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

The Trade Policy Staff Committee is seeking the views of interested parties on six questions regarding U.S. equipment industry access to the EC Galileo program and European markets for related goods and services, which pertain to Articles 5, 6, and 8 of the Agreement on the Promotion, Provision and Use of Galileo and GPS Satellite-Based Navigation Systems and Related Applications (``Agreement''). USTR will use this information in connection with its preparation of a report to Congress, as requested in the explanatory statement accompanying the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, and to identify issues that may merit further discussion with the EC and its Member States under the consultation mechanism established under the Agreement.

The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (``CAFTA-DR'' or ``Agreement'') requires the establishment of four rosters of individuals that would be available to serve as panelists in dispute settlement proceedings arising under the Agreement. A general roster is required to be established under Chapter Twenty (Dispute Settlement). Chapter Twelve (Financial Services), Chapter Sixteen (Labor), and Chapter Seventeen (Environment) require the establishment of separate rosters for disputes arising under those chapters.

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 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.

The correct date for The Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC-11) published in Federal Register Volume 74 page 8819 is Monday, March 9, 2009. 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 3:30 p.m.

This notice makes rectifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to reflect that Peru remains a designated beneficiary country for purposes of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) and that the President has suspended Bolivia's designation as beneficiary country for the purposes of the ATPDEA.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that the United States received requests for consultations under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement'') concerning certain mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) requirements from Canada in a letter dated December 1, 2008 and from Mexico in a letter dated December 17, 2008. Those requests may be found at https://www.wto.org contained in documents designated as WT/DS384/1 for Canada and WT/DS386/1 for Mexico. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in these disputes.

In compliance with section 203(f) of the ATPA, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 3202(f)(2), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting the views of interested parties on whether the designated beneficiary countries are meeting the eligibility criteria under the ATPA. (See 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(6)(B).) This information will be used in the preparation of a report to the Congress on the operation of the program.

Under the United States-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act (IFTA Act), articles of qualifying industrial zones encompassing portions of Israel and Jordan or Israel and Egypt are eligible to receive duty-free treatment. Effective upon publication of this notice, the United States Trade Representative, pursuant to authority delegated by the President, is designating the Beni Suief zone and the Al Minya zone as qualifying industrial zones under the IFTA Act.

The United States Trade Representative (``Trade Representative'') has decided to modify 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''). In particular, as described in this notice and its annex, the Trade Representative has decided: (1) To remove some products from the list of products currently subject to 100 percent ad valorem duties; (2) to impose 100 percent ad valorem duties on some new products from certain EC member States; (3) to modify the coverage with respect to particular EC member States; and (4) to raise the level of duties on one of the products that is being maintained on the product list. The trade value of the products subject to the modified action continues not to exceed the $116.8 million per year level authorized by the WTO in July 1999.

Pursuant to Section 205(b) of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the Act), the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of her determination that Costa Rica is an eligible country for purposes of retroactive duty treatment as provided in Section 205 of the Act.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on November 27, 2008, Brazil requested consultations with the United States under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement'') concerning the antidumping duty administrative review on certain orange juice from Brazil (Department of Commerce Case No. A-351-840) and various U.S. laws, regulations, administrative procedures, practices, and methodologies. That request may be found at www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS382/1. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative published a document in the Federal Register of December 5, 2008 concerning the determination of the trade surplus in certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar containing products of Chile, Morocco, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The document contained incorrect data.

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.

This notice is to inform the public of the availability of eight-month 2008 import statistics and to announce that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will not be publishing a ``warning list'' of products that may exceed statutory competitive need limitations (CNLs), pertinent to the 2008 GSP Annual Review. Each interested party is responsible for conducting its own review of 2008 import data with regard to the possible application of GSP CNLs and submitting a petition to waive the CNLs if necessary. This information can be found on the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) Web site (https://dataweb.usitc.gov). The deadline for submission of petitions requesting CNL waivers for consideration in the 2008 GSP Annual Review is 5 p.m., Thursday, November 13, 2008. The list of petitions for CNL waivers accepted for review will be announced in the Federal Register at a later date.

This notice announces the initiation of a review to consider designating the Republic of Kosovo as a beneficiary developing country (BDC) for purposes of the GSP program, and solicits public comments on whether Kosovo meets certain eligibility criteria for designation as a BDC. Comments are due by Friday, October 17, 2008, and must be submitted in accordance with the requirements set out below.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of country-by-country allocations of the FY 2009 in- quota quantity of the tariff-rate quota for imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar, and sugar-containing products.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) received petitions in connection with the 2008 GSP Annual Review to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program and to modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary developing countries because of country practices. This notice announces the product petitions, other than those requesting competitive need limitation (CNL) waivers, and country practice petitions accepted in previous GSP annual reviews that continue to be under review in the 2008 GSP Annual Review, and sets forth the schedule for comment and public hearings on these petitions, for requesting participation in the hearings, and for submitting pre-hearing and post- hearing briefs. The list of accepted petitions is available at: https:// www.ustr.gov/Trade_Development/Preference_Programs/GSP/Sectio n_ Index.html. [2008 Annual review].

The Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC-11) will hold a meeting on Monday, September 15, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 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 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.