Generalized System of Preferences: Possible Modifications, 2017 Review, 24342-24345 [2018-11458]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
24342
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 102 / Friday, May 25, 2018 / Notices
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
conducting a full review.1 Accordingly,
the Commission determined that it
would conduct an expedited review
pursuant to section 751(c)(3) of the
Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
1675(c)(3)).2
For further information concerning
the conduct of this review and rules of
general application, consult the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, part 201, subparts A and B
(19 CFR part 201), and part 207,
subparts A, D, E, and F (19 CFR part
207).
Staff report.—A staff report
containing information concerning the
subject matter of the review will be
placed in the nonpublic record on June
1, 2018, and made available to persons
on the Administrative Protective Order
service list for this review. A public
version will be issued thereafter,
pursuant to section 207.62(d)(4) of the
Commission’s rules.
Written submissions.—As provided in
section 207.62(d) of the Commission’s
rules, interested parties that are parties
to the review and that have provided
individually adequate responses to the
notice of institution,3 and any party
other than an interested party to the
review may file written comments with
the Secretary on what determination the
Commission should reach in the review.
Comments are due on or before June 6,
2018 and may not contain new factual
information. Any person that is neither
a party to the five-year review nor an
interested party may submit a brief
written statement (which shall not
contain any new factual information)
pertinent to the review by June 6, 2018.
However, should the Department of
Commerce (‘‘Commerce’’) extend the
time limit for its completion of the final
results of its review, the deadline for
comments (which may not contain new
factual information) on Commerce’s
final results is three business days after
the issuance of Commerce’s results. If
comments contain business proprietary
information (BPI), they must conform
with the requirements of sections 201.6,
207.3, and 207.7 of the Commission’s
rules. The Commission’s rules with
respect to filing were revised effective
July 25, 2014. See 79 FR 35920 (June 25,
1 A record of the Commissioners’ votes, the
Commission’s statement on adequacy, and any
individual Commissioner’s statements will be
available from the Office of the Secretary and at the
Commission’s website.
2 Vice Chairman David S. Johanson voted to
conduct a full review. Commissioner Jason E.
Kearns did not participate.
3 The Commission has found the responses
submitted by Harvard Folding Box Company, Inc.
and P.S. Greetings, Inc. to be individually adequate.
Comments from other interested parties will not be
accepted (see 19 CFR 207.62(d)(2)).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:28 May 24, 2018
Jkt 241001
2014), and the revised Commission
Handbook on E-filing, available from the
Commission’s website at https://
edis.usitc.gov.
In accordance with sections 201.16(c)
and 207.3 of the rules, each document
filed by a party to the review must be
served on all other parties to the review
(as identified by either the public or BPI
service list), and a certificate of service
must be timely filed. The Secretary will
not accept a document for filing without
a certificate of service.
Authority: This review is being conducted
under authority of title VII of the Tariff Act
of 1930; this notice is published pursuant to
section 207.62 of the Commission’s rules.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: May 22, 2018.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2018–11301 Filed 5–24–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 332–567]
Generalized System of Preferences:
Possible Modifications, 2017 Review
United States International
Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice of institution of
investigation and scheduling of public
hearing.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request
on May 18, 2018, from the United States
Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S.
International Trade Commission
(Commission) instituted investigation
No. 332–567, Generalized System of
Preferences: Possible Modifications,
2017 Review, for the purpose of
providing advice and information
relating to the possible designation of
additional articles, removal of articles,
waiver of competitive need limitations,
redesignation of articles, and denial of
a de minimis waiver.
DATES:
June 4, 2018: Deadline for filing requests
to appear at the public hearing.
June 7, 2018: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and statements.
June 14, 2018: Public hearing.
June 21, 2018: Deadline for filing posthearing briefs and statements.
June 21, 2018: Deadline for filing all
other written submissions.
September 7, 2018: Transmittal of
Commission report to the USTR.
ADDRESSES: All Commission offices,
including the Commission’s hearing
rooms, are located in the United States
International Trade Commission
PO 00000
Frm 00071
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington,
DC. All written submissions should be
addressed to the Secretary, United
States International Trade Commission,
500 E Street SW, Washington, DC
20436. The public record for this
investigation may be viewed on the
Commission’s electronic docket (EDIS)
at https://edis.usitc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Information specific to this investigation
may be obtained from Sabina Neumann,
Project Leader, Office of Industries
(202–205–3000 or sabina.neumann@
usitc.gov), Mark Brininstool, Deputy
Project Leader, Office of Industries
(202–708–1395 or mark.brininstool@
usitc.gov), or Marin Weaver, Technical
Advisor, Office of Industries (202–205–
3461 or marin.weaver@usitc.gov). For
information on the legal aspects of this
investigation, contact William Gearhart
of the Commission’s Office of the
General Counsel (202–205–3091 or
william.gearhart@usitc.gov). The media
should contact Margaret O’Laughlin,
Office of External Relations (202–205–
1819 or margaret.olaughlin@usitc.gov).
Hearing-impaired individuals may
obtain information on this matter by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal at 202–205–1810. General
information concerning the Commission
may also be obtained by accessing its
website (https://www.usitc.gov). Persons
with mobility impairments who will
need special assistance in gaining access
to the Commission should contact the
Office of the Secretary at 202–205–2000.
Background: In his letter, the USTR
requested the advice and information
described below.
(1) Advice concerning the probable
economic effect of elimination of U.S.
import duties on certain articles from all
beneficiary developing countries under
the GSP program. In accordance with
sections 503(a)(1)(A), 503(e), and 131(a)
of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended
(‘‘the 1974 Act’’) and pursuant to the
authority of the President delegated to
the USTR by sections 4(c) and 8(c) and
(d) of Executive Order 11846 of March
31, 1975, as amended, and pursuant to
section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930,
the USTR notified the Commission that
the articles identified in Table A of the
Annex to the USTR request letter are
being considered for designation as
eligible articles for purposes of the GSP
program. The USTR requested that the
Commission provide its advice as to the
probable economic effect on total U.S.
imports, U.S. industries producing like
or directly competitive articles, and on
U.S. consumers of the elimination of
U.S. import duties on the articles
identified in Table A of the Annex to
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
24343
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 102 / Friday, May 25, 2018 / Notices
the USTR request letter for all
beneficiary developing countries under
the GSP program (see Table A below).
TABLE A—PETITIONS SUBMITTED FOR PRODUCTS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITION TO THE LIST OF GSP-ELIGIBLE
PRODUCTS
HTS subheading
Brief description
0808.30.40 ........
Pears, fresh, if entered during the period from July 1 through the following March 31, inclusive.
Peel of citrus fruit, excl. orange or citron and peel, nesi, of melon, fresh, frozen, dried or
provisionally preserved.
Cotton seeds, whether or not broken, other than seed for sowing ....................................
Sunflower-seed or safflower oil, crude, and their fractions, whether or not refined, not
chemically modified.
Apples, otherwise prepared or preserved, nesi ..................................................................
p-Anisic acid; clofibrate and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid ..........................................................
Aromatic carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides, halide,
etc deriv described in add US note 3 to sect VI, nesoi.
Other aromatic carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides,
halide, etc deriv (excluding goods in add US note 3 to sec VI).
Transmission V-belts of vulcanized rubber, V-ribbed, circumference exceeding 180 cm
but not exceeding 240 cm, combined with textile materials.
0814.00.80 ........
1207.29.00 ........
1512.11.00 ........
2008.99.05 ........
2918.99.05 ........
2918.99.43 ........
2918.99.47 ........
4010.33.30 ........
(2) Advice concerning the probable
economic effect of removal of certain
articles from certain countries from
eligibility for duty-free treatment. The
USTR notified the Commission that two
articles are being considered for removal
from eligibility for duty free treatment
under the GSP program from certain
Countries
countries. Under authority delegated by
the President, pursuant to section 332(g)
of the Tariff Act of 1930, with respect
to the article listed in Table B of the
Annex to the USTR request letter, the
USTR requested that the Commission
provide its advice as to the probable
economic effect of the removal from
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
Beneficiary Developing Countries.
eligibility for duty-free treatment under
the GSP program for these articles from
certain countries on total U.S. imports,
U.S. industries producing like or
directly competitive articles, and on
U.S. consumers (see Table B below).
TABLE B—PETITIONS SUBMITTED TO REMOVE DUTY-FREE STATUS FROM CERTAIN COUNTRIES FOR A PRODUCT ON THE
LIST OF ELIGIBLE ARTICLES FOR THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES
HTS subheading
Brief description
2009.89.6011 and 2009.89.6019 .......
3920.51.50 ..........................................
Cherry juice—Part of 2009.89.60 ‘‘Juice of any other single fruit, nesoi’’ ......
Nonadhesive plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, noncellular, not combined
with other materials, of polymethyl methacrylate, not flexible.
(3) Advice concerning waiver of
certain competitive need limitations.
Under authority delegated by the
President, pursuant to section 332(g) of
the Tariff Act of 1930, and in
accordance with section 503(d)(1)(A) of
the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that
the Commission provide advice on
whether any industry in the United
States is likely to be adversely affected
by a waiver of the competitive need
limitations (CNL) specified in section
503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act for the
countries and articles specified in Table
C of the attached Annex to the request
letter (see Table C below). The USTR
also requested that the Commission
provide its advice as to the probable
economic effect on total U.S. imports, as
well as on consumers, of the requested
waivers. With respect to the competitive
need limit in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(I) of
Country
Turkey.
Indonesia and Thailand.
the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that
the Commission use the dollar value
limit of $180,000,000. Further, pursuant
to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of
1930 and in accordance with section
503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974 Act, the USTR
requested that the Commission provide
its advice with respect to whether a like
or directly competitive article was
produced in the United States in any of
the preceding three calendar years.
TABLE C—PETITIONS SUBMITTED FOR WAIVER OF GSP CNLS
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
HTS subheading
0410.00.00
2836.91.00
3301.13.00
6802.99.00
Brief description
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
..........................................
7202.50.00 ..........................................
Edible products of animal origin, nesi .............................................................
Lithium carbonates ..........................................................................................
Essential oils of lemon ....................................................................................
Monumental or building stone & arts. thereof, nesoi, further worked than
simply cut/sawn, nesoi.
Ferrosilicon chromium .....................................................................................
(4) Advice concerning redesignations.
The USTR notified the Commission that
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:28 May 24, 2018
Country
Jkt 241001
seven articles are being considered for
redesignation as eligible articles for
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Indonesia.
Argentina.
Argentina.
Brazil.
Kazakhstan.
purposes of the GSP program. Under
authority delegated by the President,
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
24344
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 102 / Friday, May 25, 2018 / Notices
pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff
Act of 1930, the USTR requested that
the Commission provide its advice as to
the probable economic effect on total
U.S. imports, on U.S. industries
producing like or directly competitive
articles, and on U.S. consumers of the
elimination of U.S. import duties on the
articles in Table D of the Annex to the
USTR request letter from the listed
beneficiary countries.
TABLE D—PETITIONS SUBMITTED FOR REDESIGNATION OF EXCLUDED ITEMS
HTS subheading
Brief description
2007.99.48 ..........................................
2306.30.00 ..........................................
Apple, quince and pear pastes and purees, being cooked preparations .......
Oilcake and other solid residues, resulting from the extraction of vegetable
fats or oils, of sunflower seeds.
Ammonium perrhenate ....................................................................................
Odoriferous or flavoring compounds of ether-phenols, ether-alcohol-phenols
& their halogenated, sulfonated, nitrated, nitrosated derivatives.
Full grain unsplit whole bovine (not buffalo) nesoi and equine leather nesoi,
w/o hair, prepared after tanning or crusting, fancy, not 4114.
Monumental or building stone & arts. thereof, of granite, further worked
than simply cut/sawn, nesoi.
Ferroniobium, nesoi .........................................................................................
2841.90.20 ..........................................
2909.50.40 ..........................................
4107.11.80 ..........................................
6802.93.00 ..........................................
7202.93.80 ..........................................
(5) Advice concerning redesignation
and advice on whether a like or directly
competitive domestic article was
produced in any of the preceding three
years. The USTR notified the
Commission that one article is being
considered for redesignation as an
eligible article for purposes of the GSP
program. Under authority delegated by
the President, pursuant to section 332(g)
of the Tariff Act of 1930, the USTR
requested that the Commission provide
its advice as to the probable economic
effect on total U.S. imports, on U.S.
industries producing like or directly
competitive articles, and on U.S.
consumers of the elimination of U.S.
import duties on the articles in Table E
of the Annex to the USTR request letter
from the listed beneficiary countries.
Country
Argentina.
Argentina.
Kazakhstan.
Indonesia.
Argentina.
India.
Brazil.
Further, pursuant to section 332(g) of
the Tariff Act of 1930 and in accordance
with section 503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974
Act, the USTR requested that the
Commission provide its advice as to
whether a like or directly competitive
article was produced in the United
States in any of the preceding three
calendar years.
TABLE E—PETITION SUBMITTED FOR REDESIGNATION OF EXCLUDED ITEM
HTS subheading
Brief description
4412.31.41, Including 4412.31.4150
and 4412.31.4160.
Plywood sheets n/o 6mm thick, with specified tropical wood outer ply, with
face ply nesoi, not surface covered beyond clear/transparent.
(6) Advice concerning denial of de
minimis waiver. The USTR notified the
Commission that one article from a GSP
beneficiary country is being considered
for denial of a de minimis CNL waiver.
Under authority delegated by the
President, pursuant to section 332(g) of
the Tariff Act of 1930, with respect to
the article listed in Table F of the Annex
to the USTR request letter, the USTR
requested that the Commission provide
its advice as to the probable economic
effect of the removal from eligibility for
duty-free treatment under the GSP
program of this article from the
specified country on total U.S. imports,
on U.S. industries producing like or
directly competitive articles, and on
Country
Indonesia.
U.S. consumers. Further, pursuant to
section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930
and in accordance with section
503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974 Act, the USTR
requested that the Commission provide
its advice with respect to whether a like
or directly competitive article was
produced in the United States in any of
the preceding three calendar years.
TABLE F—PETITION SUBMITTED FOR DENIAL OF DE MINIMIS WAIVER
Brief description
3802.90.10 ..........................................
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
HTS subheading
Bone black .......................................................................................................
Time for reporting, HTS detail,
portions of report to be classified. As
requested by the USTR, the Commission
will provide the requested advice and
information by September 7, 2018. The
USTR asked that the Commission issue,
as soon as possible thereafter, a public
version of the report containing only the
unclassified information, with any
confidential business information
deleted. As requested, the Commission
will provide its economic effect advice
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:28 May 24, 2018
Jkt 241001
and statistics (profile of the U.S.
industry and market and U.S. import
and export data) and any other relevant
information or advice separately and
individually for each U.S. Harmonized
Tariff Schedule subheading for all
products subject to the request. The
USTR indicated that those sections of
the Commission’s report and working
papers that contain the Commission’s
advice and assessment will be classified
as ‘‘confidential.’’ The USTR also stated
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Country
Brazil.
that his office considers the
Commission’s report to be an interagency memorandum that will contain
pre-decisional advice and be subject to
the deliberative process privilege.
Public Hearing: A public hearing in
connection with this investigation will
be held at the U.S. International Trade
Commission Building, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
on June 14, 2018. Requests to appear at
the public hearing should be filed with
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 102 / Friday, May 25, 2018 / Notices
the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m.,
June 4, 2018. All pre-hearing briefs and
statements should be filed no later than
5:15 p.m., June 7, 2018; and all posthearing briefs and statements should be
filed no later than 5:15 p.m., June 21,
2018. All requests to appear, and preand post-hearing briefs and statements
should be filed in accordance with the
requirements of the ‘‘written
submissions’’ section below.
Written Submissions: In lieu of or in
addition to appearing at the hearing,
interested parties are invited to file
written submissions concerning this
investigation. All written submissions
should be addressed to the Secretary,
and should be received not later than
5:15 p.m., June 21, 2018. All written
submissions must conform to the
provisions of section 201.8 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 201.8
and the Commission’s Handbook on
Filing Procedures require that interested
parties file documents electronically on
or before the filing deadline and submit
eight (8) true paper copies by 12:00 p.m.
eastern time on the next business day.
In the event that confidential treatment
of a document is requested, interested
parties must file, at the same time as the
eight paper copies, at least four (4)
additional true paper copies in which
the confidential information must be
deleted (see the following paragraph for
further information regarding
confidential business information).
Persons with questions regarding
electronic filing should contact the
Office of the Secretary, Docket Services
Division (202–205–1802).
Confidential Business Information:
Any submissions that contain
confidential business information must
also conform with the requirements of
section 201.6 of the Commission’s Rules
of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR
201.6). Section 201.6 of the rules
requires that the cover of the document
and the individual pages be clearly
marked as to whether they are the
‘‘confidential’’ or ‘‘non-confidential’’
version, and that the confidential
business information is clearly
identified by means of brackets. All
written submissions, except for
confidential business information, will
be made available for inspection by
interested parties.
The Commission may include some or
all of the confidential business
information submitted in the course of
this investigation in the report it sends
to the USTR. Additionally, all
information, including confidential
business information, submitted in this
investigation may be disclosed to and
used: (i) By the Commission, its
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:28 May 24, 2018
Jkt 241001
24345
employees and Offices, and contract
personnel (a) for developing or
maintaining the records of this or a
related proceeding, or (b) in internal
investigations, audits, reviews, and
evaluations relating to the programs,
personnel, and operations of the
Commission including under 5 U.S.C.
Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government
employees and contract personnel (a)
for cybersecurity purposes or (b) in
monitoring user activity on U.S.
government classified networks. The
Commission will not otherwise disclose
any confidential business information in
a manner that would reveal the
operations of the firm supplying the
information.
Summaries of Written Submissions:
The Commission intends to publish
summaries of the positions of interested
persons. Persons wishing to have a
summary of their position included in
the report should include a summary
with their written submission. The
summary may not exceed 500 words,
should be in MSWord format or a format
that can be easily converted to MSWord,
and should not include any confidential
business information. The summary will
be published as provided if it meets
these requirements and is germane to
the subject matter of the investigation.
The Commission will identify the name
of the organization furnishing the
summary and will include a link to the
Commission’s Electronic Document
Information System (EDIS) where the
full written submission can be found.
Surface Products from China). The
Commission is currently scheduled
to complete and file its
determinations on June 1, 2018;
views of the Commission are
currently scheduled to be
completed and filed on June 8,
2018.
5. Vote on Inv. No. 731–TA–860 (Third
Review) (Tin- and ChromiumCoated Steel Sheet from Japan). The
Commission is currently scheduled
to complete and file its
determination and views of the
Commission by June 19, 2018.
6. Outstanding action jackets: None.
In accordance with Commission
policy, subject matter listed above, not
disposed of at the scheduled meeting,
may be carried over to the agenda of the
following meeting.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: May 23, 2018.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
AGENCY:
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[USITC SE–18–025]
Government in the Sunshine Act
Meeting Notice
United
States International Trade Commission.
TIME AND DATE: May 31, 2018 at 11:00
a.m.
PLACE: Room 101, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20436, Telephone:
(202) 205–2000.
STATUS: Open to the public.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
1. Agendas for future meetings: None.
2. Minutes.
3. Ratification List.
4. Vote on Inv. Nos. 701–TA–606 and
731–TA–1416 (Preliminary) (Quartz
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
[FR Doc. 2018–11444 Filed 5–23–18; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 731–TA–1103 (Second
Review)]
Activated Carbon From China;
Scheduling of an Expedited Five-Year
Review
United States International
Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
[FR Doc. 2018–11458 Filed 5–24–18; 8:45 am]
AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING:
By order of the Commission.
Issued: May 22, 2018.
William Bishop,
Supervisory Hearings and Information
Officer.
SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives
notice of the scheduling of an expedited
review pursuant to the Tariff Act of
1930 (‘‘the Act’’) to determine whether
revocation of the antidumping duty
order on activated carbon from China
would be likely to lead to continuation
or recurrence of material injury within
a reasonably foreseeable time.
DATES: May 7, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amanda Lawrence (202–205–3185),
Office of Investigations, U.S.
International Trade Commission, 500 E
Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.
Hearing-impaired persons can obtain
information on this matter by contacting
the Commission’s TDD terminal on 202–
205–1810. Persons with mobility
impairments who will need special
assistance in gaining access to the
Commission should contact the Office
of the Secretary at 202–205–2000.
General information concerning the
Commission may also be obtained by
E:\FR\FM\25MYN1.SGM
25MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 102 (Friday, May 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24342-24345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11458]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 332-567]
Generalized System of Preferences: Possible Modifications, 2017
Review
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice of institution of investigation and scheduling of public
hearing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Following receipt of a request on May 18, 2018, from the
United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. International Trade
Commission (Commission) instituted investigation No. 332-567,
Generalized System of Preferences: Possible Modifications, 2017 Review,
for the purpose of providing advice and information relating to the
possible designation of additional articles, removal of articles,
waiver of competitive need limitations, redesignation of articles, and
denial of a de minimis waiver.
DATES:
June 4, 2018: Deadline for filing requests to appear at the public
hearing.
June 7, 2018: Deadline for filing pre-hearing briefs and statements.
June 14, 2018: Public hearing.
June 21, 2018: Deadline for filing post-hearing briefs and statements.
June 21, 2018: Deadline for filing all other written submissions.
September 7, 2018: Transmittal of Commission report to the USTR.
ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing
rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission
Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC. All written submissions
should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. The public record
for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's electronic
docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information specific to this
investigation may be obtained from Sabina Neumann, Project Leader,
Office of Industries (202-205-3000 or [email protected]), Mark
Brininstool, Deputy Project Leader, Office of Industries (202-708-1395
or [email protected]), or Marin Weaver, Technical Advisor,
Office of Industries (202-205-3461 or [email protected]). For
information on the legal aspects of this investigation, contact William
Gearhart of the Commission's Office of the General Counsel (202-205-
3091 or [email protected]). The media should contact Margaret
O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations (202-205-1819 or
[email protected]). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal
at 202-205-1810. General information concerning the Commission may also
be obtained by accessing its website (https://www.usitc.gov). Persons
with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining
access to the Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at
202-205-2000.
Background: In his letter, the USTR requested the advice and
information described below.
(1) Advice concerning the probable economic effect of elimination
of U.S. import duties on certain articles from all beneficiary
developing countries under the GSP program. In accordance with sections
503(a)(1)(A), 503(e), and 131(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended
(``the 1974 Act'') and pursuant to the authority of the President
delegated to the USTR by sections 4(c) and 8(c) and (d) of Executive
Order 11846 of March 31, 1975, as amended, and pursuant to section
332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, the USTR notified the Commission that
the articles identified in Table A of the Annex to the USTR request
letter are being considered for designation as eligible articles for
purposes of the GSP program. The USTR requested that the Commission
provide its advice as to the probable economic effect on total U.S.
imports, U.S. industries producing like or directly competitive
articles, and on U.S. consumers of the elimination of U.S. import
duties on the articles identified in Table A of the Annex to
[[Page 24343]]
the USTR request letter for all beneficiary developing countries under
the GSP program (see Table A below).
Table A--Petitions Submitted for Products To Be Considered for Addition
to the List of GSP-Eligible Products
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTS subheading Brief description Countries
------------------------------------------------------------------------
0808.30.40............... Pears, fresh, if entered Beneficiary
during the period from Developing
July 1 through the Countries.
following March 31,
inclusive.
0814.00.80............... Peel of citrus fruit, Beneficiary
excl. orange or citron Developing
and peel, nesi, of Countries.
melon, fresh, frozen,
dried or provisionally
preserved.
1207.29.00............... Cotton seeds, whether or Beneficiary
not broken, other than Developing
seed for sowing. Countries.
1512.11.00............... Sunflower-seed or Beneficiary
safflower oil, crude, Developing
and their fractions, Countries.
whether or not refined,
not chemically modified.
2008.99.05............... Apples, otherwise Beneficiary
prepared or preserved, Developing
nesi. Countries.
2918.99.05............... p-Anisic acid; Beneficiary
clofibrate and 3- Developing
phenoxybenzoic acid. Countries.
2918.99.43............... Aromatic carboxylic Beneficiary
acids with additional Developing
oxygen function and Countries.
their anhydrides,
halide, etc deriv
described in add US
note 3 to sect VI,
nesoi.
2918.99.47............... Other aromatic Beneficiary
carboxylic acids with Developing
additional oxygen Countries.
function and their
anhydrides, halide, etc
deriv (excluding goods
in add US note 3 to sec
VI).
4010.33.30............... Transmission V-belts of Beneficiary
vulcanized rubber, V- Developing
ribbed, circumference Countries.
exceeding 180 cm but
not exceeding 240 cm,
combined with textile
materials.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Advice concerning the probable economic effect of removal of
certain articles from certain countries from eligibility for duty-free
treatment. The USTR notified the Commission that two articles are being
considered for removal from eligibility for duty free treatment under
the GSP program from certain countries. Under authority delegated by
the President, pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930,
with respect to the article listed in Table B of the Annex to the USTR
request letter, the USTR requested that the Commission provide its
advice as to the probable economic effect of the removal from
eligibility for duty-free treatment under the GSP program for these
articles from certain countries on total U.S. imports, U.S. industries
producing like or directly competitive articles, and on U.S. consumers
(see Table B below).
Table B--Petitions Submitted To Remove Duty-Free Status From Certain
Countries for a Product on the List of Eligible Articles for the
Generalized System of Preferences
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTS subheading Brief description Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009.89.6011 and 2009.89.6019. Cherry juice--Part of Turkey.
2009.89.60 ``Juice of
any other single
fruit, nesoi''.
3920.51.50.................... Nonadhesive plates, Indonesia and
sheets, film, foil Thailand.
and strip,
noncellular, not
combined with other
materials, of
polymethyl
methacrylate, not
flexible.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Advice concerning waiver of certain competitive need
limitations. Under authority delegated by the President, pursuant to
section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, and in accordance with
section 503(d)(1)(A) of the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that the
Commission provide advice on whether any industry in the United States
is likely to be adversely affected by a waiver of the competitive need
limitations (CNL) specified in section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act for
the countries and articles specified in Table C of the attached Annex
to the request letter (see Table C below). The USTR also requested that
the Commission provide its advice as to the probable economic effect on
total U.S. imports, as well as on consumers, of the requested waivers.
With respect to the competitive need limit in section
503(c)(2)(A)(i)(I) of the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that the
Commission use the dollar value limit of $180,000,000. Further,
pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 and in accordance
with section 503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974 Act, the USTR requested that the
Commission provide its advice with respect to whether a like or
directly competitive article was produced in the United States in any
of the preceding three calendar years.
Table C--Petitions Submitted for Waiver of GSP CNLs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTS subheading Brief description Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
0410.00.00.................... Edible products of Indonesia.
animal origin, nesi.
2836.91.00.................... Lithium carbonates.... Argentina.
3301.13.00.................... Essential oils of Argentina.
lemon.
6802.99.00.................... Monumental or building Brazil.
stone & arts.
thereof, nesoi,
further worked than
simply cut/sawn,
nesoi.
7202.50.00.................... Ferrosilicon chromium. Kazakhstan.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(4) Advice concerning redesignations. The USTR notified the
Commission that seven articles are being considered for redesignation
as eligible articles for purposes of the GSP program. Under authority
delegated by the President,
[[Page 24344]]
pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, the USTR
requested that the Commission provide its advice as to the probable
economic effect on total U.S. imports, on U.S. industries producing
like or directly competitive articles, and on U.S. consumers of the
elimination of U.S. import duties on the articles in Table D of the
Annex to the USTR request letter from the listed beneficiary countries.
Table D--Petitions Submitted for Redesignation of Excluded Items
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTS subheading Brief description Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007.99.48.................... Apple, quince and pear Argentina.
pastes and purees,
being cooked
preparations.
2306.30.00.................... Oilcake and other Argentina.
solid residues,
resulting from the
extraction of
vegetable fats or
oils, of sunflower
seeds.
2841.90.20.................... Ammonium perrhenate... Kazakhstan.
2909.50.40.................... Odoriferous or Indonesia.
flavoring compounds
of ether-phenols,
ether-alcohol-phenols
& their halogenated,
sulfonated, nitrated,
nitrosated
derivatives.
4107.11.80.................... Full grain unsplit Argentina.
whole bovine (not
buffalo) nesoi and
equine leather nesoi,
w/o hair, prepared
after tanning or
crusting, fancy, not
4114.
6802.93.00.................... Monumental or building India.
stone & arts.
thereof, of granite,
further worked than
simply cut/sawn,
nesoi.
7202.93.80.................... Ferroniobium, nesoi... Brazil.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5) Advice concerning redesignation and advice on whether a like or
directly competitive domestic article was produced in any of the
preceding three years. The USTR notified the Commission that one
article is being considered for redesignation as an eligible article
for purposes of the GSP program. Under authority delegated by the
President, pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, the
USTR requested that the Commission provide its advice as to the
probable economic effect on total U.S. imports, on U.S. industries
producing like or directly competitive articles, and on U.S. consumers
of the elimination of U.S. import duties on the articles in Table E of
the Annex to the USTR request letter from the listed beneficiary
countries. Further, pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of
1930 and in accordance with section 503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974 Act, the
USTR requested that the Commission provide its advice as to whether a
like or directly competitive article was produced in the United States
in any of the preceding three calendar years.
Table E--Petition Submitted for Redesignation of Excluded Item
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTS subheading Brief description Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4412.31.41, Including Plywood sheets n/o 6mm Indonesia.
4412.31.4150 and 4412.31.4160. thick, with specified
tropical wood outer
ply, with face ply
nesoi, not surface
covered beyond clear/
transparent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(6) Advice concerning denial of de minimis waiver. The USTR
notified the Commission that one article from a GSP beneficiary country
is being considered for denial of a de minimis CNL waiver. Under
authority delegated by the President, pursuant to section 332(g) of the
Tariff Act of 1930, with respect to the article listed in Table F of
the Annex to the USTR request letter, the USTR requested that the
Commission provide its advice as to the probable economic effect of the
removal from eligibility for duty-free treatment under the GSP program
of this article from the specified country on total U.S. imports, on
U.S. industries producing like or directly competitive articles, and on
U.S. consumers. Further, pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act
of 1930 and in accordance with section 503(c)(2)(E) of the 1974 Act,
the USTR requested that the Commission provide its advice with respect
to whether a like or directly competitive article was produced in the
United States in any of the preceding three calendar years.
Table F--Petition Submitted for Denial of De Minimis Waiver
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HTS subheading Brief description Country
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3802.90.10.................... Bone black............ Brazil.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time for reporting, HTS detail, portions of report to be
classified. As requested by the USTR, the Commission will provide the
requested advice and information by September 7, 2018. The USTR asked
that the Commission issue, as soon as possible thereafter, a public
version of the report containing only the unclassified information,
with any confidential business information deleted. As requested, the
Commission will provide its economic effect advice and statistics
(profile of the U.S. industry and market and U.S. import and export
data) and any other relevant information or advice separately and
individually for each U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading for
all products subject to the request. The USTR indicated that those
sections of the Commission's report and working papers that contain the
Commission's advice and assessment will be classified as
``confidential.'' The USTR also stated that his office considers the
Commission's report to be an inter-agency memorandum that will contain
pre-decisional advice and be subject to the deliberative process
privilege.
Public Hearing: A public hearing in connection with this
investigation will be held at the U.S. International Trade Commission
Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on
June 14, 2018. Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed
with
[[Page 24345]]
the Secretary no later than 5:15 p.m., June 4, 2018. All pre-hearing
briefs and statements should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m., June 7,
2018; and all post-hearing briefs and statements should be filed no
later than 5:15 p.m., June 21, 2018. All requests to appear, and pre-
and post-hearing briefs and statements should be filed in accordance
with the requirements of the ``written submissions'' section below.
Written Submissions: In lieu of or in addition to appearing at the
hearing, interested parties are invited to file written submissions
concerning this investigation. All written submissions should be
addressed to the Secretary, and should be received not later than 5:15
p.m., June 21, 2018. All written submissions must conform to the
provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 201.8 and the Commission's Handbook
on Filing Procedures require that interested parties file documents
electronically on or before the filing deadline and submit eight (8)
true paper copies by 12:00 p.m. eastern time on the next business day.
In the event that confidential treatment of a document is requested,
interested parties must file, at the same time as the eight paper
copies, at least four (4) additional true paper copies in which the
confidential information must be deleted (see the following paragraph
for further information regarding confidential business information).
Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the
Office of the Secretary, Docket Services Division (202-205-1802).
Confidential Business Information: Any submissions that contain
confidential business information must also conform with the
requirements of section 201.6 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and
Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). Section 201.6 of the rules requires that the
cover of the document and the individual pages be clearly marked as to
whether they are the ``confidential'' or ``non-confidential'' version,
and that the confidential business information is clearly identified by
means of brackets. All written submissions, except for confidential
business information, will be made available for inspection by
interested parties.
The Commission may include some or all of the confidential business
information submitted in the course of this investigation in the report
it sends to the USTR. Additionally, all information, including
confidential business information, submitted in this investigation may
be disclosed to and used: (i) By the Commission, its employees and
Offices, and contract personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the
records of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal
investigations, audits, reviews, and evaluations relating to the
programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5
U.S.C. Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government employees and contract
personnel (a) for cybersecurity purposes or (b) in monitoring user
activity on U.S. government classified networks. The Commission will
not otherwise disclose any confidential business information in a
manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the
information.
Summaries of Written Submissions: The Commission intends to publish
summaries of the positions of interested persons. Persons wishing to
have a summary of their position included in the report should include
a summary with their written submission. The summary may not exceed 500
words, should be in MSWord format or a format that can be easily
converted to MSWord, and should not include any confidential business
information. The summary will be published as provided if it meets
these requirements and is germane to the subject matter of the
investigation. The Commission will identify the name of the
organization furnishing the summary and will include a link to the
Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS) where the
full written submission can be found.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: May 23, 2018.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2018-11458 Filed 5-24-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
