Trade Representative, Office of United States December 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is to inform the public of the availability of interim 2005 import statistics relating to competitive need limitations (CNLs) under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. Public comments are invited by 5 p.m., January 27, 2006, regarding possible de minimis CNL waivers with respect to particular articles, and possible redesignations under the GSP program of articles currently not eligible for GSP benefits because they previously exceeded the CNLs.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of additional country-by-country allocations of the in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quota for imported raw cane sugar beginning on October 1, 2005 and ending on September 30, 2006.

Executive Order 12260 requires the United States Trade Representative to set the U.S. dollar thresholds for application of Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2511 et seq.), which implements U.S. trade agreement obligations, including those under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement, Chapter 15 of the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 9 of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 10 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and Chapter 13 of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. These obligations apply to covered procurements valued at or above specified U.S. dollar thresholds. Now, therefore, I, Rob Portman, United States Trade Representative, in conformity with the provisions of Executive Order 12260, and in order to carry out U.S. trade agreement obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Government Procurement Agreement, Chapter 15 of the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 9 of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, Chapter 10 of NAFTA, and Chapter 13 of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, do hereby determine, effective on January 1, 2006: For the calendar years 2006-2007, the thresholds are as follows:

The Office of the United States Trade Representative published a document in the Federal Register of November 16, 2005, concerning request for comments and reply comments on the operation, effectiveness, and implementation of and compliance with U.S. telecommunications trade agreements. The document contained the incorrect dates.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice that on November 2, 2005, in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement''), the United States requested consultations regarding Turkey's import licensing regime and domestic purchase requirement on imports of rice. That request may be found at https://www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS334/1. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.