[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 164 (Tuesday, August 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 51650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-20921]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Determination Under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Trade Representative has determined that 
Cura[ccedil]ao meets certain customs criteria of the Caribbean Basin 
Trade Partnership Act and, therefore, imports of eligible products from 
Cura[ccedil]ao qualify for the enhanced trade benefits provided under 
the Act.

DATES: Effective date: August 18, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Estelle Ryckman, Senior Advisor, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, (202) 395-9585.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act 
(Title II of the Trade and Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-200) 
(CBTPA) expands the trade benefits available to Caribbean and Central 
American beneficiary countries under the Caribbean Basin Economic 
Recovery Act (CBERA). The enhanced trade benefits provided by the CBTPA 
are available to imports of eligible products from countries that (1) 
the President designates as CBTPA beneficiary countries, and (2) meet 
the requirements of the CBERA relating to implementation of customs 
procedures and requirements similar to those in Chapter 5 of the North 
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that assist the U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection (CBP) in verifying the origin of the products.
    In Proclamation 9072 of December 23, 2013, the President designated 
Cura[ccedil]ao as a CBERA and a CBTPA beneficiary country. In that 
proclamation, the President also delegated to the United States Trade 
Representative (USTR) the authority to determine whether Cura[ccedil]ao 
is meeting the customs criteria of the CBERA. The President directed 
the USTR to announce any such determinations in the Federal Register 
and to implement any such determinations through modifications to the 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) of the United States.
    Based on information and commitments provided by Cura[ccedil]ao to 
date, I have determined that Cura[ccedil]ao satisfies the requirements 
of section 213(b)(4)(A)(ii) of the CBERA relating to the implementation 
of procedures and requirements similar in all material respects to 
those in Chapter 5 of the NAFTA. Accordingly, pursuant to the authority 
vested in the USTR by Proclamation 9072, the HTS is modified by (i) 
modifying general note 17(a) to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States by adding in alphabetical sequence ``Cura[ccedil]ao,'' 
and (ii) modifying U.S. note 1 to subchapter XX of chapter 98 by 
inserting in alphabetical sequence ``Cura[ccedil]ao,'', effective with 
respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, on the date 
of this notice.

Michael B.G. Froman,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2015-20921 Filed 8-24-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F5-P