Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice of a GSP Product Review, Including Possible Actions Related to Competitive Need Limitations, 38501-38504 [2015-16498]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 2015 / Notices SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION [Docket No. SSA 2014–0051] Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program (Social Security Administration (SSA)/ Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA))—Match Number 1309 AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA). Notice of a renewal of an existing computer matching program that will expire on April 01, 2015. ACTION: In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a renewal of an existing computer matching program that we are currently conducting with VA/VBA. DATES: We will file a report of the subject matching program with the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The matching program will be effective as indicated below. ADDRESSES: Interested parties may comment on this notice by either telefaxing to (410) 966–0869 or writing to the Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, Social Security Administration, 617 Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235–6401. All comments received will be available for public inspection at this address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel, as shown above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES A. General The Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L.100–503), amended the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) by describing the conditions under which computer matching involving the Federal government could be performed and adding certain protections for persons applying for, and receiving, Federal benefits. Section 7201 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–508) further amended the Privacy Act regarding protections for such persons. The Privacy Act, as amended, regulates the use of computer matching by Federal agencies when records in a system of records are matched with VerDate Sep<11>2014 14:37 Jul 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 other Federal, State, or local government records. It requires Federal agencies involved in computer matching programs to: (1) Negotiate written agreements with the other agency or agencies participating in the matching programs; (2) Obtain approval of the matching agreement by the Data Integrity Boards of the participating Federal agencies; (3) Publish notice of the computer matching program in the Federal Register; (4) Furnish detailed reports about matching programs to Congress and OMB; (5) Notify applicants and beneficiaries that their records are subject to matching; and (6) Verify match findings before reducing, suspending, terminating, or denying a person’s benefits or payments. B. SSA Computer Matches Subject to the Privacy Act We have taken action to ensure that all of our computer matching programs comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act, as amended. Kirsten J. Moncada, Executive Director, Office of Privacy and Disclosure, Office of the General Counsel. Notice of Computer Matching Program, SSA With the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) 38501 D. CATEGORIES OF RECORDS AND PERSONS COVERED BY THE MATCHING PROGRAM 1. SYSTEMS OF RECORDS VA will provide us with electronic files containing compensation and pension payment data from its system of records (SOR) entitled ‘‘Compensation, Pension, Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Records–VA’’ (58VA/21/22/28), republished with updated name at 74 FR 14865 (April 1, 2009) and last amended at 77 FR 42593 (July 19, 2012). We will match the VA data with our SOR 60–0321, Medicare Database (MDB), last published at 71 FR 42159 (July 25, 2006). 2. NUMBER OF RECORDS VA’s data file will consist of approximately 4.9 million electronic records. Our comparison file contains approximately 90 million records obtained from the MDB. The number of people who apply for Extra Help determines in part the number of records matched. 3. SPECIFIED DATA ELEMENTS We will conduct the match using the Social Security number, name, date of birth, and VA claim number on both the VA file and the MDB. 4. FREQUENCY OF MATCHING VA will furnish us with an electronic file containing VA compensation and pension payment data monthly. The actual matching will take place approximately the first week of every month. A. PARTICIPATING AGENCIES E. INCLUSIVE DATES OF THE MATCHING PROGRAM SSA and VA/VBA The effective date of this matching program is April 02, 2015 provided that the following notice periods have lapsed: 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register and 40 days after notice of the matching program is sent to Congress and OMB. The matching program will continue for 18 months from the effective date and, if both agencies meet certain conditions, it may extend for an additional 12 months thereafter. B. PURPOSE OF THE MATCHING PROGRAM The purpose of this matching program is to provide us with VA compensation and pension payment data. This disclosure will provide us with information necessary to verify an individual’s self-certification of eligibility for the Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs program (Extra Help). It will also enable us to identify individuals who may qualify for Extra Help as part of our Medicare outreach efforts. C. AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING THE MATCHING PROGRAM The legal authority for VA to disclose information under this agreement is 1631(f) of the Social Security Act (Act) (42 U.S.C. 1383(f)). The legal authorities for us to conduct this computer matching are 1860D–14(a)(3), 1144(a)(1), and 1144(b)(1) of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114 and 1320b–14). PO 00000 Frm 00075 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 [FR Doc. 2015–16433 Filed 7–2–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4191–02–P OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice of a GSP Product Review, Including Possible Actions Related to Competitive Need Limitations Office of the United States Trade Representative. AGENCY: E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1 38502 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 2015 / Notices Notice of hearing and solicitation of petitions and comments. ACTION: This notice announces a review of products under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program that based on full-year 2014 import data, are subject to certain actions related to competitive need limitations (CNLs). The review will also consider the proposed designation for GSP eligibility of five cotton products from least developed beneficiary developing countries (LDBDCs). The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will accept petitions by interested parties seeking waivers of CNLs for certain products submitted by July 31, 2015. USTR will also accept comments from the public submitted by July 31, 2015, regarding: (1) Possible de minimis CNL waivers, (2) possible redesignations of articles not currently eligible for GSP benefits, (3) possible revocation of CNL waivers, and (4) the proposed designation for GSP eligibility for LDBDCs of the five cotton products. This notice also sets forth the schedule for submitting comments and for a public hearing on prospective CNL waiver petitions and the proposed designation of the cotton products. DATES: July 31, 2015: Deadline for petitions requesting waivers of CNLs and for all other written comments in response to this notice. July 31, 2015: Deadline for prehearing briefs and requests to appear at the August 11 public hearing regarding CNL waiver petitions and the proposed designation of the cotton products. August 11, 2015: The GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will convene a public hearing on CNL waiver petitions and the proposed designation of the cotton products. August 18, 2015: Deadline for submission of post-hearing briefs and comments. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marin Weaver, GSP Program, Office of the United States Trade Representative. The telephone number is (202) 395– 2974, the fax number is (202) 395–9674, and the email address is MWeaver@ ustr.eop.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES I. Competitive Need Limitations The GSP program provides for the duty-free importation of designated articles imported from designated beneficiary developing countries (BDCs). The GSP program is authorized by Title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.), as amended (‘‘the VerDate Sep<11>2014 14:37 Jul 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 1974 Act’’). The GSP program expired on July 31, 2013. GSP was reauthorized on June 29, 2015, by the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015. The GSP program is now effective through December 31, 2017, with retroactive effect through July 31, 2013. Section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act sets out the two CNLs. When the President determines that a BDC exported to the United States during a calendar year either: (1) A quantity of a GSP-eligible article having a value in excess of the applicable amount for that year ($165 million for 2014), or (2) a quantity of a GSP-eligible article having a value equal to or greater than 50 percent of the value of total U.S. imports of the article from all countries (the ‘‘50 percent’’ CNL), the President must terminate GSP duty-free treatment for that article from that BDC by no later than July 1 of the next calendar year, unless a waiver is granted. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 provides that the applicable deadline for all CNL-related actions based on import data from 2014, will be October 1, 2015. De minimis waivers: Under section 503(c)(2)(F) of the 1974 Act, the President may waive the 50 percent CNL with respect to an eligible article imported from a BDC if the value of total imports of that article from all countries during the calendar year did not exceed the applicable de minimis amount for that year ($22 million for 2014). Redesignations: Under section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act, if imports of an eligible article from a BDC ceased to receive duty-free treatment due to exceeding a CNL in a prior year, the President may, subject to the considerations in sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act, redesignate such an article for duty-free treatment if imports in the most recently completed calendar year did not exceed the CNLs. CNL waiver revocation: Under Section 503(d)(5) of the 1974 Act, a CNL waiver remains in effect until the President determines that it is no longer warranted due to changed circumstances. Section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act, as amended by Public Law 109–432, also provides that, ‘‘[n]ot later than July 1 of each year, the President should revoke any waiver that has then been in effect with respect to an article for five years or more if the beneficiary developing country has exported to the United States (directly or indirectly) during the preceding calendar year a quantity of the article— (I) having an appraised value in excess of 1.5 times the applicable amount set forth in subsection (c)(2)(A)(ii) for that calendar year ($247.5 million in 2012); PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 or (II) exceeding 75 percent of the appraised value of the total imports of that article into the United States during that calendar year.’’ Pursuant to the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, exclusions from GSP duty-free treatment where CNLs have been exceeded for calendar year 2014 will be effective October 1, 2015, unless granted a waiver by the President. Any CNL-based exclusions, CNL waiver revocations, and decisions with respect to de minimis waivers and redesignations will be based on full 2014 calendar year import data. II. 2014 Import Statistics In order to provide notice of articles that have exceeded the CNLs for 2014 and to afford an opportunity for comment regarding (1) potential de minimis waivers, (2) potential redesignations, and (3) the potential revocation of waivers for articles exceeding the CNL waiver thresholds for 2014, USTR has posted product lists on the USTR Web site at https:// ustr.gov/issue-areas/trade-development/ preference-programs/generalizedsystem-preference-gsp/current-review-0 under the title ‘‘GSP: 2014/2015 Limited Product Review.’’ These lists can also be found at www.regulations.gov in Docket Number USTR–2015–0007. Full 2014 calendar year data for individual tariff subheadings may also be viewed on the Web site of the U.S. International Trade Commission at https://dataweb.usitc.gov. The lists available on the USTR Web site contain, for each article, the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) of the United States subheading and BDC country of origin, the value of imports of the article from the subject BDC for the 2014 calendar year, and that country’s share of total U.S. imports of that article. List I on the USTR Web site shows the following two GSP-eligible articles— both from Thailand—that exceeded a CNL in 2014 by having been exported in a quantity equal to or greater than 50 percent of the total U.S. import value, in 2014: • HTS 2008.19.15—Coconuts otherwise prepared or preserved; and • HTS 7408.29.10—Copper alloys (other than brass, cupro-nickel or nickelsilver), wire, coated or plated with metal These products will be removed from eligibility for GSP for the subject countries on October 1, 2015, unless the President grants a waiver for the product for Thailand in response to a petition filed by an interested party. List II identifies GSP-eligible articles from BDCs that are above the 50 percent E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 2015 / Notices CNL, but that are eligible for a de minimis waiver of the 50 percent CNL. Articles eligible for de minimis waivers are automatically considered in the GSP annual review process, without the filing of a petition. List III shows GSP-eligible articles from certain BDCs that are currently not receiving GSP duty-free treatment but that may be considered for GSP redesignation based on 2014 trade data and consideration of certain statutory factors. List IV shows the following three articles from specified BDCs that are subject to CNL waiver revocation based on the provisions of Section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act, as amended by Public Law 109–432: • HTS 4412.31.40—(for Indonesia) Certain plywood sheets not over 6 mm thick; • HTS 7413.00.10—(for Turkey) Certain copper, stranded wire; • HTS 7413.00.50—(for Turkey) Certain copper cables and plaited bands. Petitions from interested parties seeking a waiver of the application of CNLs for the two products on List I, and comments from the public in support of or in opposition to CNL waivers, revocations of CNL waivers, and redesignation of products are invited in accordance with the Requirements for Submissions below. Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES III. Possible Designation of New Products Pursuant to authority granted to the President in Section 202 of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 and consistent with USTR’s December 2011 announcement of trade initiatives intended to enable least-developed countries to benefit more fully from global trade, five cotton products are being considered for GSP eligibility for LDBDCs at the initiative of USTR. These include: • HTS 5201.00.18, 5201.00.28, and 5201.00.38—Certain cotton, not carded or combed, of various specified staple lengths • HTS 5202.99.30—Certain cotton card strips made from cotton waste; and • HTS 5203.00.30—Certain cotton fibers, carded or combed. Comments from the public in support of or in opposition to designation of the proposed product additions are invited in accordance with the Requirements for Submissions below. IV. Petitions and Public Comments The GSP regulations (15 CFR part 2007) provide the schedule of dates for conducting an annual review unless otherwise specified in a notice VerDate Sep<11>2014 14:37 Jul 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 published in the Federal Register. The schedule for the 2015 GSP Annual Review will be notified at a later date in the Federal Register. In the interim, and pursuant to Section 203 of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC will conduct a limited GSP review encompassing products that, based on full-year 2014 import data, are subject to CNL-related actions, including exclusions, waivers, and revocation of waivers, as well as redesignations. These products appear on Lists I—IV described above. In addition, the review will also consider the designation of the five cotton products mentioned above as eligible for GSP benefits for LDBDCs of the GSP program. As part of this limited GSP product review, the GSP Subcommittee will accept petitions from interested parties seeking a waiver of the application of CNLs for the two products on List I, described above. The GSP Subcommittee also invites comments in support of or in opposition to: (1) The CNL waiver petitions which it is anticipated will be submitted for the two products on List I; (2) de minimis waivers of CNLs (see List II); (3) redesignations of products that were previously excluded from certain countries based on CNLs (see List III); (4) revocation of CNL waivers (see List IV); and (5) the proposed addition to GSP eligibility for LDBDCs only of the five cotton products listed above. Procedures for submission of both petitions and written comments are described in Section VI below. V. Notice of Public Hearing In addition to comments from the public on the matters listed above, the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC will convene a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, to receive testimony related to (1) the CNL waiver petitions for products on List I, and (2) the proposed designation of the five cotton products. The hearing will not address de minimis waivers, product redesignations, or CNL waiver revocations. The hearing will be held at 1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20508 and will be open to the public and to the press. A transcript of the hearing will be made available on https:// www.regulations.gov within approximately two weeks of the hearing. 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) PO 00000 Frm 00077 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 38503 representing their organization by 5 p.m., Friday, July 31, 2015. 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., Friday, July 31, 2015. 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 requirements set out below and are submitted, in English, by 5 p.m., Tuesday, August 18, 2015. Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearing may submit pre-hearing and posthearing briefs or comments by the aforementioned deadlines. VI. Requirements for Submissions Written comments submitted in response to this notice, including petitions for CNL waivers, must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m., July 31, 2015, using www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR–2015–0007. Instructions for submitting business confidential versions are provided below. Handdelivered submissions will not be accepted. Comments must be submitted in English to the Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC. For CNL waiver petitions only: CNL waiver petitions 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 submitting a CNL waiver petition is strongly advised to review the GSP regulations as well as the GSP Guidebook, which is available at the same link. The requirements for CNL waiver petitions do not apply to other written submissions in response to this notice. To make a written comment or to submit a CNL waiver petition using https://www.regulations.gov, enter the docket number for this review—USTR– 2015–0007—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 E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1 38504 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 2015 / Notices document using the ‘‘Upload file(s)’’ field. The GSP Subcommittee prefers that submissions be provided in an attached document. At the beginning of the submission, or on the first page (if an attachment), please note that the submission is in response to this Federal Register notice and indicate the specific product(s) that is the subject of the comment and on which of the relevant lists described above, (e.g., List I) it appears. Submissions should not exceed 30 single-spaced, standard lettersize 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 an interested party is unable to provide submissions as requested, please contact the GSP program at USTR to arrange for an alternative method of transmission. Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Business Confidential Submissions Public Viewing of Review Submissions Submissions in response to this notice, except for information granted ‘‘business confidential’’ status under 15 CFR 2003.6, will be available for public viewing pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.6 at https://www.regulations.gov upon completion of processing. Such submissions may be viewed by entering the country-specific docket number in the search field at https:// www.regulations.gov. William D. Jackson, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Generalized System of Preferences, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. [FR Doc. 2015–16498 Filed 7–2–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3290–F5–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA), Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), and Record of Decision (ROD) for the Houston Spaceport, City of Houston, Harris County, Texas Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final EA and FONSI/ROD. AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of An interested party requesting that 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 United information contained in a submission States Code 4321 et seq.), Council on be treated as business confidential Environmental Quality NEPA information must certify that such implementing regulations (40 Code of information is business confidential and Federal Regulations parts 1500 to 1508), would not customarily be released to and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, the public by the submitter. Environmental Impacts: Policies and Confidential business information must Procedures, the FAA is announcing the be clearly designated as such. The availability of the Final EA and FONSI/ submission must be marked ‘‘BUSINESS ROD for the Houston Spaceport. CONFIDENTIAL’’ at the top and bottom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. of the cover page and each succeeding Daniel Czelusniak, Office of Commercial page, and the submission should Space Transportation, Federal Aviation indicate, via brackets, the specific Administration, 800 Independence Ave. information that is confidential. SW., Suite 325, Washington DC 20591; Additionally, ‘‘Business Confidential’’ phone (202) 267–5924; or email must be included in the ‘‘Type Daniel.Czelusniak@faa.gov. Comment’’ field. For any submission SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final containing business confidential EA was prepared to analyze the information, a non-confidential version potential environmental impacts of must be submitted separately (i.e., not as Houston Airport System’s (HAS’s) part of the same submission with the proposal to establish and operate a confidential version), indicating where commercial space launch site at the confidential information has been Ellington Airport (EFD), in Houston, redacted. The non-confidential version Texas and offer the site to prospective will be placed in the docket and open commercial space launch operators for to public inspection. the operation of horizontal take-off and VerDate Sep<11>2014 14:37 Jul 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 horizontal landing Concept X and Concept Z reusable launch vehicles (RLVs). To operate a commercial space launch site, HAS must obtain a commercial space launch site operator license from the FAA. Under the Proposed Action addressed in the Final EA, the FAA would: (1) Issue a launch site operator license to HAS for the operation of a commercial space launch site at EFD; (2) issue launch licenses to prospective commercial space launch operators that would allow them to conduct launches of horizontal take-off and horizontal landing Concept X and Concept Z RLVs from EFD, and (3) provide unconditional approval to the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) modifications that reflect the designation of a spaceport boundary and construction of planned spaceport facilities and infrastructure. Proposed launch operations would begin in 2015 and continue through 2019 in accordance with the terms of the launch site operator license. HAS proposes to provide RLV operators the ability to conduct up to 50 launches and landings (or 100 operations) per year, with approximately five percent of the operations expected to occur during night-time hours. The Final EA addresses the potential environmental impacts of implementing the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. Under the No Action Alternative, the FAA would not issue a launch site operator license to HAS, and thus no launch licenses would be issued to individual commercial space launch vehicle operators to operate at EFD. Also, there would be no need to update the EFD ALP, and thus there would be no FAA approval of a revised ALP. Existing operations would continue at EFD, which is currently classified as a general aviation reliever airport. The environmental impact categories considered in the Final EA include air quality; climate; coastal resources; compatible land use; Department of Transportation Act: Section 4(f); fish, wildlife, and plants; floodplains; hazardous materials, pollution prevention, and solid waste; historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources; light emissions and visual impacts; natural resources and energy supply; noise; socioeconomics, environmental justice, and children’s environmental health and safety risks; water quality; and wetlands. The Final EA also considers the potential secondary (induced) impacts and cumulative impacts. The FAA has posted the Final EA and FONSI/ROD on the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Web site: https://www.faa.gov/about/ E:\FR\FM\06JYN1.SGM 06JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 128 (Monday, July 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38501-38504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16498]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice of a GSP Product 
Review, Including Possible Actions Related to Competitive Need 
Limitations

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

[[Page 38502]]


ACTION: Notice of hearing and solicitation of petitions and comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a review of products under the 
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program that based on full-year 
2014 import data, are subject to certain actions related to competitive 
need limitations (CNLs). The review will also consider the proposed 
designation for GSP eligibility of five cotton products from least 
developed beneficiary developing countries (LDBDCs).
    The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will 
accept petitions by interested parties seeking waivers of CNLs for 
certain products submitted by July 31, 2015. USTR will also accept 
comments from the public submitted by July 31, 2015, regarding: (1) 
Possible de minimis CNL waivers, (2) possible redesignations of 
articles not currently eligible for GSP benefits, (3) possible 
revocation of CNL waivers, and (4) the proposed designation for GSP 
eligibility for LDBDCs of the five cotton products. This notice also 
sets forth the schedule for submitting comments and for a public 
hearing on prospective CNL waiver petitions and the proposed 
designation of the cotton products.

DATES: 
    July 31, 2015: Deadline for petitions requesting waivers of CNLs 
and for all other written comments in response to this notice.
    July 31, 2015: Deadline for pre-hearing briefs and requests to 
appear at the August 11 public hearing regarding CNL waiver petitions 
and the proposed designation of the cotton products.
    August 11, 2015: The GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff 
Committee (TPSC) will convene a public hearing on CNL waiver petitions 
and the proposed designation of the cotton products.
    August 18, 2015: Deadline for submission of post-hearing briefs and 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marin Weaver, GSP Program, Office of 
the United States Trade Representative. The telephone number is (202) 
395-2974, the fax number is (202) 395-9674, and the email address is 
MWeaver@ustr.eop.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Competitive Need Limitations

    The GSP program provides for the duty-free importation of 
designated articles imported from designated beneficiary developing 
countries (BDCs). The GSP program is authorized by Title V of the Trade 
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461, et seq.), as amended (``the 1974 Act''). 
The GSP program expired on July 31, 2013. GSP was reauthorized on June 
29, 2015, by the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015. The GSP 
program is now effective through December 31, 2017, with retroactive 
effect through July 31, 2013.
    Section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act sets out the two CNLs. When 
the President determines that a BDC exported to the United States 
during a calendar year either: (1) A quantity of a GSP-eligible article 
having a value in excess of the applicable amount for that year ($165 
million for 2014), or (2) a quantity of a GSP-eligible article having a 
value equal to or greater than 50 percent of the value of total U.S. 
imports of the article from all countries (the ``50 percent'' CNL), the 
President must terminate GSP duty-free treatment for that article from 
that BDC by no later than July 1 of the next calendar year, unless a 
waiver is granted. The Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 provides 
that the applicable deadline for all CNL-related actions based on 
import data from 2014, will be October 1, 2015.
    De minimis waivers: Under section 503(c)(2)(F) of the 1974 Act, the 
President may waive the 50 percent CNL with respect to an eligible 
article imported from a BDC if the value of total imports of that 
article from all countries during the calendar year did not exceed the 
applicable de minimis amount for that year ($22 million for 2014).
    Redesignations: Under section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act, if 
imports of an eligible article from a BDC ceased to receive duty-free 
treatment due to exceeding a CNL in a prior year, the President may, 
subject to the considerations in sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act, 
redesignate such an article for duty-free treatment if imports in the 
most recently completed calendar year did not exceed the CNLs.
    CNL waiver revocation: Under Section 503(d)(5) of the 1974 Act, a 
CNL waiver remains in effect until the President determines that it is 
no longer warranted due to changed circumstances. Section 
503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act, as amended by Public Law 109-432, 
also provides that, ``[n]ot later than July 1 of each year, the 
President should revoke any waiver that has then been in effect with 
respect to an article for five years or more if the beneficiary 
developing country has exported to the United States (directly or 
indirectly) during the preceding calendar year a quantity of the 
article--(I) having an appraised value in excess of 1.5 times the 
applicable amount set forth in subsection (c)(2)(A)(ii) for that 
calendar year ($247.5 million in 2012); or (II) exceeding 75 percent of 
the appraised value of the total imports of that article into the 
United States during that calendar year.''
    Pursuant to the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, exclusions 
from GSP duty-free treatment where CNLs have been exceeded for calendar 
year 2014 will be effective October 1, 2015, unless granted a waiver by 
the President. Any CNL-based exclusions, CNL waiver revocations, and 
decisions with respect to de minimis waivers and redesignations will be 
based on full 2014 calendar year import data.

II. 2014 Import Statistics

    In order to provide notice of articles that have exceeded the CNLs 
for 2014 and to afford an opportunity for comment regarding (1) 
potential de minimis waivers, (2) potential redesignations, and (3) the 
potential revocation of waivers for articles exceeding the CNL waiver 
thresholds for 2014, USTR has posted product lists on the USTR Web site 
at https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/trade-development/preference-programs/generalized-system-preference-gsp/current-review-0 under the title 
``GSP: 2014/2015 Limited Product Review.'' These lists can also be 
found at www.regulations.gov in Docket Number USTR-2015-0007. Full 2014 
calendar year data for individual tariff subheadings may also be viewed 
on the Web site of the U.S. International Trade Commission at https://dataweb.usitc.gov.
    The lists available on the USTR Web site contain, for each article, 
the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) of the United States subheading and 
BDC country of origin, the value of imports of the article from the 
subject BDC for the 2014 calendar year, and that country's share of 
total U.S. imports of that article.
    List I on the USTR Web site shows the following two GSP-eligible 
articles--both from Thailand--that exceeded a CNL in 2014 by having 
been exported in a quantity equal to or greater than 50 percent of the 
total U.S. import value, in 2014:

 HTS 2008.19.15--Coconuts otherwise prepared or preserved; and
 HTS 7408.29.10--Copper alloys (other than brass, cupro-nickel 
or nickel-silver), wire, coated or plated with metal

These products will be removed from eligibility for GSP for the subject 
countries on October 1, 2015, unless the President grants a waiver for 
the product for Thailand in response to a petition filed by an 
interested party.
    List II identifies GSP-eligible articles from BDCs that are above 
the 50 percent

[[Page 38503]]

CNL, but that are eligible for a de minimis waiver of the 50 percent 
CNL. Articles eligible for de minimis waivers are automatically 
considered in the GSP annual review process, without the filing of a 
petition.
    List III shows GSP-eligible articles from certain BDCs that are 
currently not receiving GSP duty-free treatment but that may be 
considered for GSP redesignation based on 2014 trade data and 
consideration of certain statutory factors.
    List IV shows the following three articles from specified BDCs that 
are subject to CNL waiver revocation based on the provisions of Section 
503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act, as amended by Public Law 109-432:

 HTS 4412.31.40--(for Indonesia) Certain plywood sheets not 
over 6 mm thick;
 HTS 7413.00.10--(for Turkey) Certain copper, stranded wire;
 HTS 7413.00.50--(for Turkey) Certain copper cables and plaited 
bands.

    Petitions from interested parties seeking a waiver of the 
application of CNLs for the two products on List I, and comments from 
the public in support of or in opposition to CNL waivers, revocations 
of CNL waivers, and redesignation of products are invited in accordance 
with the Requirements for Submissions below.

III. Possible Designation of New Products

    Pursuant to authority granted to the President in Section 202 of 
the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 and consistent with USTR's 
December 2011 announcement of trade initiatives intended to enable 
least-developed countries to benefit more fully from global trade, five 
cotton products are being considered for GSP eligibility for LDBDCs at 
the initiative of USTR. These include:

 HTS 5201.00.18, 5201.00.28, and 5201.00.38--Certain cotton, 
not carded or combed, of various specified staple lengths
 HTS 5202.99.30--Certain cotton card strips made from cotton 
waste; and
 HTS 5203.00.30--Certain cotton fibers, carded or combed.

    Comments from the public in support of or in opposition to 
designation of the proposed product additions are invited in accordance 
with the Requirements for Submissions below.

IV. Petitions and Public Comments

    The GSP regulations (15 CFR part 2007) provide the schedule of 
dates for conducting an annual review unless otherwise specified in a 
notice published in the Federal Register. The schedule for the 2015 GSP 
Annual Review will be notified at a later date in the Federal Register.
    In the interim, and pursuant to Section 203 of the Trade 
Preferences Extension Act of 2015, the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC 
will conduct a limited GSP review encompassing products that, based on 
full-year 2014 import data, are subject to CNL-related actions, 
including exclusions, waivers, and revocation of waivers, as well as 
redesignations. These products appear on Lists I--IV described above. 
In addition, the review will also consider the designation of the five 
cotton products mentioned above as eligible for GSP benefits for LDBDCs 
of the GSP program.
    As part of this limited GSP product review, the GSP Subcommittee 
will accept petitions from interested parties seeking a waiver of the 
application of CNLs for the two products on List I, described above. 
The GSP Subcommittee also invites comments in support of or in 
opposition to: (1) The CNL waiver petitions which it is anticipated 
will be submitted for the two products on List I; (2) de minimis 
waivers of CNLs (see List II); (3) redesignations of products that were 
previously excluded from certain countries based on CNLs (see List 
III); (4) revocation of CNL waivers (see List IV); and (5) the proposed 
addition to GSP eligibility for LDBDCs only of the five cotton products 
listed above.
    Procedures for submission of both petitions and written comments 
are described in Section VI below.

V. Notice of Public Hearing

    In addition to comments from the public on the matters listed 
above, the GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC will convene a public hearing 
at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, to receive testimony related 
to (1) the CNL waiver petitions for products on List I, and (2) the 
proposed designation of the five cotton products. The hearing will not 
address de minimis waivers, product redesignations, or CNL waiver 
revocations.
    The hearing will be held at 1724 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20508 
and will be open to the public and to the press. A transcript of the 
hearing will be made available on https://www.regulations.gov within 
approximately two weeks of the hearing.
    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., Friday, July 31, 2015. 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., Friday, July 31, 2015. 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 requirements set 
out below and are submitted, in English, by 5 p.m., Tuesday, August 18, 
2015. Parties not wishing to appear at the public hearing may submit 
pre-hearing and post-hearing briefs or comments by the aforementioned 
deadlines.

VI. Requirements for Submissions

    Written comments submitted in response to this notice, including 
petitions for CNL waivers, must be submitted electronically by 5:00 
p.m., July 31, 2015, using www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-
2015-0007. Instructions for submitting business confidential versions 
are provided below. Hand-delivered submissions will not be accepted. 
Comments must be submitted in English to the Chairman of the GSP 
Subcommittee of the TPSC.
    For CNL waiver petitions only: CNL waiver petitions 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 
submitting a CNL waiver petition is strongly advised to review the GSP 
regulations as well as the GSP Guidebook, which is available at the 
same link. The requirements for CNL waiver petitions do not apply to 
other written submissions in response to this notice.
    To make a written comment or to submit a CNL waiver petition using 
https://www.regulations.gov, enter the docket number for this review--
USTR-2015-0007--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

[[Page 38504]]

document using the ``Upload file(s)'' field. The GSP Subcommittee 
prefers that submissions be provided in an attached document. At the 
beginning of the submission, or on the first page (if an attachment), 
please note that the submission is in response to this Federal Register 
notice and indicate the specific product(s) that is the subject of the 
comment and on which of the relevant lists described above, (e.g., List 
I) it appears. 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 an interested party is unable to provide submissions 
as requested, please contact the GSP program at USTR to arrange for an 
alternative method of transmission.

Business Confidential Submissions

    An interested party requesting that information contained in a 
submission 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. For any submission containing business confidential 
information, a non-confidential version must be submitted separately 
(i.e., not as part of the same submission with the confidential 
version), indicating where confidential information has been redacted. 
The non-confidential version will be placed in the docket and open to 
public inspection.

Public Viewing of Review Submissions

    Submissions in response to this notice, except for information 
granted ``business confidential'' status under 15 CFR 2003.6, will be 
available for public viewing pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.6 at https://www.regulations.gov upon completion of processing. Such submissions may 
be viewed by entering the country-specific docket number in the search 
field at https://www.regulations.gov.

William D. Jackson,
Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Generalized System 
of Preferences, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2015-16498 Filed 7-2-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F5-P
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