[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8293-8304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4476]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Generalized System of Preferences; Information on Imports During
First 10 Months of 1996; Opportunity for Public Comment
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: By this notice, the Trade Policy Staff Committee informs the
public of certain U.S. import statistics for the period from January
through October 1996 and affords the public an opportunity to comment
on decisions, (including certain discretionary decisions) the President
will make with respect to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
program. Before July 1, 1997, the President must announce the GSP
``competitive need'' limits set forth in section 503(c)(2)(A) of the
Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the ``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C.
2463(c)(2)(A)). The discretionary decisions concern (1) the ``de
minimis waiver'' authority set forth in section 503(c)(2)(F) of their
1974 Act; and (2) the redesignation authority set forth in section
503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act. Presidential decisions concerning the
application of competitive need limits and other product-related
decisions stemming from the 1995 Annual Review are expected to be
announced in April, and implemented no later than July 1, 1997. (Note
because the program's authorization previously expired on July 31,
1995, the Annual Review for that year was delayed until the program's
reauthorization was signed into law on August 20, 1996. At that time
the 1995 Annual Review resumed and no review for 1996 was conducted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
GSP Subcommittee, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th
Street, NW., Room 517, Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is
(202) 395-6971.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Competitive Need Limits
Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(A), any GSP-eligible beneficiary
country that exported to the United States in 1996 a quantity of any
one GSP eligible article in excess of (1) $75 million, or (2) 50
percent of the value of total U.S. imports of the article, is to be
removed from GSP eligibility with respect to that article not later
than July 1 of the next calendar year.
II. Discretionary Decisions
A. De Minimis Waivers
Section 503(c)(2)(F) of the 1974 Act permits the President to
disregard the 50 percent ``competitive need'' limit with respect to any
eligible article if the value of total imports of the article during
calendar year 1996 did not exceed $13 million.
B. Redesignation of Eligible Articles
If a country is no longer a beneficiary developing country with
respect to an eligible article because imports exceeded the competitive
need limits in a prior year, then, pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(C) of
the 1974 Act, the President may redesignate the beneficiary developing
country with respect to the eligible article if imports do not exceed
the competitive need limits in a subsequent year.
III. Implementation of Competitive Need Limits, Waivers, and
Redesignations
A proclamation will be issued to be effective no later than July 1,
1997, making the adjustments to the list of eligible articles that are
required by section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act and announcing the
discretionary decisions referred to in this notice, on the basis of
official data covering all of calendar year 1996.
It should be emphasized that the information set forth below covers
only the first 10 months of 1996. Partial year data is being published
now to provide the maximum possible advance indication of adjustments
that may be made to meet the requirements of section 503(c)(2)(A) of
the 1974 Act and to afford the earliest opportunity for comment on the
possible discretionary decisions.
List I below shows specific GSP-eligible articles for beneficiaries
which have already exceeded estimated competitive need limitations
(i.e., a beneficiary supplied over $75 million of an article and/or
over 50 percent of imports of an article during the period from January
through October, 1996) or have been graduated from the GSP in earlier
years pursuant to the President's discretionary authority.
List II below shows beneficiaries which are approaching the
competitive need limitations (i.e., a beneficiary accounted for over 48
percent of the value of total U.S. imports and/or over $63 million
during the period from January through October 1996).
List III below shows beneficiaries which, despite accounting for
more than 50 percent of the value of total U.S. imports of an article,
may be eligible to
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receive GSP benefits through the de minimis waiver (i.e., where a
beneficiary accounted for more than the applicable percentage limit but
the value of total U.S. imports of the item was less than $13 million
during the period from January through October 1996).
List IV below shows articles from beneficiaries which are currently
ineligible for GSP duty-free treatment but which may be eligible for
redesignation to GSP status pursuant to the President's discretionary
authority (i.e., a beneficiary accounted for less than 50 percent of
the value of U.S. imports and the value of U.S. imports of the article
from the beneficiary developing country was less than the applicable
dollar limit during the period from January through October 1996). This
list does not include articles from India which do not receive GSP
treatment as a result of Presidential Proclamations 6425 of April 29,
1992 (57 FR 19067).
IV. Public Comments
All written comments with regard to the decisions summarized above
should be addressed to: GSP Subcommittee, Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative, 600 17th Street, NW., Room 517, Washington, DC 20508.
All submissions must be in English and should conform to the
information requirements of 15 CFR part 2007. Furthermore, each party
providing comments should indicate on the first page of the submission
its name, the relevant Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading(s), the
beneficiary country or territory of interest, and the type of action
(e.g., the use of the President's de minimis waiver authority) in which
the party is interested.
A party must provide fourteen copies of its statement which must be
received by the Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee no later than 5 p.m.,
Friday, March 19. Comments received after the deadline will not be
accepted. If the comments contain business confidential information,
fourteen copies of a non-confidential version must also be submitted. A
justification as to why the information contained in the submission
should be treated confidentially must be included in the submission. In
addition, the submissions containing confidential information should be
clearly marked ``confidential'' at the top and bottom of each page of
the submission. The version that does not contain confidential
information should also be clearly marked, at the top and bottom of
each page, ``public version'' or ``non-confidential''.
Written comments submitted in connection with these decisions,
except for information granted ``business confidential'' status
pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.7, will be available for public inspection
shortly after the filing deadline by appointment only with the staff of
the USTR Public Reading Room (202) 395-6186. Other requests and
questions should be directed to the GSP Information Center at USTR by
calling (202) 395-6971.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
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[FR Doc. 97-4476 Filed 2-21-97; 8:45 am]
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