Request for Public Comments on the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act: Report to Congress, 61444-61445 [2013-24166]

Download as PDF tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 61444 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2013 / Notices devastating impact on small valueadded distributers. As such, the commenter suggested that SBA analyze data to determine which specific bearings, if any, are manufactured by small manufacturers. A small businesses manufacturer of bearings expressed similar concern over the impact of a complete rescission of this class waiver. Several commenters supported the proposal for a total rescission of the class waiver. One commenter stated that the class waiver has resulted in severely limiting opportunities for small business manufacturers of these items and acted as a disincentive to a number of small business manufacturers to develop and sell products under this category. Another commenter supported the proposal on the basis that its participation in the federal arena was paramount to its continued viability. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) suggested a partial rescission of the class waiver, based on the possible damage to the small business dealer base that might result from a complete rescission of the class waiver. DLA provided a list of bearings for which there was no known small business manufacturers in existence. Another commenter expressed support for DLA’s recommendation of a partial rescission. The commenter noted that a partial rescission of the class waiver would strike the balance of meeting the Government’s needs while stimulating the growth and development of small business manufacturers of aerospace ball and roller bearings who have the capabilities and resources to meet standard commercial item descriptions. The commenter further noted that a partial rescission of the class waiver would not only invigorate domestic small business bearing manufacturers to develop new procedures and abilities, but it would also encourage others who have been on the side lines because of this waiver to reenter the market and some to enter the market. SBA considered all of the comments and data presented by all of the commenters. After conducting independent market analysis, analyzing the data submitted by DLA and small bearing manufacturers, and considering public comments, SBA has decided to partially rescind the Aerospace Ball and Roller Bearing Class Waiver and replace it with a waiver for 305 specifically identified aerospace ball and roller bearings, which can be viewed at: https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/ VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:29 Oct 02, 2013 Jkt 232001 files/NMR_WAIVED_3110_BEARING_ LIST.pdf. Judith Roussel, Director, Office of Government Contracting. [FR Doc. 2013–24210 Filed 10–2–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8025–01–P OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE Request for Public Comments on the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act: Report to Congress Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). ACTION: Notice and request for public comment. AGENCY: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is seeking the views of interested parties on the operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Section 212(f) of the CBERA, as amended, requires the President to submit a report to Congress regarding the operation of the CBERA and CBTPA (together commonly referred to as the Caribbean Basin Initiative, or CBI) on or before December 31, 2001, and every two years thereafter. The TPSC invites written comments concerning the operation of the CBI, including comments on the performance of each CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary country under the criteria described in sections 212(b), 212(c), and 213(b)(5)(B) of CBERA, as amended. This information will be used in the preparation of the report to Congress on the operation of the program. DATES: Public comments are due at USTR no later than 5 p.m., November 1, 2013. ADDRESSES: USTR strongly prefers electronic submissions made at https:// www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR–2013–0036 (see ‘‘Requirements for Submission’’ below). If you are unable to make a submission at www.regulations.gov, please contact Don Eiss, Trade Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395–3475 to make other arrangements. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning written comments, contact Don Eiss, Office of the United States Trade Representative, at (202) 395–3475. All other questions should be directed to Fran Huegel, Office of the Western Hemisphere, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00124 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Room 523, Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395–9588. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on any aspect of the program’s operation, including the performance of CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary countries, as the case may be, under the criteria described in sections 212(b), 212(c), and 213(b)(5)(B) of the CBERA, as amended. Those criteria may be accessed at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/ pkg/USCODE-2011-title19/html/ USCODE-2011-title19-chap15.htm and are summarized below. Other issues to be examined in this report include: The CBI’s effect on the volume and composition of trade and investment between the United States and the Caribbean Basin beneficiary countries; and its effect on advancing U.S. trade policy goals as set forth in the CBTPA. The following countries are both CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary countries: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines currently receive benefits only under CBERA. Panama ceased to be designated as a beneficiary country when the Panama-United States Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012. Eligibility Criteria for CBI Beneficiary Countries In determining whether to designate a country as a CBTPA beneficiary country, the President must take into account the criteria contained in sections 212(b) and (c) of CBERA, and other appropriate criteria, including, inter alia, the following: (1) Whether the beneficiary country has demonstrated a commitment to undertake its obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) on or ahead of schedule and participate in negotiations toward the completion of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) or another free trade agreement. (2) The extent to which the country provides protection of intellectual property rights consistent with or greater than the protection afforded under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. (3) The extent to which the country provides internationally recognized worker rights including— (I) The right of association; (II) The right to organize and bargain collectively; (III) A prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory labor; E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM 03OCN1 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 192 / Thursday, October 3, 2013 / Notices (IV) A minimum age for the employment of children; and (V) Acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. (4) Whether the country has implemented its commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, as defined in Section 507(6) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. (5) The extent to which the country has met U.S. counter-narcotics certification criteria under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. (6) The extent to which the country has taken steps to become a party to and implement the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption. (7) The extent to which the country applies transparent, nondiscriminatory and competitive procedures in government procurement, and contributes to efforts in international fora to develop and implement rules on transparency in government procurement. Additionally, before a country can receive benefits under the CBTPA, the President must also determine that the country has satisfied the requirements of section 213(b)(4)(A)(ii) of CBERA (19 U.S.C. 2703(b)(4)(A)(ii)) relating to the implementation of procedures and requirements similar in all material aspects to the relevant procedures and requirements contained in chapter 5 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Requirements for Submissions. All comments must be submitted in English and must identify (on the first page of the submission) the subject matter of the comment as the ‘‘CBI Report to Congress.’’ In order to be assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by November 1, 2013. In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line submissions via https:// www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via https:// www.regulations.gov, enter docket: USTR–2013–0036. To find the docket, enter the docket number on the home page https://www.regulations.gov home page and click ‘‘go.’’ The site will provide a search-results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice on the search-results page, and click on the link entitled ‘‘Comment Now!.’’ (For further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the ‘‘How to Use This Site’’.) VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:29 Oct 02, 2013 Jkt 232001 ‘‘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. We expect that most submissions will be provided in an attached document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ‘‘See attached’’ in the ‘‘Type Comment’’ field. Submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) are preferred. If an application other than those two is used, please identify in your submission the specific application used. For any comments submitted electronically containing business confidential information, the file name of the business confidential version should begin with the characters ‘‘BC’’ and must be submitted separately from the public version. Any page containing business confidential information must be clearly marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’ on the top of that page. If you file comments containing business confidential information you must also submit a public version of the comments under a separate submission. The file name of the public version 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 you submit comments that contain no business confidential information, the file name should begin with the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. Electronic submissions should not attach separate cover letters; rather, information that might appear in a cover letter should be included in the comments you submit. Similarly, to the extent possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments to a submission in the same file as the submission itself and not as separate files. We strongly urge submitters to use electronic filing. If an on-line submission is impossible, alternative arrangements must be made with Mr. Eiss prior to delivery for the receipt of such submissions. Mr. Eiss may be contacted at (202) 395–3475. General information concerning the Office of the United States Trade Representative may be obtained by accessing its Internet Web site (https://www.ustr.gov). John Melle, Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere. [FR Doc. 2013–24166 Filed 10–2–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3290–F3–P PO 00000 Frm 00125 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 61445 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Seventy-Sixth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 147, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems Airborne Equipment Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Meeting Notice of RTCA Special Committee 147, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems Airborne Equipment. AGENCY: The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of the Seventy-Sixth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 147, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance Systems Airborne Equipment. SUMMARY: The meeting will be held October 22–24, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at RTCA, Inc., 1150 18th Street NW., Suite 910, Washington, DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The RTCA Secretariat, 1150 18th Street NW., Suite 910, Washington, DC 20036, or by telephone at (202) 833–9339, fax at (202) 833–9434, or Web site at https:// www.rtca.org. DATES: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 463, 5 U.S.C., App.), notice is hereby given for a meeting of Special Committee 147. The agenda will include the following: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: October 22 • Opening Plenary Session • Chairmen’s Opening Remarks • Introductions • Approval of Minutes from 75th meeting of SC 147 • Approval of Agenda • Working Group Reports • SC–147 Terms of Reference (ToRs) • Scope, Deliverables and Schedule • Coordination with other SCs • EUROCAE Working Group (WG)–75 Status • Status of Current Activities • SESAR Activities/Work • Status of Current Activities • AVS Activities/Report • TCAS II TSO–C119d/AC 20–151 () updates • FAA TCAS Program Office • Status of Current Activities • ACAS X Concept Review E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM 03OCN1

Agencies

Office of the United States Trade Representative

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61444-61445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24166]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Public Comments on the Caribbean Basin Economic 
Recovery Act and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act: Report to 
Congress

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

ACTION: Notice and request for public comment.

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

SUMMARY: The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is seeking the views 
of interested parties on the operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic 
Recovery Act (CBERA), as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade 
Partnership Act (CBTPA) (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Section 212(f) of the 
CBERA, as amended, requires the President to submit a report to 
Congress regarding the operation of the CBERA and CBTPA (together 
commonly referred to as the Caribbean Basin Initiative, or CBI) on or 
before December 31, 2001, and every two years thereafter. The TPSC 
invites written comments concerning the operation of the CBI, including 
comments on the performance of each CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary country 
under the criteria described in sections 212(b), 212(c), and 
213(b)(5)(B) of CBERA, as amended. This information will be used in the 
preparation of the report to Congress on the operation of the program.

DATES: Public comments are due at USTR no later than 5 p.m., November 
1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: USTR strongly prefers electronic submissions made at https://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2013-0036 (see ``Requirements 
for Submission'' below). If you are unable to make a submission at 
www.regulations.gov, please contact Don Eiss, Trade Policy Staff 
Committee, at (202) 395-3475 to make other arrangements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
written comments, contact Don Eiss, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, at (202) 395-3475. All other questions should be 
directed to Fran Huegel, Office of the Western Hemisphere, Office of 
the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., Room 523, 
Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-9588.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to submit 
comments on any aspect of the program's operation, including the 
performance of CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary countries, as the case may 
be, under the criteria described in sections 212(b), 212(c), and 
213(b)(5)(B) of the CBERA, as amended. Those criteria may be accessed 
at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title19/html/USCODE-2011-title19-chap15.htm and are summarized below. Other issues to be 
examined in this report include: The CBI's effect on the volume and 
composition of trade and investment between the United States and the 
Caribbean Basin beneficiary countries; and its effect on advancing U.S. 
trade policy goals as set forth in the CBTPA. The following countries 
are both CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary countries: Barbados, Belize, 
Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Antigua 
and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, 
Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the 
Grenadines currently receive benefits only under CBERA. Panama ceased 
to be designated as a beneficiary country when the Panama-United States 
Trade Promotion Agreement entered into force on October 31, 2012.

Eligibility Criteria for CBI Beneficiary Countries

    In determining whether to designate a country as a CBTPA 
beneficiary country, the President must take into account the criteria 
contained in sections 212(b) and (c) of CBERA, and other appropriate 
criteria, including, inter alia, the following:
    (1) Whether the beneficiary country has demonstrated a commitment 
to undertake its obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
on or ahead of schedule and participate in negotiations toward the 
completion of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) or another 
free trade agreement.
    (2) The extent to which the country provides protection of 
intellectual property rights consistent with or greater than the 
protection afforded under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights.
    (3) The extent to which the country provides internationally 
recognized worker rights including--
    (I) The right of association;
    (II) The right to organize and bargain collectively;
    (III) A prohibition on the use of any form of forced or compulsory 
labor;

[[Page 61445]]

    (IV) A minimum age for the employment of children; and
    (V) Acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, 
hours of work, and occupational safety and health.
    (4) Whether the country has implemented its commitments to 
eliminate the worst forms of child labor, as defined in Section 507(6) 
of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.
    (5) The extent to which the country has met U.S. counter-narcotics 
certification criteria under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
    (6) The extent to which the country has taken steps to become a 
party to and implement the Inter-American Convention Against 
Corruption.
    (7) The extent to which the country applies transparent, 
nondiscriminatory and competitive procedures in government procurement, 
and contributes to efforts in international fora to develop and 
implement rules on transparency in government procurement.
    Additionally, before a country can receive benefits under the 
CBTPA, the President must also determine that the country has satisfied 
the requirements of section 213(b)(4)(A)(ii) of CBERA (19 U.S.C. 
2703(b)(4)(A)(ii)) relating to the implementation of procedures and 
requirements similar in all material aspects to the relevant procedures 
and requirements contained in chapter 5 of the North American Free 
Trade Agreement.
    Requirements for Submissions. All comments must be submitted in 
English and must identify (on the first page of the submission) the 
subject matter of the comment as the ``CBI Report to Congress.'' In 
order to be assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by 
November 1, 2013.
    In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions via https://www.regulations.gov. To submit comments via 
https://www.regulations.gov, enter docket: USTR-2013-0036. To find the 
docket, enter the docket number on the home page https://www.regulations.gov home page and click ``go.'' The site will provide a 
search-results page listing all documents associated with this docket. 
Find a reference to this notice on the search-results page, and click 
on the link entitled ``Comment Now!.'' (For further information on 
using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources 
provided on the Web site by clicking on the ``How to Use This Site''.)
    ``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. We expect that 
most submissions will be provided in an attached document. If a 
document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See attached'' in the 
``Type Comment'' field.
    Submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) are 
preferred. If an application other than those two is used, please 
identify in your submission the specific application used. For any 
comments submitted electronically containing business confidential 
information, the file name of the business confidential version should 
begin with the characters ``BC'' and must be submitted separately from 
the public version. Any page containing business confidential 
information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top 
of that page. If you file comments containing business confidential 
information you must also submit a public version of the comments under 
a separate submission. The file name of the public version 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 you submit 
comments that contain no business confidential information, the file 
name should begin with the name of the person or entity submitting the 
comments. Electronic submissions should not attach separate cover 
letters; rather, information that might appear in a cover letter should 
be included in the comments you submit. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments to 
a submission in the same file as the submission itself and not as 
separate files.
    We strongly urge submitters to use electronic filing. If an on-line 
submission is impossible, alternative arrangements must be made with 
Mr. Eiss prior to delivery for the receipt of such submissions. Mr. 
Eiss may be contacted at (202) 395-3475. General information concerning 
the Office of the United States Trade Representative may be obtained by 
accessing its Internet Web site (https://www.ustr.gov).

John Melle,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Western 
Hemisphere.
[FR Doc. 2013-24166 Filed 10-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F3-P

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