Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review; Notice of Hearing and Public Comments for Country Practice Petitions Accepted as Part of the 2011 Annual GSP Review, 41209-41211 [2012-17023]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 134 / Thursday, July 12, 2012 / Notices the public interest. The Commission finds that the proposed clarifications to the manner in which CME allocates guaranty fund obligations among its members are consistent with the requirements of Section 17A(b)(3)(F) of the Act because the clarifications should allow CME’s Members to better monitor their financial status and riskmanagement procedures. This, in turn, should enhance CME’s ability to safeguard the securities and funds in its custody or control, or for which it is responsible.8 In its filing, CME requested that the Commission approve these proposed rule changes prior to the thirtieth day after the date of publication of the notice of the filing. CME has articulated three reasons for so granting approval. First, CME notes that the products covered by this filing, and CME’s operations as a derivatives clearing organization for such products, are regulated by the CFTC under the CEA. Second, CME observes that the proposed rule changes relate solely to interest rate swap clearing, and therefore relate solely to CME’s swaps clearing activities, and do not significantly relate to the CME’s functions as a clearing agency for security-based swaps. Third, CME contends that not approving this request on an accelerated basis will have a significant impact on the swaps clearing business of CME as a designated clearing organization. The Commission finds good cause for granting approval of the proposed rule changes prior to the thirtieth day after publication of the notice of filing because: (i) The proposed rule changes do not significantly affect any of CME’s securities clearing operations or any related rights or obligations of CME or persons using such service; (ii) CME has indicated that not providing accelerated approval would have a significant impact on its business as a designated clearing organization; and (iii) the activity relating to CME’s non-security clearing operations for which CME is seeking approval is subject to regulation by another federal regulator. pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES V. Conclusion It is therefore ordered pursuant to Section 19(b)(2) of the Act that the proposed rule change (SR–CME–2012– 27) be, and hereby is, approved on an accelerated basis. 8 See 15 U.S.C. 78q–1. In approving these proposed rule changes, the Commission has considered the proposed rule changes’ impact on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. 15 U.S.C. 78c(f). VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:39 Jul 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 For the Commission, by the Division of Trading and Markets, pursuant to delegated authority.9 Elizabeth M. Murphy, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2012–16992 Filed 7–11–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8011–01–P OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review; Notice of Hearing and Public Comments for Country Practice Petitions Accepted as Part of the 2011 Annual GSP Review Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice and request for submissions. AGENCY: This notice announces the results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review with respect to: (1) Products considered for addition to the list of eligible products for GSP; (2) decisions related to competitive need limitations (CNLs), including petitions for waivers of CNLs and revocation of previous CNL waivers; (3) redesignations of products previously excluded from GSP eligibility for certain countries; and (4) petitions to modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary countries because of country practices. This notice also announces the schedule for public comments and a public hearing for four country practice petitions newly accepted for review (regarding Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ukraine), the closure of the country practices review of Sri Lanka’s worker rights practices, and the designation of Afghanistan as a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for purposes of the GSP. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tameka Cooper, GSP Program, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395–6971; the fax number is (202) 395– 9674, and the email address is Tameka_Cooper@ustr.eop.gov. DATES: The GSP regulations (15 CFR Part 2007) provide the schedule of dates for conducting an annual review unless otherwise specified in a Federal Register notice. The schedule for review of the country practices petitions cited above follows. September 13, 2012: Deadline for submission of pre-hearing briefs and requests to appear at the September 27, SUMMARY: PO 00000 9 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12). Frm 00047 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 41209 2012 public hearing; submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m. September 27, 2012: The GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will convene a public hearing on the country practice petitions newly accepted in the 2011 Annual GSP Review, i.e., petitions concerning practices of Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ukraine, at 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508, beginning at 9:30 a.m. October 18, 2012: Deadline for submission of post-hearing briefs, which must be received by 5:00 p.m. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP program provides for the duty-free treatment of designated articles when imported from beneficiary developing countries. The GSP program is authorized by Title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.), as amended. Results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review In the 2011 Annual Review, the TPSC reviewed: (1) A petition to add a product to the list of those eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP; (2) certain cotton products for possible designation as eligible for GSP benefits when imported from least-developed beneficiary developing countries under the GSP program; (3) nine petitions to waive CNLs for products from certain beneficiary countries; (4) revocation of CNL waivers for products from certain beneficiary countries where 2011 imports exceeded certain statutory limits; (5) products eligible for de minimis waivers of CNLs; (6) redesignation of products previously excluded from GSP eligibility for certain beneficiary countries; and (7) country practice petitions previously submitted as part of the 2011 Annual Review and earlier reviews. In Presidential Proclamation 8840 of June 29, 2012 the President implemented his decisions regarding GSP product eligibility issues arising out of the 2011 Annual GSP Review, including CNL waivers, CNL revocations, and product redesignations. This notice provides further information on the results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review, including disposition of country practice petitions. These results, comprising eight lists, are available for public viewing at https:// www.regulations.gov in docket USTR– 2011–0015, under ‘‘Supporting and Related Materials’’ and at https:// www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/3487. Specific Results The Administration has decided to defer a decision on final disposition of a petition to add certain plastic bags E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM 12JYN1 pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 41210 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 134 / Thursday, July 12, 2012 / Notices (categorized under subheading 3923.21.00.30 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS)) to the list of products eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP for all GSP beneficiary countries. See List I (Decision on Petition to Add a Product to the List of Eligible Products for GSP). Seven cotton fiber products were added to the list of eligible products for least-developed beneficiary developing countries of GSP. See List II (Decisions on Products Considered for Addition to the List of Eligible Products for GSP for Least-Developed Beneficiary Developing Countries). The President granted petitions for waivers of CNLs for the following products: (1) Other acyclic monoamines (HTS 2921.19.60) from the Philippines; (2) ‘‘agarbatti’’ incense sticks (HTS 3307.41.00) from India; (3) seamless rubber gloves (HTS 4015.19.10) from Thailand, and (4) certain air conditioning parts (HTS 8415.90.80) from Thailand. The disposition of all accepted petitions to grant waivers of CNLs is set out in List III (Decisions on Petitions to Grant a Waiver of the Competitive Need Limitation). The President revoked existing CNL waivers for certain silver jewelry articles (HTS 7113.11.50) from Thailand, certain rubber radial tires (HTS 4011.20.10) from Thailand, and certain hand-hooked rugs (HTS 5703.10.20) from India, as reflected in List IV (Decisions on Competitive Need Limitation Waiver Revocations). Articles that exceeded the CNLs in 2011 and that, effective July 1, 2012, are excluded from GSP eligibility when imported from a specific beneficiary country are described in List V (Products Newly Subject to Exclusion by Competitive Need Limitation). The President granted de minimis waivers to 97 articles that exceeded the 50-percent import-share CNL but for which the aggregate value of all U.S. imports of that article was below the 2011 de minimis level of $20.5 million. See List VI (Decisions on Products Eligible for De Minimis Waivers). The articles for which de minimis waivers were granted will continue to be eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP when imported from the associated countries. The President redesignated one product, kola nuts (HTS 0802.70.20) from Cote d’Ivoire, as eligible for GSP. List VII (Decisions on Products Eligible for Redesignation) provides the list of the articles and associated countries reviewed for redesignation. Country Practice Petitions The status of country practice petitions considered in the 2011 GSP VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:39 Jul 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 Annual Review is described in List VIII (Petitions for Review of Country Practices). This list includes petitions accepted as part of annual reviews from previous years. USTR, drawing on the advice of the TPSC, has accepted for review three country practice petitions submitted as part of the 2011 GSP Annual Review—on Fiji regarding worker rights and on Indonesia and Ukraine regarding intellectual property rights—as well as a petition on Iraq regarding worker rights that had been submitted as part of an earlier annual review. USTR has deferred a decision on acceptance of a petition on Russia regarding expropriation. USTR, drawing on the advice of the TPSC, has decided to close the country practice review of case 005–CP–08 regarding worker rights in Sri Lanka, in view of significant progress made by the government of Sri Lanka over the past few years in affording internationally recognized worker rights to workers in that country. Country practice petitions accepted for review in previous years that continue to be under review include: Lebanon, Russia and Uzbekistan regarding intellectual property rights, and Bangladesh, Georgia, Niger, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan regarding worker rights. Notice of Public Hearing The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 27, 2012 for the four newly accepted country practice petitions (Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ukraine) beginning at 9:30 a.m. at 1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20508. The hearing will be open to the public, and a transcript of the hearing will be made available on https://www.regulations.gov within two weeks of the hearing. No electronic media coverage will be allowed. All interested parties wishing to make an oral presentation at the hearing must submit, following the ‘‘Requirements for Submissions’’ set out below, the name, address, telephone number, and email address, if available, of the witness(es) representing their organization by 5 p.m., September 13, 2012. Requests to present oral testimony must be accompanied by a written brief or summary statement, in English, and also must be received by 5 p.m., September 13, 2012. Oral testimony before the GSP Subcommittee will be limited to fiveminute presentations that summarize or supplement information contained in briefs or statements submitted for the record. Post-hearing briefs or statements will be accepted if they conform with the regulations cited below and are submitted, in English, by 5 p.m., PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 October 18, 2012. Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearing may submit pre-hearing briefs or comments, in English, by 5 p.m., September 13, 2012, and post-hearing written briefs or comments, in English, by 5:00 p.m., October 18, 2012. The GSP Subcommittee strongly encourages submission of all posthearing submissions by the October 18, 2012 deadline in order to receive timely consideration in the GSP Subcommittee’s review of the subject petitions. However, if there are new developments or information that parties wish to share with the GSP Subcommittee after this date, the regulations.gov docket will remain open until June 30, 2013. Comments, letters, or other submissions related to the subject petitions must be posted to the https://www.regulations.gov docket in order to be considered by the GSP Subcommittee. Requirements for Submissions All submissions in response to this notice must be submitted electronically via https://www.regulations.gov, using docket number USTR–2012–0012. All submissions must conform to the GSP regulations set forth at 15 CFR part 2007, except as modified below. These regulations are available on the USTR Web site at https://www.ustr.gov/tradetopics/trade-development/preferenceprograms/generalized-systempreference-gsp/gsp-program-inf. Any person or party making a submission is strongly advised to review the GSP regulations and the GSP Guidebook, available at the same link. To make a submission using https:// www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR–2012–0012 in the ‘‘Search for’’ field on the home page and click ‘‘Search.’’ The site will provide a search-results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice by selecting ‘‘Notice’’ under ‘‘Document Type’’ in the ‘‘Filter Results by’’ section on the left side of the screen and click on the link entitled ‘‘Comment Now.’’ The https://www.regulations.gov Web site offers the option of providing comments by filling in a ‘‘Type Comment’’ field or by attaching a document using the ‘‘Upload file(s)’’ field. Given the detailed nature of the information sought by the GSP Subcommittee, it is preferred that submissions be provided in an attached document. When attaching a document, type (1) the country and case number of the subject petition; and (2) ‘‘See attached’’ in the ‘‘Type Comment’’ field on the online submission form, and indicate on the attachment whether the document is, as E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM 12JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 134 / Thursday, July 12, 2012 / Notices appropriate, ‘‘Written Comments,’’ ‘‘Notice of Intent to Testify,’’ ‘‘Prehearing brief,’’ or a ‘‘Post-hearing brief.’’ The case number and country name can be found in the document described above as List VIII (Petitions for Review of Country Practices). Submissions should not exceed 30 single-spaced, standard letter-size pages in 12-point type, including attachments. Any data attachments to the submission should be included in the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate files. Each submitter will receive a submission tracking number upon completion of the submissions procedure at https:// www.regulations.gov. The tracking number will be the submitter’s confirmation that the submission was received into https:// www.regulations.gov. The confirmation should be kept for the submitter’s records. USTR is not able to provide technical assistance for the Web site. Documents not submitted in accordance with these instructions may not be considered in this review. If unable to provide submissions as requested, please contact the GSP Program at USTR to arrange for an alternative method of transmission. pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Business Confidential Submissions A person seeking to request that information contained in a submission from that person be treated as business confidential information must certify that such information is business confidential and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter. Confidential business information must be clearly designated as such. The submission must be marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’ at the top and bottom of the cover page and each succeeding page, and the submission should indicate, via brackets, the specific information that is confidential. Additionally, ‘‘Business Confidential’’ must be included in the ‘‘Type Comment’’ field. Any submission containing business confidential information must be accompanied by a separate, non-confidential version of the confidential submission, indicating where confidential information has been redacted. The non-confidential version will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection. Public versions of all documents relating to the review of the subject country practice petitions will be made available for public viewing in docket USTR–2012–0012 at https:// www.regulations.gov upon completion of processing and within seven to ten VerDate Mar<15>2010 15:39 Jul 11, 2012 Jkt 226001 days after the relevant deadline for submission. Afghanistan Added to SAARC Section 507(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2467(2)), authorizes the President to provide that all members of an association of countries which is a free trade area or customs union, or which is contributing to comprehensive regional economic integration among its members through appropriate means, including, but not limited to, the reduction of duties, shall be treated as one country for purposes of the GSP. In Proclamation 7912 of June 29, 2005, the President determined that the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be treated as one country for the purposes of GSP, and SAARC members were added to general note 4(a) of the HTS. On December 29, 2006, in Proclamation 8098, the President, pursuant to section 507(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, announced that ‘‘Afghanistan is designated as a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for purposes of the GSP on the date that it becomes a SAARC member. The United States Trade Representative shall announce such a date in a notice published in the Federal Register.’’ The United States Trade Representative hereby announces that as of April 3, 2007, Afghanistan became a SAARC member for the purposes of the GSP. William D. Jackson, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Generalized System of Preferences and Chair of the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. [FR Doc. 2012–17023 Filed 7–11–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3290–F2–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Public Notice for Waiver for Aeronautical Land-Use Assurance at Tulsa International Airport, Tulsa, OK Federal Aviation Administration, DOT. ACTION: Notice of intent for waiver of aeronautical land-use. AGENCY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of the airport from aeronautical use to nonaeronautical use and to authorize the conversion of the airport property. The proposal consists of two parcels of land containing a total of approximately SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 41211 120.46 acres located to the northeast and southeast of the intersection of East 36th Street North and North Mingo Road. These parcels were originally acquired under the following grants: Airport Development Aid Program (ADAP) No. 6–40–0099–15 in 1978; Federal Aid to Airports Program (FAAP) Nos. 9–34–032–C312 in 1962 and 9–34– 032–C514 in 1964; portions of these parcels were acquired with non-grant funds. The land comprising these parcels is outside the forecasted need for aviation development and, thus, is no longer needed for indirect or direct aeronautical use. In addition, these parcels have no access to the airfield. The Airport wishes to develop this land for compatible commercial, nonaeronautical use. The income from the conversion of these parcels will benefit the aviation community by reinvestment in the airport. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the conversion of the subject airport property nor a determination of eligibility for grant-in-aid funding from the FAA. The disposition of proceeds from the conversion of the airport property will be in accordance with FAA’s Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue, published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1999. In accordance with section 47107(h) of title 49, United States Code, this notice is required to be published in the Federal Register 30 days before modifying the land-use assurance that requires the property to be used for an aeronautical purpose. DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 13, 2012. ADDRESSES: Send comments on this document to Mr. Edward N. Agnew, Federal Aviation Administration, Arkansas/Oklahoma Airports Development Office Manager, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76137. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeff Hough, Deputy Airports Director, Tulsa Airport Authority, Post Office Box 581838, Tulsa, OK 74158, telephone (918) 838–5000; or Mr. Edward N. Agnew, Federal Aviation Administration, Arkansas/Oklahoma Airports Development Office Manager, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76137, telephone (817) 222–5630, FAX (817) 222–5987. Documents reflecting this FAA action may be reviewed at the above locations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following are legal description of the property located in Tulsa County, OK: A tract of land located in the southwest quarter of E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM 12JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 134 (Thursday, July 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41209-41211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17023]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Results of the 2011 
Annual GSP Review; Notice of Hearing and Public Comments for Country 
Practice Petitions Accepted as Part of the 2011 Annual GSP Review

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and request for submissions.

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

SUMMARY: This notice announces the results of the 2011 Annual GSP 
Review with respect to: (1) Products considered for addition to the 
list of eligible products for GSP; (2) decisions related to competitive 
need limitations (CNLs), including petitions for waivers of CNLs and 
revocation of previous CNL waivers; (3) redesignations of products 
previously excluded from GSP eligibility for certain countries; and (4) 
petitions to modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary countries 
because of country practices. This notice also announces the schedule 
for public comments and a public hearing for four country practice 
petitions newly accepted for review (regarding Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, 
and Ukraine), the closure of the country practices review of Sri 
Lanka's worker rights practices, and the designation of Afghanistan as 
a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation 
(SAARC) for purposes of the GSP.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tameka Cooper, GSP Program, Office of 
the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-6971; the fax 
number is (202) 395-9674, and the email address is Tameka_Cooper@ustr.eop.gov.

DATES: The GSP regulations (15 CFR Part 2007) provide the schedule of 
dates for conducting an annual review unless otherwise specified in a 
Federal Register notice. The schedule for review of the country 
practices petitions cited above follows.
    September 13, 2012: Deadline for submission of pre-hearing briefs 
and requests to appear at the September 27, 2012 public hearing; 
submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m.
    September 27, 2012: The GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff 
Committee (TPSC) will convene a public hearing on the country practice 
petitions newly accepted in the 2011 Annual GSP Review, i.e., petitions 
concerning practices of Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ukraine, at 1724 F 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
    October 18, 2012: Deadline for submission of post-hearing briefs, 
which must be received by 5:00 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSP program provides for the duty-free 
treatment of designated articles when imported from beneficiary 
developing countries. The GSP program is authorized by Title V of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.), as amended.

Results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review

    In the 2011 Annual Review, the TPSC reviewed: (1) A petition to add 
a product to the list of those eligible for duty-free treatment under 
GSP; (2) certain cotton products for possible designation as eligible 
for GSP benefits when imported from least-developed beneficiary 
developing countries under the GSP program; (3) nine petitions to waive 
CNLs for products from certain beneficiary countries; (4) revocation of 
CNL waivers for products from certain beneficiary countries where 2011 
imports exceeded certain statutory limits; (5) products eligible for de 
minimis waivers of CNLs; (6) redesignation of products previously 
excluded from GSP eligibility for certain beneficiary countries; and 
(7) country practice petitions previously submitted as part of the 2011 
Annual Review and earlier reviews.
    In Presidential Proclamation 8840 of June 29, 2012 the President 
implemented his decisions regarding GSP product eligibility issues 
arising out of the 2011 Annual GSP Review, including CNL waivers, CNL 
revocations, and product redesignations. This notice provides further 
information on the results of the 2011 Annual GSP Review, including 
disposition of country practice petitions. These results, comprising 
eight lists, are available for public viewing at https://www.regulations.gov in docket USTR-2011-0015, under ``Supporting and 
Related Materials'' and at https://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/3487.

Specific Results

    The Administration has decided to defer a decision on final 
disposition of a petition to add certain plastic bags

[[Page 41210]]

(categorized under subheading 3923.21.00.30 of the Harmonized Tariff 
Schedule (HTS)) to the list of products eligible for duty-free 
treatment under GSP for all GSP beneficiary countries. See List I 
(Decision on Petition to Add a Product to the List of Eligible Products 
for GSP).
    Seven cotton fiber products were added to the list of eligible 
products for least-developed beneficiary developing countries of GSP. 
See List II (Decisions on Products Considered for Addition to the List 
of Eligible Products for GSP for Least-Developed Beneficiary Developing 
Countries).
    The President granted petitions for waivers of CNLs for the 
following products: (1) Other acyclic monoamines (HTS 2921.19.60) from 
the Philippines; (2) ``agarbatti'' incense sticks (HTS 3307.41.00) from 
India; (3) seamless rubber gloves (HTS 4015.19.10) from Thailand, and 
(4) certain air conditioning parts (HTS 8415.90.80) from Thailand. The 
disposition of all accepted petitions to grant waivers of CNLs is set 
out in List III (Decisions on Petitions to Grant a Waiver of the 
Competitive Need Limitation).
    The President revoked existing CNL waivers for certain silver 
jewelry articles (HTS 7113.11.50) from Thailand, certain rubber radial 
tires (HTS 4011.20.10) from Thailand, and certain hand-hooked rugs (HTS 
5703.10.20) from India, as reflected in List IV (Decisions on 
Competitive Need Limitation Waiver Revocations).
    Articles that exceeded the CNLs in 2011 and that, effective July 1, 
2012, are excluded from GSP eligibility when imported from a specific 
beneficiary country are described in List V (Products Newly Subject to 
Exclusion by Competitive Need Limitation).
    The President granted de minimis waivers to 97 articles that 
exceeded the 50-percent import-share CNL but for which the aggregate 
value of all U.S. imports of that article was below the 2011 de minimis 
level of $20.5 million. See List VI (Decisions on Products Eligible for 
De Minimis Waivers). The articles for which de minimis waivers were 
granted will continue to be eligible for duty-free treatment under GSP 
when imported from the associated countries.
    The President redesignated one product, kola nuts (HTS 0802.70.20) 
from Cote d'Ivoire, as eligible for GSP. List VII (Decisions on 
Products Eligible for Redesignation) provides the list of the articles 
and associated countries reviewed for redesignation.

Country Practice Petitions

    The status of country practice petitions considered in the 2011 GSP 
Annual Review is described in List VIII (Petitions for Review of 
Country Practices). This list includes petitions accepted as part of 
annual reviews from previous years. USTR, drawing on the advice of the 
TPSC, has accepted for review three country practice petitions 
submitted as part of the 2011 GSP Annual Review--on Fiji regarding 
worker rights and on Indonesia and Ukraine regarding intellectual 
property rights--as well as a petition on Iraq regarding worker rights 
that had been submitted as part of an earlier annual review. USTR has 
deferred a decision on acceptance of a petition on Russia regarding 
expropriation.
    USTR, drawing on the advice of the TPSC, has decided to close the 
country practice review of case 005-CP-08 regarding worker rights in 
Sri Lanka, in view of significant progress made by the government of 
Sri Lanka over the past few years in affording internationally 
recognized worker rights to workers in that country.
    Country practice petitions accepted for review in previous years 
that continue to be under review include: Lebanon, Russia and 
Uzbekistan regarding intellectual property rights, and Bangladesh, 
Georgia, Niger, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan regarding worker 
rights.

Notice of Public Hearing

    The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC will hold a public hearing on 
Thursday, September 27, 2012 for the four newly accepted country 
practice petitions (Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ukraine) beginning at 
9:30 a.m. at 1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20508. The hearing will 
be open to the public, and a transcript of the hearing will be made 
available on https://www.regulations.gov within two weeks of the 
hearing. No electronic media coverage will be allowed.
    All interested parties wishing to make an oral presentation at the 
hearing must submit, following the ``Requirements for Submissions'' set 
out below, the name, address, telephone number, and email address, if 
available, of the witness(es) representing their organization by 5 
p.m., September 13, 2012. Requests to present oral testimony must be 
accompanied by a written brief or summary statement, in English, and 
also must be received by 5 p.m., September 13, 2012. Oral testimony 
before the GSP Subcommittee will be limited to five-minute 
presentations that summarize or supplement information contained in 
briefs or statements submitted for the record. Post-hearing briefs or 
statements will be accepted if they conform with the regulations cited 
below and are submitted, in English, by 5 p.m., October 18, 2012. 
Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearing may submit pre-
hearing briefs or comments, in English, by 5 p.m., September 13, 2012, 
and post-hearing written briefs or comments, in English, by 5:00 p.m., 
October 18, 2012.
    The GSP Subcommittee strongly encourages submission of all post-
hearing submissions by the October 18, 2012 deadline in order to 
receive timely consideration in the GSP Subcommittee's review of the 
subject petitions. However, if there are new developments or 
information that parties wish to share with the GSP Subcommittee after 
this date, the regulations.gov docket will remain open until June 30, 
2013. Comments, letters, or other submissions related to the subject 
petitions must be posted to the https://www.regulations.gov docket in 
order to be considered by the GSP Subcommittee.

Requirements for Submissions

    All submissions in response to this notice must be submitted 
electronically via https://www.regulations.gov, using docket number 
USTR-2012-0012. All submissions must conform to the GSP regulations set 
forth at 15 CFR part 2007, except as modified below. These regulations 
are available on the USTR Web site at https://www.ustr.gov/trade-topics/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/gsp-program-inf. Any person or party making a submission is 
strongly advised to review the GSP regulations and the GSP Guidebook, 
available at the same link.
    To make a submission using https://www.regulations.gov, enter docket 
number USTR-2012-0012 in the ``Search for'' field on the home page and 
click ``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing 
all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this 
notice by selecting ``Notice'' under ``Document Type'' in the ``Filter 
Results by'' section on the left side of the screen and click on the 
link entitled ``Comment Now.'' The https://www.regulations.gov Web site 
offers the option of providing comments by filling in a ``Type 
Comment'' field or by attaching a document using the ``Upload file(s)'' 
field. Given the detailed nature of the information sought by the GSP 
Subcommittee, it is preferred that submissions be provided in an 
attached document. When attaching a document, type (1) the country and 
case number of the subject petition; and (2) ``See attached'' in the 
``Type Comment'' field on the online submission form, and indicate on 
the attachment whether the document is, as

[[Page 41211]]

appropriate, ``Written Comments,'' ``Notice of Intent to Testify,'' 
``Pre-hearing brief,'' or a ``Post-hearing brief.'' The case number and 
country name can be found in the document described above as List VIII 
(Petitions for Review of Country Practices). Submissions should not 
exceed 30 single-spaced, standard letter-size pages in 12-point type, 
including attachments. Any data attachments to the submission should be 
included in the same file as the submission itself, and not as separate 
files.
    Each submitter will receive a submission tracking number upon 
completion of the submissions procedure at https://www.regulations.gov. 
The tracking number will be the submitter's confirmation that the 
submission was received into https://www.regulations.gov. The 
confirmation should be kept for the submitter's records. USTR is not 
able to provide technical assistance for the Web site. Documents not 
submitted in accordance with these instructions may not be considered 
in this review. If unable to provide submissions as requested, please 
contact the GSP Program at USTR to arrange for an alternative method of 
transmission.

Business Confidential Submissions

    A person seeking to request that information contained in a 
submission from that person be treated as business confidential 
information must certify that such information is business confidential 
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter. 
Confidential business information must be clearly designated as such. 
The submission must be marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and 
bottom of the cover page and each succeeding page, and the submission 
should indicate, via brackets, the specific information that is 
confidential. Additionally, ``Business Confidential'' must be included 
in the ``Type Comment'' field. Any submission containing business 
confidential information must be accompanied by a separate, non-
confidential version of the confidential submission, indicating where 
confidential information has been redacted. The non-confidential 
version will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection.
    Public versions of all documents relating to the review of the 
subject country practice petitions will be made available for public 
viewing in docket USTR-2012-0012 at https://www.regulations.gov upon 
completion of processing and within seven to ten days after the 
relevant deadline for submission.

Afghanistan Added to SAARC

    Section 507(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 
2467(2)), authorizes the President to provide that all members of an 
association of countries which is a free trade area or customs union, 
or which is contributing to comprehensive regional economic integration 
among its members through appropriate means, including, but not limited 
to, the reduction of duties, shall be treated as one country for 
purposes of the GSP. In Proclamation 7912 of June 29, 2005, the 
President determined that the members of the South Asian Association 
for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be treated as one country for 
the purposes of GSP, and SAARC members were added to general note 4(a) 
of the HTS. On December 29, 2006, in Proclamation 8098, the President, 
pursuant to section 507(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, announced that 
``Afghanistan is designated as a member of the South Asian Association 
for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for purposes of the GSP on the date 
that it becomes a SAARC member. The United States Trade Representative 
shall announce such a date in a notice published in the Federal 
Register.'' The United States Trade Representative hereby announces 
that as of April 3, 2007, Afghanistan became a SAARC member for the 
purposes of the GSP.

William D. Jackson,
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Generalized System 
of Preferences and Chair of the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy 
Staff Committee, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2012-17023 Filed 7-11-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F2-PDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.