Trade Representative, Office of United States November 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (``section 1377''), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is reviewing and requests comments on: The operation, effectiveness, and implementation of and compliance with the following agreements regarding telecommunications products and services of the United States: the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') General Agreement on Trade in Services; the North American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA''); U.S. free trade agreements (``FTAs'') with Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, and Singapore; the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (``CAFTA-DR''); and any other FTA or telecommunications trade agreement coming into force on or before January 1, 2009. The USTR will conclude the review by March 31, 2009.

The Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC-11) will hold a meeting on Monday, December 8, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meeting will be closed to the public from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and opened to the public from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on September 19, 2008, the People's Republic of China (``China'') requested consultations with the United States under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement'') concerning final anti-dumping and countervailing duty determinations and orders by the Department of Commerce on imports of the following products from China: Circular Welded Carbon Quality Steel Pipe (Investigations A-570-910 and C-570- 911); Certain New Pneumatic Off-the-Road Tires (Investigations A-570- 912 and C-570-913); Light-Walled Rectangular Pipe and Tube (Investigations A-570-914 and C-570-915); and Laminated Woven Sacks (Investigations A-570-916 and C-570-917). That request may be found at www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS379/1. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

The interagency section 301 Committee is soliciting written comments on possible modifications to the action taken by the United States Trade Representative (``Trade Representative'') in connection with the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') authorization in the EC- Beef Hormones dispute to the United States to suspend concessions and related obligations with respect to the European Communities (``EC''). The EC-Beef Hormones dispute concerned the EC's ban on the import of U.S. meat and meat products produced from animals treated with any of six hormones for growth promotion purposes. Annex I to this notice contains a list of EC products with respect to which the United States is currently imposing increased rates of duty (100 percent ad valorem) pursuant to the WTO's authorization. Annex II to this notice contains a list of potential alternative products under consideration for the imposition of increased duties. Comments are requested with respect to (i) whether products listed in Annex I should be removed from the list or remain on the list (and if a product remains on the list, whether the currently applied rate of duty should be increased), (ii) whether products listed in Annex II should be included on a revised list and be subjected to increased rates of duty, and (iii) the products of which member States of the EC should be subjected to increased rates of duty.