Office of the United States Trade Representative January 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the Acceptance of Competitive Need Limitation Waiver Petitions for the 2007 Annual Review
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) received petitions in connection with the 2007 GSP Annual Review to waive the competitive need limitations (CNLs) on imports of certain products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program. This notice announces those petitions that are accepted for further review. This notice also sets forth the schedule for comment and public hearings on these petitions, for requesting participation in the hearings, and submitting pre-hearing and post-hearing briefs, and for commenting on the USITC report on probable economic effects. The list of accepted petitions to waive CNLs is available at: https:// www.ustr.gov/Trade Development/Preference Programs/GSP/GSP 2007 Annual Review/Section Index.html [2007 GSP Review, List of CNL Waiver Petitions Accepted in the 2007 GSP Annual Review]
WTO Dispute Settlement Proceedings Regarding Measures of the European Communities Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on January 17, 2008, the United States submitted to the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') a request for authorization to suspend WTO concessions and other obligations with respect to the European Communities (``EC'') in an amount equal to the level of nullification and impairment resulting from EC non-compliance with the WTO recommendations and rulings. Under a sequencing agreement with the EC, that request will be referred to arbitration and the arbitration will be suspended while the United States and EC continue to try to resolve this dispute and related matters. To prepare for the possibility that the arbitration is resumed and the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (``DSB'') authorizes the United States to suspend WTO concessions with respect to the EC, USTR is inviting written comments on action that USTR should take to exercise such an authorization. In particular, USTR seeks written comments with respect to the specific products of the EC or EC member States, and/or with respect to the specific member States of the EC, that should be subject to a suspension of WTO concessions, such as through increases of rates of duty above current rates.
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP): Notice Regarding the Initiation of Child Labor Review in the Production of Certain GSP-Eligible Hand-Loomed or Hand-Hooked Carpets
The 2004 Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act (H.R. 1047) (the ``2004 Act''), as approved by Congress, authorized the President to designate seven tariff lines relating to carpets (5702.51.20 (now 5702.50.20), 5702.91.30, 5702.92.00 (now 5702.92.10), 5702.99.10 (now 5702.99.05), 5703.10.00 (now 5703.10.20), 5703.20.10, and 5703.30.00 (now 5703.30.20)) as eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program. These tariff lines cover certain hand-loomed or hand-hooked carpets and other textile floor coverings made of wool, cotton, fine animal hair, or man-made textile materials. Pursuant to the authorization in the 2004 Act, the President designated these seven tariff lines as eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program. The GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is conducting a triennial review of whether each beneficiary country is taking steps to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, including the use of bonded child labor, in the production of such carpets imported under the U.S. GSP program. If sufficient steps are not underway, the TPSC will recommend to the President changes in GSP coverage that would eliminate from duty-free treatment under the GSP program those carpets found to be made with the worst forms of child labor.
Special 301: Identification of Countries Under Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974: Request for Public Comment
Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242) requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection. (Section 182 is commonly referred to as the ``Special 301'' provisions of the Trade Act.) In addition, the USTR is required to determine which of these countries should be identified as Priority Foreign Countries. Acts, policies, or practices that are the basis of a country's identification as a Priority Foreign Country are normally the subject of an investigation under the section 301 provisions of the Trade Act. Section 182 of the Trade Act contains a special rule for the identification of actions by Canada affecting United States cultural industries. USTR requests written submissions from the public concerning foreign countries' acts, policies, and practices that are relevant to the decision whether particular trading partners should be identified under section 182 of the Trade Act.
Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as Amended: Notice Regarding the 2007 Annual Review
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) received one petition in September 2007 to review certain practices in a beneficiary developing country to determine whether such country is in compliance with the ATPA eligibility criteria. This notice specifies the results of the review of that petition as well as the status of the petitions filed in prior years that have remained under review.
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