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

In accordance with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of its determination of the trade surplus in certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products of Chile, Morocco, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, and Panama. The level of a country's trade surplus in these goods relates to the quantity of sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products for which the United States grants preferential tariff treatment under (i) the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (Chile FTA); (ii) the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (Morocco FTA); (iii) the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR); (iv) the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (Peru TPA); (v) the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (Colombia TPA); and (vi) the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (Panama TPA).

In prior notices, the U.S. Trade Representative modified the actions in the Section 301 investigation of China's acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation by excluding from additional duties certain medical-care products needed to address COVID, and subsequently extended certain of these exclusions. The current COVID exclusionscovering 81 medical- care productsare scheduled to expire on November 30, 2022. This notice announces the U.S. Trade Representative's determination to further extend the 81 COVID exclusions for an additional three months.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) provides for the establishment of a roster of individuals to serve on binational panels convened to review final determinations in antidumping or countervailing duty (AD/CVD) proceedings and amendments to AD/CVD statutes of a USMCA Party. The United States annually renews its selections for the roster. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) invites applications from eligible individuals wishing to be included on the roster for the period April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.

This notice announces the U.S. Trade Representative's determination to make two technical amendments to certain previously reinstated exclusions associated with the section 301 investigation of China Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation.

The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) sought public comments to assist the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in the preparation of its annual report to Congress on Russia's implementation of its obligations as a Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). USTR is cancelling the virtual public hearing on Russia's compliance with its WTO commitments that was scheduled to take place on October 4, 2022.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative is providing notice of allocations of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 (October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023) in-quota quantity of the tariff- rate quota (TRQ) for imports of certain sugars, syrups and molasses (also known as refined sugar), including specialty sugar.

In accordance with the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into by the United States and the Commonwealth of Australia and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of tariff-rate quota quantity limitations of certain tariff subheadings.

The Parties to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) intend to hold the second meeting of the Environment Committee (Committee) on September 23, 2022. Following the government-to- government Committee meeting, the Committee will hold a virtual public session. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will accept comments on suggestions for topics to be discussed during the Committee meeting, and questions for the public session.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) requests comments that identify online and physical markets to be considered for inclusion in the 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (Notorious Markets List). The Notorious Markets List identifies examples of online and physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial copyright piracy or trademark counterfeiting. The issue focus for the 2022 Notorious Markets List will examine the impact of online piracy on U.S. workers.

The U.S. Trade Representative has determined not to list any countries as denying fair market opportunities for U.S. products, suppliers, or bidders in foreign government-funded airport construction projects.

In prior Federal Register notices, the U.S. Trade Representative modified the action in the Section 301 investigation of China's acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation by excluding certain products from additional duties. The U.S. Trade Representative subsequently extended 549 of these exclusions. Following public notice and comment, the U.S. Trade Representative has determined to reinstate certain previously extended exclusions through December 31, 2022, as specified in the Annex to this notice.

On October 27, 2021, President Biden announced that the United States would explore the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) to deepen economic relations in the Indo-Pacific region and coordinate approaches to addressing global economic challenges. The Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative will co-chair the U.S. team leading the IPEF negotiations. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will lead the IPEF's pillar on Fair and Resilient Trade, and the Department of Commerce will lead the IPEF's pillars on: (1) Supply Chain Resiliency; (2) Clean Energy, Decarbonization, and Infrastructure; and (3) Taxation and Anti- Corruption. Accordingly, USTR is seeking public comments on matters relevant to the Fair and Resilient Trade pillar, including U.S. interests and priorities, in order to develop U.S. negotiating objectives and positions and identify potential partners.

This notice announces the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) staff members selected to serve on the Senior Executive Service (SES) and Senior Level (SL) Performance Review Board (PRB). This notice supersedes all previous PRB membership notices.

Effective January 27, 2022, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) will implement certain changes to statistical reporting categories in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). As a result of these changes, USTR is making three conforming amendments to product exclusion extensions in the above- titled investigation under Section 301.

The U.S. Trade Representative published a notice in the Federal Register on July 6, 2021 (July 6 notice), modifying the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) to divide certain U.S. tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) currently allocated to the European Union (EU), between the EU and the United Kingdom (UK) as a result of Brexit and to reflect changes in the composition of the EU. This notice corrects an error in the July 6 notice in paragraph 5 of the section titled Modification of the HTSUS. The operative language of paragraph 5 is not affected.

In accordance with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of its determination of the trade surplus in certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products of Chile, Morocco, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, and Panama. The level of a country's trade surplus in these goods relates to the quantity of sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products for which the United States grants preferential tariff treatment under (i) the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (Chile FTA); (ii) the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (Morocco FTA); (iii) the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR); (iv) the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (Peru TPA); (v) the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (Colombia TPA); and (vi) the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (Panama TPA).

On September 30, 2020, and effective November 30, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a notice on the tariff classification of certain nonwoven wipes. To conform with the tariff classification set out in that notice, USTR is making a technical amendment to a product exclusion in the Section 301 investigation of China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation.

On October 8, 2021, Turkey joined the United States and 134 other jurisdictions participating in the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting in reaching a political agreement on a two-pillar solution to address tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the world economy. As part of Pillar 1, all parties agreed to remove existing digital services taxes and other relevant similar measures, and to coordinate the withdrawal of these taxes. On November 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued a joint statement with Turkey regarding a transitional approach to Turkey's Digital Service Tax (DST) prior to entry into force of Pillar 1. The joint statement reflects a political agreement that DST liabilities accrued during the transitional period will be creditable in defined circumstances against future taxes due under Pillar 1. Based on the commitment of Turkey to remove its DST pursuant to Pillar 1 and on Turkey's political agreement to the transitional approach prior to Pillar 1's entry into force, the U.S. Trade Representative has determined to terminate the section 301 action taken in the investigation of Turkey's DST. In coordination with Treasury, USTR will monitor implementation of the removal of Turkey's DST as provided for under Pillar 1 and the transitional approach as provided in the joint statement.

On October 8, 2021, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom joined the United States and 130 other jurisdictions participating in the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting in reaching a political agreement on a two-pillar solution to address tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the world economy. As part of Pillar 1, all parties agreed to remove existing Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) and other relevant similar measures, and to coordinate the withdrawal of these taxes. On October 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued a joint statement with Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom on a transitional approach to those countries' DSTs prior to entry into force of Pillar 1. The joint statement reflects a political agreement that DST liabilities accrued during the transitional period will be creditable in defined circumstances against future income taxes due under Pillar 1. Based on the commitments of Austria, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom to remove their DSTs pursuant to Pillar 1 and on their political agreement to the transitional approach prior to Pillar 1's entry into force, the U.S. Trade Representative has determined to terminate the section 301 actions taken in the respective investigations of these countries' DSTs. In coordination with Treasury, USTR will monitor implementation of the removal of these countries' DSTs as provided for under Pillar 1 and the transitional approach as provided in the joint statement.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of country-by-country reallocations of the fiscal year (FY) 2021 in-quota quantity of the World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for imported raw cane sugar.

In prior notices, the U.S. Trade Representative modified the action in the Section 301 investigation of China's acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation by excluding certain products from additional duties in multiple tranches. From the various tranches of granted exclusions, the U.S. Trade Representative subsequently extended 549 exclusions. Most of these extensions expired by December 31, 2020. The remainder expired earlier this year. USTR invites specific comments on whether to reinstate particular product exclusions.

On August 6, 2021, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) instituted a review to determine whether the safeguard action currently in place on imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) cells (whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products), continues to be necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury and whether there is evidence that the domestic industry is making a positive adjustment to import competition. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), on behalf of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is announcing a process so that, in the event of an affirmative determination by the ITC, interested parties may submit views and evidence on the appropriateness of extending the safeguard measure and the action to be taken should the safeguard measure be extended. USTR also invites interested parties to participate in a public hearing regarding this matter.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative is providing notice of allocations of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 (October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022) in-quota quantity of the tariff- rate quotas (TRQs) for imported raw cane sugar, certain sugars, syrups and molasses (also known as refined sugar), specialty sugar, and sugar- containing products.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) requests comments that identify online and physical markets to be considered for inclusion in the 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (Notorious Markets List). The Notorious Markets List identifies examples of online and physical markets that reportedly engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy or trademark counterfeiting. The issue focus for the 2021 Notorious Markets List will examine the adverse impact of counterfeiting on workers involved with the manufacture of counterfeit goods.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of the allocations of additional fiscal year (FY) 2021 in-quota quantities of the World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for imported raw cane sugar as announced by the Secretary of Agriculture on August 24, 2021.