Request for Public Comments To Compile the Reports on Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade, 65760-65761 [2012-26537]

Download as PDF 65760 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 210 / Tuesday, October 30, 2012 / Notices the ratio of the national average wage index for 2011 ($42,979.61) to that for 1997 ($27,426.00) produces the amount of $1,567.11. We then round this amount to $1,600. Accordingly, the election worker coverage threshold amount is $1,600 for 2013. OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: Program Nos. 96.001 Social SecurityDisability Insurance; 96.002 Social SecurityRetirement Insurance; 96.004 Social SecuritySurvivors Insurance; 96.006 Supplemental Security Income) AGENCY: Dated: October 23, 2012. Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security. [FR Doc. 2012–26663 Filed 10–29–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4191–02–P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8077] wreier-aviles on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES U.S. National Commission for UNESCO; Notice of Meeting The U.S. National Commission for UNESCO will host its Annual Meeting on Monday, November 26, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. E.S.T. The meeting will convene in room 309 of the George Washington University Marvin Center at 800 21st Street NW., Washington, DC. The meeting will have a series of speakers offering information about UNESCO and the current state of United States engagement with the Organization. The meeting will also feature a public comment session, limited to approximately 15 minutes in total, with two minutes allowed per speaker. For more information or to arrange to participate in this meeting (including requests for reasonable accommodation), individuals should contact Francine Randolph, Office of UNESCO Affairs, Washington, DC 20037. Telephone (202) 663–0026; Fax (202) 663–0035. The National Commission may be contacted via email at DCUNESCO@state.gov, or via phone at (202) 663–0026. Its Web site can be accessed at: https://www.state.gov/p/io/ unesco/. Dated: October 19, 2012. Kelly O. Siekman, National Commission for UNESCO, Department of State. [FR Doc. 2012–26673 Filed 10–29–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–19–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 13:17 Oct 29, 2012 Jkt 229001 Request for Public Comments To Compile the Reports on Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments. Pursuant to section 181 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2241), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is required to publish annually the Reports on Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade. With this notice, the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting interested persons to submit comments to assist it in identifying significant sanitary and phytosanitary and standards-related barriers to U.S. exports of goods for inclusion in these two reports. These reports were published as the 2012 Report on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (2012 SPS Report) and the 2012 Report on Technical Barriers to Trade (2012 TBT Report) respectively. The TPSC invites written comments from the public on issues that USTR should examine in preparing the SPS and TBT Reports. DATES: Public comments are due not later than November 15, 2012. ADDRESSES: Submissions should be made via the Internet at www.regulations.gov under the following dockets (based on the subject matter of the submission): SPS Measures: USTR–2012–0032. Standards-related Measures: USTR– 2012–0033. For alternatives to on-line submissions please contact TBD USTR (202–395–3475). The public is strongly encouraged to file submissions electronically rather than by facsimile or mail. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the SPS Report or substantive questions or comments concerning SPS measures should be directed to Jane Doherty, Director of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Affairs, USTR (202–395–6127). Questions regarding the TBT Report or substantive questions or comments concerning standards-related measures should be directed to Jennifer Stradtman, Director, Technical Barriers to Trade, USTR (202– 395–4498). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SPS and TBT Reports set out inventories of SPS and standards-related non-tariff SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00099 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 barriers to trade. These inventories facilitate U.S. negotiations aimed at reducing or eliminating these barriers. The reports also provide a valuable tool in enforcing U.S. trade laws and strengthening the rules-based trading system. The 2012 and earlier SPS and TBT Reports may be found on USTR’s Internet Home Page (https:// www.ustr.gov) under ‘‘USTR News’’ under the tab ‘‘Reports’’. To ensure compliance with the applicable statutory mandate and the Obama Administration’s commitment to focus on the most significant foreign trade barriers, USTR will be guided by the existence of active private sector interest in deciding which restrictions to include in the SPS and TBT Reports. Topics on which the TPSC Seeks Information: To assist USTR in the preparation of the SPS and TBT Reports, commenters should submit information related to:(1) SPS measures; or(2) standards-related measures (including standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures). Such measures should constitute significant foreign trade barriers to U.S. exports. SPS and TBT Reports: On April 2, 2012, USTR released two reports focusing on foreign trade barriers—one on SPS measures (SPS Report) and the other on standards-related measures (TBT report). USTR also released SPS and TBT Reports in 2011 and 2010. These reports serve as tools to bring greater attention and focus to resolving SPS and standards-related measures that may be inconsistent with international trade agreements to which the United States is a party or that otherwise act as significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. USTR plans to use comments on SPS and standards-related measures submitted pursuant to this notice in producing these two reports. The following information describing SPS and standards-related measures may help commenters to file submissions on particular foreign trade barriers under the appropriate docket. SPS Measures: Generally, SPS measures are measures applied to protect the life or health of humans, animals, and plants from risks arising from additives, contaminants, pests, toxins, diseases, or disease-carrying and causing organisms. SPS measures can take such forms as specific product or processing standards, requirements for products to be produced in disease-free areas, quarantine regulations, certification or inspection procedures, sampling and testing requirements, health-related labeling measures, maximum permissible pesticide residue E:\FR\FM\30OCN1.SGM 30OCN1 wreier-aviles on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 210 / Tuesday, October 30, 2012 / Notices levels, and prohibitions on certain food additives. Standards-related Measures: Standards-related measures comprise standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures, such as mandatory process or design standards, labeling or registration requirements, and testing or certification procedures. Standardsrelated measures can be applied not only to industrial products but to agricultural products as well, such as food nutrition labeling schemes and food quality or identity requirements. For further information on SPS and standards-related measures and additional detail on the types of comments that would assist USTR in identifying and addressing significant trade-restrictive SPS and standardsrelated measures, please see ‘‘Supporting & Related Materials’’ under dockets USTR–2012–0032 and USTR– 2012–0033 at www.regulations.gov. The previously released SPS and TBT Reports also contain extensive information on SPS and standardsrelated measures that commenters may find useful in preparing comments in response to this notice. In responding to this notice with respect to the two reports, commenters should place particular emphasis on any practices that may violate U.S. trade agreements. The TPSC is also interested in receiving new or updated information pertinent to the barriers covered in the 2012 SPS and TBT Reports as well as information on new barriers. If USTR does not include in the 2013 SPS or TBT Reports information that USTR receives pursuant to this notice, USTR will maintain the information for potential use in future discussions or negotiations with trading partners. Estimate of Increase in Exports: Each comment should include an estimate of the potential increase in U.S. exports that would result from removing any foreign trade barrier the comment identifies, as well as a description of the methodology the commenter used to derive the estimate. Estimates should be expressed within the following value ranges: Less than $5 million; $5 to $25 million; $25 million to $50 million; $50 million to $100 million; $100 million to $500 million; or over $500 million. These estimates will help USTR conduct comparative analyses of a barrier’s effect over a range of industries. Requirements for Submissions: Commenters providing information on SPS or standards-related measures in more than one country should, whenever possible, provide a separate submission for each country. VerDate Mar<15>2010 13:17 Oct 29, 2012 Jkt 229001 In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line submissions, using the https://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments should be submitted under one of the following dockets (depending on the subject of the comment): SPS Measures: USTR–2012–0032. Standards-related Measures: USTR– 2012–0033. To find these dockets, enter the pertinent docket number in the ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID’’ window at the https:// www.regulations.gov home page and click ‘‘Search.’’ The site will provide a search-results page listing all documents associated with that docket number. Find a reference to this notice by selecting ‘‘Notices’’ under ‘‘Document Type’’ on the search-results page, and click on the link entitled ‘‘Submit a Comment.’’ (For further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the ‘‘Help’’ tab.) The https://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached document. If a document is attached, please identify the name of the country to which the submission pertains in the ‘‘Comments’’ field. For example: ‘‘See attached comment on SPS measures for (name of country)’’ or ‘‘See attached comment on standardsrelated measures for (name of country)’’. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). For any comments submitted electronically containing business confidential information, the file name of the business confidential version should begin with the characters ‘‘BC’’. The top of any page containing business confidential information must be clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’. Any person filing comments that contain business confidential information must also file in a separate submission a public version of the comments. The file name of the public version of the comments should begin with the character ‘‘P’’. The ‘‘BC’’ and ‘‘P’’ should be followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. If a comment contains no business confidential information, the file name should begin with the character ‘‘P’’, followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a cover letter in the comments PO 00000 Frm 00100 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 65761 themselves. Similarly, to the extent possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files. Public Inspection of Submissions Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection except confidential business information exempt from public inspection. Comments may be viewed on the https://www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant docket number in the search field on the home page. Douglas M. Bell, Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee. [FR Doc. 2012–26537 Filed 10–29–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3290–F3–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration [Summary Notice No. PE–2012–40] Petition for Exemption; Summary of Petition Received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of petition for exemption received. AGENCY: This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 25. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public’s awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA’s regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition. DATES: Comments on this petition must identify the petition docket number involved and must be received on or before November 19, 2012. ADDRESSES: You may send comments identified by Docket Number FAA– 2012–0956 using any of the following methods: • Government-wide rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your comments electronically. • Mail: Send comments to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590. • Fax: Fax comments to the Docket Management Facility at 202–493–2251. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\30OCN1.SGM 30OCN1

Agencies

Office of the United States Trade Representative

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65760-65761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26537]


=======================================================================
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Public Comments To Compile the Reports on Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 181 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended 
(19 U.S.C. 2241), the Office of the United States Trade Representative 
(USTR) is required to publish annually the Reports on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade. With this notice, the 
Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is requesting interested persons to 
submit comments to assist it in identifying significant sanitary and 
phytosanitary and standards-related barriers to U.S. exports of goods 
for inclusion in these two reports.
    These reports were published as the 2012 Report on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (2012 SPS Report) and the 2012 Report on 
Technical Barriers to Trade (2012 TBT Report) respectively. The TPSC 
invites written comments from the public on issues that USTR should 
examine in preparing the SPS and TBT Reports.

DATES: Public comments are due not later than November 15, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submissions should be made via the Internet at 
www.regulations.gov under the following dockets (based on the subject 
matter of the submission):
    SPS Measures: USTR-2012-0032.
    Standards-related Measures: USTR-2012-0033.
    For alternatives to on-line submissions please contact TBD USTR 
(202-395-3475). The public is strongly encouraged to file submissions 
electronically rather than by facsimile or mail.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the SPS Report or 
substantive questions or comments concerning SPS measures should be 
directed to Jane Doherty, Director of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Affairs, USTR (202-395-6127). Questions regarding the TBT Report or 
substantive questions or comments concerning standards-related measures 
should be directed to Jennifer Stradtman, Director, Technical Barriers 
to Trade, USTR (202-395-4498).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SPS and TBT Reports set out inventories 
of SPS and standards-related non-tariff barriers to trade. These 
inventories facilitate U.S. negotiations aimed at reducing or 
eliminating these barriers. The reports also provide a valuable tool in 
enforcing U.S. trade laws and strengthening the rules-based trading 
system. The 2012 and earlier SPS and TBT Reports may be found on USTR's 
Internet Home Page (https://www.ustr.gov) under ``USTR News'' under the 
tab ``Reports''.
    To ensure compliance with the applicable statutory mandate and the 
Obama Administration's commitment to focus on the most significant 
foreign trade barriers, USTR will be guided by the existence of active 
private sector interest in deciding which restrictions to include in 
the SPS and TBT Reports.
    Topics on which the TPSC Seeks Information: To assist USTR in the 
preparation of the SPS and TBT Reports, commenters should submit 
information related to:(1) SPS measures; or(2) standards-related 
measures (including standards, technical regulations, and conformity 
assessment procedures). Such measures should constitute significant 
foreign trade barriers to U.S. exports.
    SPS and TBT Reports: On April 2, 2012, USTR released two reports 
focusing on foreign trade barriers--one on SPS measures (SPS Report) 
and the other on standards-related measures (TBT report). USTR also 
released SPS and TBT Reports in 2011 and 2010. These reports serve as 
tools to bring greater attention and focus to resolving SPS and 
standards-related measures that may be inconsistent with international 
trade agreements to which the United States is a party or that 
otherwise act as significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. USTR 
plans to use comments on SPS and standards-related measures submitted 
pursuant to this notice in producing these two reports.
    The following information describing SPS and standards-related 
measures may help commenters to file submissions on particular foreign 
trade barriers under the appropriate docket.
    SPS Measures: Generally, SPS measures are measures applied to 
protect the life or health of humans, animals, and plants from risks 
arising from additives, contaminants, pests, toxins, diseases, or 
disease-carrying and causing organisms. SPS measures can take such 
forms as specific product or processing standards, requirements for 
products to be produced in disease-free areas, quarantine regulations, 
certification or inspection procedures, sampling and testing 
requirements, health-related labeling measures, maximum permissible 
pesticide residue

[[Page 65761]]

levels, and prohibitions on certain food additives.
    Standards-related Measures: Standards-related measures comprise 
standards, technical regulations, and conformity assessment procedures, 
such as mandatory process or design standards, labeling or registration 
requirements, and testing or certification procedures. Standards-
related measures can be applied not only to industrial products but to 
agricultural products as well, such as food nutrition labeling schemes 
and food quality or identity requirements.
    For further information on SPS and standards-related measures and 
additional detail on the types of comments that would assist USTR in 
identifying and addressing significant trade-restrictive SPS and 
standards-related measures, please see ``Supporting & Related 
Materials'' under dockets USTR-2012-0032 and USTR-2012-0033 at 
www.regulations.gov. The previously released SPS and TBT Reports also 
contain extensive information on SPS and standards-related measures 
that commenters may find useful in preparing comments in response to 
this notice.
    In responding to this notice with respect to the two reports, 
commenters should place particular emphasis on any practices that may 
violate U.S. trade agreements. The TPSC is also interested in receiving 
new or updated information pertinent to the barriers covered in the 
2012 SPS and TBT Reports as well as information on new barriers. If 
USTR does not include in the 2013 SPS or TBT Reports information that 
USTR receives pursuant to this notice, USTR will maintain the 
information for potential use in future discussions or negotiations 
with trading partners.
    Estimate of Increase in Exports: Each comment should include an 
estimate of the potential increase in U.S. exports that would result 
from removing any foreign trade barrier the comment identifies, as well 
as a description of the methodology the commenter used to derive the 
estimate. Estimates should be expressed within the following value 
ranges: Less than $5 million; $5 to $25 million; $25 million to $50 
million; $50 million to $100 million; $100 million to $500 million; or 
over $500 million. These estimates will help USTR conduct comparative 
analyses of a barrier's effect over a range of industries.
    Requirements for Submissions: Commenters providing information on 
SPS or standards-related measures in more than one country should, 
whenever possible, provide a separate submission for each country.
    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the https://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments 
should be submitted under one of the following dockets (depending on 
the subject of the comment):
    SPS Measures: USTR-2012-0032.
    Standards-related Measures: USTR-2012-0033.
    To find these dockets, enter the pertinent docket number in the 
``Enter Keyword or ID'' window at the https://www.regulations.gov home 
page and click ``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page 
listing all documents associated with that docket number. Find a 
reference to this notice by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document 
Type'' on the search-results page, and click on the link entitled 
``Submit a Comment.'' (For further information on using the 
www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources provided on 
the Web site by clicking on the ``Help'' tab.)
    The https://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of 
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a 
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached 
document. If a document is attached, please identify the name of the 
country to which the submission pertains in the ``Comments'' field. For 
example: ``See attached comment on SPS measures for (name of country)'' 
or ``See attached comment on standards-related measures for (name of 
country)''. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe 
Acrobat (.pdf).
    For any comments submitted electronically containing business 
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential 
version should begin with the characters ``BC''. The top of any page 
containing business confidential information must be clearly marked 
``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL''. Any person filing comments that contain 
business confidential information must also file in a separate 
submission a public version of the comments. The file name of the 
public version of the comments should begin with the character ``P''. 
The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be followed by the name of the person or 
entity submitting the comments. If a comment contains no business 
confidential information, the file name should begin with the character 
``P'', followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the 
comments.
    Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic 
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a 
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in 
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.

Public Inspection of Submissions

    Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection 
except confidential business information exempt from public inspection. 
Comments may be viewed on the https://www.regulations.gov Web site by 
entering the relevant docket number in the search field on the home 
page.

Douglas M. Bell,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2012-26537 Filed 10-29-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F3-P

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