[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15803-15804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05656]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Petitions To Accelerate Tariff Elimination and Modify
the Rules of Origin Under the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion
Agreement
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of opportunity to file petitions requesting accelerated
tariff elimination and changes to the non-textile and non-apparel
products rules of origin under the United States-Colombia Trade
Promotion Agreement (``the Agreement'' or ``USCTPA'').
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SUMMARY: This notice solicits proposals seeking accelerated tariff
elimination under the USCTPA as well as proposals on appropriate
changes that USTR should consider for modifying the USCTPA's rules of
origin under Article 4.14 of the Agreement. This notice also describes
the procedures for filing proposals.
DATES: Public comments are due at USTR by close of business, May 13,
2013.
ADDRESSES: Submissions via on-line: http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bennett Harman, Deputy Assistant USTR
for Latin America, at (202) 395-9446.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Article 2.3.4 of the USCTPA provides that
the United States and Colombia may agree to accelerate the elimination
of customs duties set out in their respective tariff schedules. Section
201(b) of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
Implementation Act (``the TPA Act'' or ``the Act'') authorizes the
President to proclaim modifications in the staging of duty treatment
set out in the Agreement, subject to the Act's consultation and layover
requirements.
The USCTPA requires each government to provide preferential tariff
treatment to goods that meet the Agreement's rules of origin. In the
United States, those rules are implemented through the TPA Act. Under
the Act, goods imported into the United States qualify for preferential
treatment if they meet the requirements of the general USCTPA rules of
origin set out in section 203 of the Act, and the USCTPA product-
specific rules set out in the HTS. The Agreement allows the Parties to
amend the Agreement's rules of origin. Section 203(o)(3) of the USCTPA
Act authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the USCTPA's
product-specific origin rules, subject to the consultation and layover
provisions of section 104 of the Act.
Additional Information: The United States and Colombia have not yet
decided whether to accelerate the elimination of tariffs or to make
further 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 Colombia 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 between Colombia and the United States; (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 United States and Colombia
express for making particular changes. The United States and Colombia
expect to make only those changes that are broadly supported by
stakeholders in both countries.
Requirements for Comments/Proposals: Submitters should indicate
whether they have discussed their proposals with representatives of the
relevant sector in Colombia and, if such discussions have taken place,
the result of those discussions. Submissions should indicate whether
representatives of the relevant sector in Colombia do not support the
proposal. USTR encourages interested parties to consider submitting
proposals jointly with interested parties in Colombia.
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) ``Colombia TPA Tariff Acceleration,'' ``Colombia TPA Rules
of Origin Liberalization,'' or both. In order to be assured of
consideration, comments should be submitted by noon, May 13, 2013.
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.
[[Page 15804]]
Comments should be submitted under the following docket: USTR-2013-
0017. 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 and click on the link entitled ``Comment Now!'' (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 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. 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 Bennett Harman in advance of transmitting a comment.
Mr. Harman should be contacted at (202) 395-9446. 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-2013-0017
in the search field at: http://www.regulations.gov.
Douglas Bell,
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Trade Policy and Economics.
[FR Doc. 2013-05656 Filed 3-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F3-P