the United States. ACIEP serves the U.S. Government in a solely advisory capacity concerning current issues and challenges in international economic policy, and the Committee agreed unanimously to forward the report to the Administration for its consideration.
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk welcomed the ACIEP's report. "The Administration appreciates the hard work of the ACIEP to provide its views on the U.S. Model BIT," Kirk said. "The report demonstrates the complex nature of the issues and their importance to a wide range of stakeholders, and the Administration will carefully consider the views set forth in the report in the course of its review."
BACKGROUND
The United States negotiates BITs on the basis of a model text, last updated in 2004. The model text may be viewed on the USTR website or the State Department website. The United States is presently a Party to BITs with 40 countries. The full list is available here.
