Office of the United States Trade Representative December 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Trade Representative has determined the U.S. dollar procurement thresholds to implement certain U.S. trade agreement obligations, as of January 1, 2020, for calendar years 2020 and 2021.

Each year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) conducts a Special 301 review to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property (IP) rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on IP protection. Based on this review, the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative) determines which, if any, of these countries to identify as Priority Foreign Countries. USTR requests written comments that identify acts, policies, or practices that may form the basis of a country's identification as a Priority Foreign Country or placement on the Priority Watch List or Watch List. USTR also requests notices of intent to appear at the public hearing.

In September 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed additional duties on goods of China with an annual trade value of approximately $200 billion as part of the action in the Section 301 investigation of China's acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation. The U.S. Trade Representative initiated a product exclusion process in June 2019, and interested persons have submitted requests for the exclusion of specific products. This notice announces the U.S. Trade Representative's determination to grant certain exclusion requests, as specified in the Annex to this notice, and corrects a ministerial error in a previously announced exclusion.

Effective July 6, 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed additional duties on goods of China with an annual trade value of approximately $34 billion as part of the action in the Section 301 investigation of China's acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation. The U.S. Trade Representative's determination included a decision to establish a product exclusion process. The U.S. Trade Representative initiated the exclusion process in July 2018, and stakeholders have submitted requests for the exclusion of specific products. In December 2018, and March, April, May, June, July, September, and October 2019, the U.S. Trade Representative granted exclusion requests. This notice announces the U.S. Trade Representative's determination to grant an additional exclusion request, as specified in the Annex to this notice, and makes amendments to certain notes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The U.S. Trade Representative will continue to issue decisions as necessary.

The U.S. Trade Representative is reviewing the action being taken in the Section 301 investigation involving the enforcement of U.S. WTO rights in the Large Civil Aircraft dispute. Annex I to this notice contains a list of products currently subject to additional duties. Annex II contains a list of products, originally published in the April 2019 and July 2019 notices in this investigation, under consideration for the imposition of additional ad valorem duties of up to 100 percent. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) requests comments with respect to whether products listed in Annex I should be removed from the list or remain on the list; whether the rate of additional duty on specific products should be increased up to a level of 100 percent; whether additional duties should be imposed on specific products listed in Annex II; and on the rate of additional duty to be applied to products drawn from Annex II.

The U.S. Trade Representative has determined that France's Digital Services Tax is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce. The U.S. Trade Representative proposes action in the form of additional duties of up to 100 percent on products of France to be drawn from the preliminary list in the Annex to this notice. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) seeks comments on this proposed action, as well as on other options including the imposition of fees or restrictions on services of France. The interagency Section 301 Committee will hold a public hearing in connection with the action to be taken under Section 301.