Executive Office of the President March 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On January 15, 2009, the United States Trade Representative (`Trade Representative') announced modifications (`January 15 modifications') to the action taken in July 1999 in connection with the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') authorization to the United States in the EC-Beef Hormones dispute to suspend concessions and related obligations with respect to the European Communities (``EC''). See 74 FR 4265 (Jan. 23, 2009). The January 15 modifications had an effective date of March 23, 2009. In order to allow additional time to reach agreement with the EC on an interim solution that would provide benefits to the U.S. beef industry, the Trade Representative has decided to delay for one month (until April 23, 2009) the effective date of the additional duties imposed under the January 15 modifications. The effective date of the removal of duties under the January 15 modifications will remain March 23, 2009. Effective Date: As set out in Annex I to this notice, the removal of duties on items deleted from the product list under the January 15 modifications shall be effective with respect to products that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 23, 2009. As set out in Annex II to this notice, the additional duties under the January 15 modifications shall be effective with respect to products that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after April 23, 2009.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extends the deadline for public comments on how to improve the process and principles governing Federal regulatory review.

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) published a document in the Federal Register of August 4, 2006, concerning a determination under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in respect of Burkina Faso. The document did not expressly include a modification to list Burkina Faso in note 2(d) to Subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).

A notice was published in the Federal Register dated February 26, 2009, Volume 74 page 8819 and March 4,2009, Volume number 74, Notice 41, page 9438, announcing a meeting of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC-11), scheduled for March 9, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meeting was to be closed to the public from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and open to the public from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. However, the meeting has been cancelled in its entirety.

This notice announces the availability of full 2008 calendar year import statistics relating to competitive need limitations (CNLs) under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will accept public comments submitted by 5 p.m., Monday, March 23, 2009, via https:// www.regulations.gov regarding three issues: (1) Potential revocation of CNL waivers that meet the statutory thresholds set forth by section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)), as amended by Public Law 109-432; (2) possible de minimis CNL waivers; and (3) possible redesignations of articles currently not eligible for GSP benefits because they previously exceeded the CNL thresholds.