Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Request for Public Comments on the Possible Withdrawal or Suspension of GSP Benefits With Respect to Romania, 45080-45081 [E6-12833]

Download as PDF jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES 45080 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 152 / Tuesday, August 8, 2006 / Notices this notice. Hand-delivered submissions will not be accepted. These submissions should be single-copy transmissions in English with the total submission, including attachments, not to exceed 30 single-spaced standard letter-size pages using 12-point font. E-mail submissions should use the following subject line: ‘‘2006 GSP Eligibility and CNL Waiver Review’’. Comments on CNL waivers should include the 8-digit tariff number of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Documents must be submitted in English in one of the following formats: MSWord (.DOC), WordPerfect (.WPD), or text (.TXT) files. Documents may not be submitted as electronic image files or contain imbedded images (for example, ‘‘.JPG’’, ‘‘.TIF’’, ‘‘.PDF’’, ‘‘.BMP’’, or ‘‘.GIF’’). Supporting documentation submitted as spreadsheets are acceptable as Excel files, formatted for printing on 81⁄2 × 11 inch paper. To the extent possible, any data attachments to the submission should be included in the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate files. If the submission contains business confidential information, a nonconfidential version of the submission must also be submitted that indicates where confidential information was redacted by inserting asterisks where material was deleted. In addition, the confidential submission must be clearly marked ‘‘Business Confidential’’ at the top and bottom of each page of the document. The non-confidential version must also be clearly marked at the top and bottom of each page (either ‘‘Public Version’’ or ‘‘Non-Confidential’’). Documents that are submitted without any marking will be considered public documents. For any document containing business confidential information submitted as an electronic attached file to an e-mail transmission, the file name of the business confidential version should begin with the characters ‘‘BC-’’, and the file name of the public version should begin with the characters ‘‘P-’’. The ‘‘ P-’’ or ‘‘BC-’’ should be followed by the name of the party (government, company, union, association, etc.) making the submission. E-mail submissions should not include separate cover letters or messages in the message area of the e-mail; information that might appear in any cover letter should be included directly in the attached file containing the submission itself, including the sender’s e-mail address and other identifying information. The e-mail address for these submissions is FR0052@USTR.EOP.GOV. Documents VerDate Aug<31>2005 20:06 Aug 07, 2006 Jkt 208001 not submitted in accordance with these instructions might not be considered in this review. If unable to provide submissions by e-mail, please contact the GSP Subcommittee to arrange for an alternative method of transmission. Public versions of all documents relating to this review will be available for review approximately two weeks after the due date by appointment in the USTR public reading room, 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC. Appointments may be made from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, by calling (202) 395–6186. Marideth J. Sandler, Executive Director for the GSP Program, Chairman, GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee. [FR Doc. E6–12870 Filed 8–7–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3190–W6–P OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Request for Public Comments on the Possible Withdrawal or Suspension of GSP Benefits With Respect to Romania Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice and solicitation of public comment. AGENCY: SUMMARY: As part of an ongoing country practice review, the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is considering whether to recommend that duty-free treatment accorded to imports from Romania under the U.S. GSP program be withdrawn or suspended on the grounds that Romania affords preferential treatment to the products of a developed country, other than the United States, which has, or is likely to have, a significant adverse effect on United States commerce. In addition, Romania adopted Veterinary Order 95 which includes requirements that: (1) Individual U.S. poultry plants must be approved for export to the EU; and (2) U.S. poultry producers must abide by EU welfare rules for slaughter. There are no EU-approved poultry facilities in the United States. The GSP Subcommittee is seeking public comments on whether, in view of the information provided in the petition, implementation of this new measure, and any additional information pertaining to the eligibility criteria set forth in the statute, Romania no longer meets one or more statutory criteria for GSP eligibility. All public PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 comments must be received by Thursday, September 7, 2006. ADDRESSES: Submit comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to: FR0618@ustr.eop.gov. For assistance or if unable to submit comments by e-mail, contact the GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United States Trade Representative; USTR Annex, Room F–220; 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508 (Tel. 202–395–6971). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United States Trade Representative; USTR Annex, Room F– 220; 1724 F Street, NW.; Washington, DC 20508 (Telephone: 202–395–6971, Facsimile: 202–395–9481). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP program is authorized pursuant to Title V of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (‘‘the Trade Act’’) (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.). The GSP program grants duty-free treatment to designated eligible articles that are imported from designated beneficiary developing countries. Once granted, GSP benefits may be withdrawn, suspended, or limited by the President with respect to any country. (19 U.S.C. 2462(d)(1)). Romania is a designated beneficiary developing country under the GSP program. Possible Withdrawal or Suspension of GSP Benefits for Romania In 2002, the GSP Subcommittee received a petition from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) requesting that Romania’s eligibility for GSP benefits be terminated because Romania granted tariff preferences to EU distilled spirits and certain pharmaceuticals which have, or are likely to have, a significant adverse effect on United States commerce. These petitions were accepted for review in the 2005 Annual Review. On June 2, 2006, Romania adopted Veterinary Order 95. This Order affects all poultry meat shipments loaded for shipment to Romania after June 7, 2006, and includes requirements that: (1) Individual U.S. poultry plants must be approved for export to the EU; and (2) U.S. poultry producers must abide by EU welfare rules for slaughter. Romania will allow poultry certified under previous regulations until August 5, 2006. Requirements for Submissions All submissions must conform to the GSP regulations set forth at 15 CFR Part 2007, except as modified below. Comments must be submitted, in English, to the Chairman of the GSP E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM 08AUN1 jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 152 / Tuesday, August 8, 2006 / Notices Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) as soon as possible, but not later than 5 p.m., September 7, 2006. In order to facilitate prompt consideration of submissions, USTR strongly prefers electronic e-mail submissions in response to this notice. Hand-delivered submissions will not be accepted. E-mail submissions should be single-copy transmissions in English with the total submission, including attachments, not to exceed 30 singlespaced standard letter-size pages using 12-point type. The e-mail transmission should use the following subject line: ‘‘Romania GSP Eligibility Review’’. Documents must be submitted as MSWord (‘‘.doc’’), WordPerfect (‘‘.wpd’’), or text (‘‘.txt’’) files. Documents submitted as electronic image files or containing imbedded images (for example, ‘‘.jpg’’, ‘‘.pdf’’, ‘‘.bmp’’, ‘‘.tif’’, or ‘‘.gif’’) will not be accepted. Spreadsheets submitted as supporting documentation are acceptable as Excel files, pre-formatted for printing only on 8 1⁄2 x 11 inch paper. To the extent possible, any data attachments to the submission should be included in the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate files. Submissions in response to this notice will be subject to public inspection by appointment with the staff of the USTR Public Reading Room except for information granted ‘‘business confidential’’ status pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6. If the submission contains business confidential information, a nonconfidential version of the submission must also be submitted that indicates where confidential information was redacted by inserting asterisks where material was deleted. In addition, the confidential version must be clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’ at the top and bottom of each page of the document. The non-confidential version must be clearly marked ‘‘PUBLIC’’ or ‘‘NON–CONFIDENTIAL’’ at the top and bottom of each page. Documents that are submitted without any marking might not be accepted or will be considered public documents. For any document containing business confidential information submitted as an electronic attached file to an e-mail transmission, the file name of the business confidential version should begin with the characters ‘‘BC-’’, and the file name of the public version should begin with the character ‘‘P-’’. The ‘‘BC-’’ or ‘‘P-’’ should be followed by the name of the party (government, company, union, association, etc.) which is submitting the comments. VerDate Aug<31>2005 20:06 Aug 07, 2006 Jkt 208001 45081 E-mail submissions should not include separate cover letters or messages in the message area of the email; information that might appear in any cover letter should be included directly in the attached file containing the submission itself, including the sender’s identifying information with telephone number, fax number, and email address. The e-mail address for these submissions is FR0618@ustr.eop.gov. Documents not submitted in accordance with these instructions might not be considered in this review. If unable to provide submissions by e-mail, please contact the GSP Subcommittee to arrange for an alternative method of transmission. Public versions of all documents relating to this review will be available for public review approximately three weeks after the due date by appointment in the USTR Public Reading Room, 1724 F Street, NW, Washington, DC. Availability of documents may be ascertained, and appointments may be made from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, by calling 202–395–6186. fee, or other charge, pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Act 3 and Rule 19b– 4(f)(2) thereunder,4 which renders the proposal effective upon filing with the Commission. On July 28, 2006, the Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.5 The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as amended, from interested persons. Marideth J. Sandler, Executive Director for the GSP Program, Chairman, GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee. [FR Doc. E6–12833 Filed 8–7–06; 8:45 am] In its filing with the Commission, the Exchange included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change, as amended, and discussed any comments it received on the proposal. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The Exchange has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements. BILLING CODE 3190–W6–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Release No. 34–54261; File No. SR–Amex2006–69)] Self-Regulatory Organizations; American Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change and Amendment No. 1 Thereto Relating to an Extension of a Pilot Program for the Fee Cap Program for Certain Options Spread Trades August 1, 2006. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (‘‘Act’’),1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2 notice is hereby given that on July 20, 2006, the American Stock Exchange LLC (‘‘Amex’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the proposed rule change as described in Items I and II below, which items have been substantially prepared by Amex. Amex has designated the proposed rule change as one establishing or changing a due, 1 15 2 17 PO 00000 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). CFR 240.19b–4. Frm 00088 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change The Exchange proposes to extend its fee cap program for dividend spreads, merger spreads and short stock interest spreads (the ‘‘Pilot Program’’) for an additional six months through February 1, 2007. The text of the proposed rule change is available on Amex’s Web site at https://www.amex.com, at the Office of the Secretary at Amex, and at the Commission’s Public Reference Room. II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s Statement of the Purpose of, and Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change 1. Purpose The Pilot Program was established in February 2006.6 The Exchange believes that the Pilot Program has operated, as designed, to allow the Exchange to become more competitive with fee cap programs in place at other options exchanges. Accordingly, the Exchange believes that a six-month extension is reasonable and consistent with the intent of the Pilot Program. The Pilot Program amended the Exchange’s fee cap program that limits per trade the transaction, comparison 3 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A)(ii). CFR 240.19b–4(f)(2). 5 In Amendment No. 1, Amex modified the statutory basis of the proposal from being Section 6(b)(5) of the Act to be Section 6(b)(4) of the Act. 6 See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 53415 (March 3, 2006), 71 FR 12745 (March 13, 2006). 4 17 E:\FR\FM\08AUN1.SGM 08AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45080-45081]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12833]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Request for Public 
Comments on the Possible Withdrawal or Suspension of GSP Benefits With 
Respect to Romania

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation of public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As part of an ongoing country practice review, the GSP 
Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is considering 
whether to recommend that duty-free treatment accorded to imports from 
Romania under the U.S. GSP program be withdrawn or suspended on the 
grounds that Romania affords preferential treatment to the products of 
a developed country, other than the United States, which has, or is 
likely to have, a significant adverse effect on United States commerce. 
In addition, Romania adopted Veterinary Order 95 which includes 
requirements that: (1) Individual U.S. poultry plants must be approved 
for export to the EU; and (2) U.S. poultry producers must abide by EU 
welfare rules for slaughter. There are no EU-approved poultry 
facilities in the United States.
    The GSP Subcommittee is seeking public comments on whether, in view 
of the information provided in the petition, implementation of this new 
measure, and any additional information pertaining to the eligibility 
criteria set forth in the statute, Romania no longer meets one or more 
statutory criteria for GSP eligibility. All public comments must be 
received by Thursday, September 7, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to: 
FR0618@ustr.eop.gov. For assistance or if unable to submit comments by 
e-mail, contact the GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative; USTR Annex, Room F-220; 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20508 (Tel. 202-395-6971).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the GSP Subcommittee, Office 
of the United States Trade Representative; USTR Annex, Room F-220; 1724 
F Street, NW.; Washington, DC 20508 (Telephone: 202-395-6971, 
Facsimile: 202-395-9481).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP program is authorized pursuant to 
Title V of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (``the Trade Act'') (19 
U.S.C. 2461 et seq.). The GSP program grants duty-free treatment to 
designated eligible articles that are imported from designated 
beneficiary developing countries. Once granted, GSP benefits may be 
withdrawn, suspended, or limited by the President with respect to any 
country. (19 U.S.C. 2462(d)(1)). Romania is a designated beneficiary 
developing country under the GSP program.

Possible Withdrawal or Suspension of GSP Benefits for Romania

    In 2002, the GSP Subcommittee received a petition from the 
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and the Pharmaceutical 
Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) requesting that Romania's 
eligibility for GSP benefits be terminated because Romania granted 
tariff preferences to EU distilled spirits and certain pharmaceuticals 
which have, or are likely to have, a significant adverse effect on 
United States commerce. These petitions were accepted for review in the 
2005 Annual Review. On June 2, 2006, Romania adopted Veterinary Order 
95. This Order affects all poultry meat shipments loaded for shipment 
to Romania after June 7, 2006, and includes requirements that: (1) 
Individual U.S. poultry plants must be approved for export to the EU; 
and (2) U.S. poultry producers must abide by EU welfare rules for 
slaughter. Romania will allow poultry certified under previous 
regulations until August 5, 2006.

Requirements for Submissions

    All submissions must conform to the GSP regulations set forth at 15 
CFR Part 2007, except as modified below. Comments must be submitted, in 
English, to the Chairman of the GSP

[[Page 45081]]

Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) as soon as 
possible, but not later than 5 p.m., September 7, 2006.
    In order to facilitate prompt consideration of submissions, USTR 
strongly prefers electronic e-mail submissions in response to this 
notice. Hand-delivered submissions will not be accepted. E-mail 
submissions should be single-copy transmissions in English with the 
total submission, including attachments, not to exceed 30 single-spaced 
standard letter-size pages using 12-point type. The e-mail transmission 
should use the following subject line: ``Romania GSP Eligibility 
Review''. Documents must be submitted as MSWord (``.doc''), WordPerfect 
(``.wpd''), or text (``.txt'') files. Documents submitted as electronic 
image files or containing imbedded images (for example, ``.jpg'', 
``.pdf'', ``.bmp'', ``.tif'', or ``.gif'') will not be accepted. 
Spreadsheets submitted as supporting documentation are acceptable as 
Excel files, pre-formatted for printing only on 8 \1/2\ x 11 inch 
paper. To the extent possible, any data attachments to the submission 
should be included in the same file as the submission itself, and not 
as separate files.
    Submissions in response to this notice will be subject to public 
inspection by appointment with the staff of the USTR Public Reading 
Room except for information granted ``business confidential'' status 
pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6.
    If the submission contains business confidential information, a 
non-confidential version of the submission must also be submitted that 
indicates where confidential information was redacted by inserting 
asterisks where material was deleted. In addition, the confidential 
version must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and 
bottom of each page of the document. The non-confidential version must 
be clearly marked ``PUBLIC'' or ``NON-CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and 
bottom of each page. Documents that are submitted without any marking 
might not be accepted or will be considered public documents.
    For any document containing business confidential information 
submitted as an electronic attached file to an e-mail transmission, the 
file name of the business confidential version should begin with the 
characters ``BC-'', and the file name of the public version should 
begin with the character ``P-''. The ``BC-'' or ``P-'' should be 
followed by the name of the party (government, company, union, 
association, etc.) which is submitting the comments.
    E-mail submissions should not include separate cover letters or 
messages in the message area of the e-mail; information that might 
appear in any cover letter should be included directly in the attached 
file containing the submission itself, including the sender's 
identifying information with telephone number, fax number, and e-mail 
address. The e-mail address for these submissions is 
FR0618@ustr.eop.gov. Documents not submitted in accordance with these 
instructions might not be considered in this review. If unable to 
provide submissions by e-mail, please contact the GSP Subcommittee to 
arrange for an alternative method of transmission.
    Public versions of all documents relating to this review will be 
available for public review approximately three weeks after the due 
date by appointment in the USTR Public Reading Room, 1724 F Street, NW, 
Washington, DC. Availability of documents may be ascertained, and 
appointments may be made from 9:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, by calling 202-395-6186.

Marideth J. Sandler,
Executive Director for the GSP Program, Chairman, GSP Subcommittee of 
the Trade Policy Staff Committee.
 [FR Doc. E6-12833 Filed 8-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W6-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.