I always thought of a "local content requirement" as a requirement that a producer ensure that a certain percentage of inputs in the production process come from local sources.
But USTR seems to be using the term differently:
APEC Breaking Ground on Local Content Requirements Ahead of High-Level Meetings
As part of its global initiative to address localization barriers to trade, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is leading efforts to consider the impacts of local content requirements (LCRs) on regional integration and economic growth at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum’s Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI). The CTI, meeting last week in Surabaya, Indonesia, held an in-depth discussion on LCRs, which require businesses to produce a certain level of content (materials, parts, etc.) within the country where the end product will be sold. Last week’s CTI meeting marked the first time the economies of APEC collectively addressed LCRs to gain a better understanding of how they distort trade and investment flows and decrease the competitiveness of domestic industries.
Here, they are talking about a requirement to produce locally. Isn't that a local production requirement, not a local content requirement? They are related, but slightly different. Although maybe local production requirements, depending on how they are worded, are a sub-category of local content requirements.
Very nit-picky, I know, but I just like to make sure I have my terms straight. Also, there may be different implications for the legal analysis under various WTO provisions.
