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

This notice announces the 2005 Annual Review of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA). The deadline for the submission of petitions for the 2005 Annual ATPA Review is September 19, 2005. USTR will publish a list of petitions filed in response to this announcement in the Federal Register.

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has determined not to initiate an investigation under section 302 of the Trade Act of 1974 with respect to a petition addressed to China's currency valuation policies because initiation of an investigation would not be effective in addressing the issues raised in the petition.

The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) will convene a public hearing and seek public comment to assist the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the preparation of its annual report to the Congress on China's compliance with the commitments made in connection with its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

OMB is updating the annual federal pay raise assumptions and inflation cost factors used for computing the government's personnel and non-pay costs in public-private competitions conducted pursuant to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76. These annual pay raise assumptions and inflation factors are based on the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2006. OMB is also providing notice of an update to ``COMPARE,'' the costing software agencies use when conducting public-private competitions.

The Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB), Office of Federal Procurement Policy, invites public comments on proposed amendments to the Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) 412, ``Cost accounting standard for composition and measurement of pension cost,'' and CAS 415, ``Accounting for the cost of deferred compensation.'' These proposed amendments address issues concerning the recognition of the costs of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) under Government cost-based contracts and subcontracts. These proposed amendments provide criteria for measuring the costs of ESOPs and their assignment to cost accounting periods. The allocation of a contractor's assigned ESOP costs to contracts and subcontracts is addressed in other Standards. The proposed amendments also specify that accounting for the costs of ESOPs will be covered by the provisions of CAS 415, ``Accounting for the cost of deferred compensation'' and not by any other Standard.

Change existing US postal address at 40 CFR 1506.9 to update and add second address to facilitate deliveries made in-person or by commercial express mail service.

Pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) (42 U.S.C. 13218(b)) and Executive Order 13149, the Central Intelligence Agency gives notice of its intention to make its Fleet Alternative Fuel Use and Vehicle Acquisition Report for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 (through June 2005) available on-line as of July 14, 2005, at https:// www.cia.gov/cia/reports/afvreports/2005/ and at https:// www.cia.gov/cia/reports/afvreports/2005/report.pdf.

As part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information collected and disseminated by the Federal Government, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requests comments on the recommendations that it has received from the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) Subcommittee on Standards for Statistical Surveys to update and revise OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 1, Standards for Statistical Surveys, and OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 2, Publication of Statistics. The guidance, which applies to all Federal agencies subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, is intended to ensure that the results of statistical surveys sponsored by the Federal Government are as reliable and useful as possible. The FCSM Subcommittee's recommendations, which are available in their entirety on the OMB Web site at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/statpolicy.html, are the result of a two-year comprehensive review of the current standards.

The Office of Management and Budget announces two meetings of the Acquisition Advisory Panel (AAP or ``Panel'') established in accordance with the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), coverage of the government procurement chapter is based on positive lists of government entities and enterprises for each NAFTA Party (United States, Canada and Mexico). The lists for each Party are contained in its Schedules to Annex 1001.1a-1 (Federal Government Entities) and Annex 1001.1a-2 (Government Enterprises) of the NAFTA Chapter on Government Procurement. The Chapter provides a process for rectifications and modifications of the Schedules. In 2004, Mexico modified its Schedules to reflect changes in its government structure. The Parties have approved the changes to Mexico's federal government entities and government enterprises schedules. Mexico published its revised Schedules in the Diario Oficial de la Federaci[oacute]n de M[eacute]xico in February 2005. The revised Mexican Schedules are set out below.

In Proclamation 7870 of February 9, 2005, the President modified the rules of origin under the North American Free Trade Agreement (the ``NAFTA'') incorporated in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (the ``HTS''). The modifications were made effective with respect to goods of Canada that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2005. The proclamation stated that the modifications with respect to goods of Mexico would be effective on or after a date to be announced in the Federal Register by the USTR. The purpose of this notice is to announce that the effective date for the modifications for goods of Mexico is June 15, 2005. The changes were printed in the Federal Register of February 14, 2005, Volume 70, Number 29, pages 7611-7630.

The Office of Management and Budget announces a meeting of the Acquisition Advisory Panel (AAP or ``Panel'') established in accordance with the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice that on June 1, 2005, at the request of Canada, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) established a dispute settlement panel under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO. The panel is to examine whether the United States has implemented the recommendations and rulings of the DSB in a dispute involving a U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determination that certain softwood lumber products from Canada are being sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). On August 31, 2004, the DSB adopted the findings of the panel and the WTO Appellate Body in that dispute. Those findings rejected all of Canada's claims, except the claim that Commerce's methodology for aggregating dumping levels determined by comparing weighted average export price to weighted average normal value for groups of comparable transactions was inconsistent with Article 2.4.2 of the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Antidumping Agreement). In response to the DSB's recommendations and rulings, Commerce revised its methodology. Instead of determining dumping levels on a weighted average-to-weighted average basis, Commerce determined dumping levels on a transaction-to-transaction basis. On April 27, 2005, Commerce issued a Notice of Determination Under Section 129 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act: Antidumping Measures on Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada. That Notice, published in the Federal Register on May 2, 2005 (70 FR 22636), implements the new determination. Canada subsequently requested the establishment of a dispute settlement panel, alleging that the United States had failed to implement the DSB's recommendations and rulings. The panel was established on June 1, 2005. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.