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

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that pursuant to a request of the European Communities, the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') has established a compliance panel under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement'') concerning the dispute United StatesLaws, Regulations and Methodology for Calculating Dumping Margins (``zeroing'')Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the European Communities. That request may be found at https://www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS294/25. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice that the United States has requested, in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement), that the WTO Dispute Settlement Body establish a dispute settlement panel to review the U.S. claims concerning: (1) Certain measures that restrict trading rights with respect to imported films for theatrical release, audiovisual home entertainment products (e.g., video cassettes and DVDs), sound recordings, and publications (e.g., books, magazines, newspapers, and electronic publications); (2) certain measures that restrict market access for, or discriminate against, foreign suppliers of distribution services for publications, foreign suppliers of audiovisual services (including distribution services) for audiovisual home entertainment products, and foreign suppliers of sound recording distribution services; (3) certain measures that provide less favorable distribution opportunities for imported films for theatrical release than for like domestic films; and (4) certain measures that provide less favorable opportunities for foreign suppliers of sound recording distribution services and for the distribution of imported sound recordings than are provided to like service suppliers and like products. The panel request may be found at https://www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS363/5. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is seeking the views of interested parties on the operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Section 212(f) of the CBERA, as amended, requires the President to submit a report to Congress regarding the operation of the CBERA and CBTPA (together commonly referred to as the Caribbean Basin Initiative, or CBI) on or before December 31, 2001, and every two years thereafter. The TPSC invites written comments concerning the operation of the CBI, including comments on the performance of each CBERA and CBTPA beneficiary country, as the case may be, under the criteria described in sections 212(b), 212(c), and 213(b)(5)(B) of the CBERA, as amended. This information will be used in the preparation of a report to the U.S. Congress on the operation of the program.

This notice is to inform the public of the availability of eight-month 2007 import statistics relating to competitive need limitations (CNLs) under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The eight-month 2007 import statistics identify those articles for which the full-year 2007 trade levels may exceed statutory CNLs. The eight-month 2007 trade data is available at: [GSP: January-August 2007 Trade Data Relating to CNLs]: https://www.ustr.gov/Trade Development/PreferencePrograms/GSP/GSP2007AnnualReview/ SectionIndex.html. As previously announced in the Federal Register (72 FR 28527 (May 21, 2007)), the deadline for submission of petitions to waive the CNLs for individual beneficiary developing countries with respect to GSP- eligible articles is 5 p.m., November 16, 2007. Petitions must conform to the requirements as set forth in the May 21, 2007, Federal Register notice. Public comments regarding possible de minimis waivers and possible GSP redesignations will be requested in a subsequent Federal Register notice.

The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is soliciting written comments on U.S. objectives for upcoming negotiations on the renewal of the United States-Israel Agreement on Trade in Agricultural Products (ATAP). Specifically, the TPSC is seeking comments on general negotiating objectives and product-specific requests.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice that on September 14, 2007, 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 certain U.S. preliminary antidumping and countervailing duty determinations involving coated free sheet paper imported from China (Department of Commerce Case Nos. A-570-906 and A- 570-907). That request may be found at https://www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/SD368/1. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.