[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9724-9725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3717]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Petitions To Modify the Rules of Origin Under the
Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity to file petitions requesting changes to
the non-textile and non-apparel products rules of origin under the
Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement
(``the Agreement'' or ``CAFTA-DR'').
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SUMMARY: This notice solicits proposals on appropriate changes that
USTR should consider for modifying the CAFTA-DR's rules of origin under
Article 4.14 of the Agreement.
DATES: Public comments are due at USTR by close of business, April 17,
2012.
ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov. For
alternatives to on-line submissions please contact Kent Shigetomi at
(202) 395-9459.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Shigetomi, Director for Mexico,
NAFTA, and the Caribbean, at (202) 395-9459.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 23, 2012, the CAFTA-DR Free Trade
Commission (``FTC'' or ``the Commission''), the plurilateral
ministerial-level body responsible for supervising the implementation
of the CAFTA-DR, agreed to consider modifying the rules of origin
established in the Agreement, particularly in light of more recent free
trade agreements. The CAFTA-DR requires each government to provide
preferential tariff treatment to goods that meet the Agreement's origin
rules. In the United States, those rules are implemented through the
Dominican Republic--Central America--United States Free Trade Agreement
Implementation Act (Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462) (19 U.S.C.
4011(a) (``the Act'')). Under the Act, goods imported into the United
States qualify for preferential treatment if they meet the requirements
of the general CAFTA-DR rules of origin set out in section 203 of the
Act and the CAFTA-DR product-specific rules set out in the Harmonized
Tariff System. The Agreement allows the Parties to amend the
Agreement's origin rules as they deem appropriate. Section 203(o)(3) of
the Act authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the
CAFTA-DR product-specific origin rules set forth in the HTS, subject to
the consultation and layover provisions of section 104 of the Act.
Additional Information: The United States and the other CAFTA-DR
Parties have not yet decided whether to make changes to the Agreement's
rules of origin and, if such changes were made, what the scope or
extent of such changes should be. The United States and the other
CAFTA-DR Parties expect to take into account several factors in
considering whether to make such changes, including: (1) The extent
that any such changes may reduce transaction and manufacturing costs or
increase trade among the Parties; (2) the feasibility of devising,
implementing, and monitoring new rules of origin; and (3) the level and
breadth of interest that manufacturers, processors, traders, and
consumers in the Parties express for making particular changes. The
Parties expect to make only those changes that are broadly supported by
stakeholders in all countries.
Requirements for Comments/Proposals: Submitters should indicate
whether they have discussed their proposals with representatives of the
relevant sector in the other Parties and, if such discussions have
taken place, the result of those discussions. Submissions should
indicate if representatives of the relevant sector in the other Parties
do not support the proposal. USTR encourages interested parties to
consider submitting proposals jointly with interested parties in the
other Parties.
Scope and Coverage of Proposals: USTR encourages interested parties
to review the broadest appropriate range of items and to submit
proposals that reflect a consensus reached after such a broad-based
review. A single proposal can thus include requests covering multiple
tariff headings. Proposals should cover entire 8-digit tariff
subheadings, and may also be submitted at the 6, 4, or 2 digit level
where the intent is to cover all subsidiary tariff lines.
Requirements for Submissions: Persons submitting written comments
must do so in English and must identify (on the first page of the
submission) ``CAFTA-DR Rules of Origin.'' In order to be assured of
consideration, comments should be submitted by noon, [60 days after
publication].
In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line
submissions, using the http://www.regulations.gov Web site. Comments
should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2012-0002. To find
the docket, enter the docket number in the ``Enter Keyword or ID''
window at the http://www.regulations.gov home page and click
``Search.'' The site will provide a search-results page listing all
documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice
by selecting ``Notices'' under ``Document Type'' on the search-results
page, and click on the link entitled ``Submit a Comment.'' (For further
information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult
the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on the ``Help''
tab.)
The http://www.regulations.gov Web site provides the option of
making submissions by filling in a comments field, or by attaching a
document. USTR prefers submissions to be provided in an attached
document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type ``See
attached'' in the ``Type Comment'' and attach a file in the ``Upload
File(s)'' field. USTR also prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc)
or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission is in an application other
than those two, please indicate the name of the application in the
``Comments'' field.
A person seeking to request that information contained in a
submission from that person be treated as business confidential
information must certify that such information is business confidential
and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitter.
For any comments submitted electronically containing business
confidential information, the file name of the business confidential
version should begin with the characters ``BC.'' Confidential business
information must be clearly designated as such. The submission must be
marked ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top and bottom of the cover
page and each succeeding page, and the submission should indicate, via
brackets, the specific information that is confidential.
[[Page 9725]]
Additionally, ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' must be included in the ``Type
Comment'' field. Filers of submissions containing business confidential
information must also submit a public version of their comments
indicating where confidential information has been redacted. The non-
confidential summary will be placed in the docket and open to public
inspection. The file name of the public version should begin with the
character ``P.'' The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be followed by the name of
the person or entity submitting the comments or reply comments. Filers
submitting comments containing no business confidential information
should name their file using the character ``P,'' followed by the name
of the person or entity submitting the comments.
Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a
cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.
USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through
www.regulations.gov, if at all possible. Any alternative arrangements
must be made with Kent Shigetomi in advance of transmitting a comment.
Mr. Shigetomi should be contacted at (202) 395-9459. General
information concerning USTR is available at http://www.ustr.gov.
Inspection of Submissions: Submissions in response to this notice,
except for information granted ``business confidential'' status, will
be available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov. Such
submissions may be viewed by entering the docket number USTR-2012-0002
in the search field at: http://www.regulations.gov.
John M. Melle,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Americas.
[FR Doc. 2012-3717 Filed 2-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W2-P