[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57150-57154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28589]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Generalized System of Preferences (GSP); Notice Regarding the
1998 GSP Annual Review and Termination of the IPR Review of Panama
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the petitions that were accepted for the
1998 GSP Annual Review for modifications of GSP product eligibility;
lists the schedule for the public hearing on these petitions, for
requesting participation in the hearing, and for submitting pre-hearing
and post-hearing briefs; and terminates the IPR review of Panama.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: GSP Subcommittee, Office of the United
States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, Room 518, Washington,
D.C. 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-6971.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Panama IPR Review
In 1995, a review of Panama's protection of intellectual property
rights was initiated in response to a petition filed by Nintendo. Since
that time, Panama has improved its enforcement of intellectual property
rights. On April 30, 1998, USTR removed Panama from the Special 301
``Watch List.'' In light of Panama's improved enforcement efforts, this
review is terminated.
II. 1998 GSP Product Review
The GSP program grants duty-free treatment to designated eligible
articles that are imported from designated beneficiary developing
countries. The GSP program is authorized by Title V the Trade Act of
1974, as amended (``Trade Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.), and
administered in accordance with GSP regulations (15 CFR Part 2007)
which provide for a GSP annual review.
In a notice dated April 16, 1998, USTR initiated the 1998 GSP
Annual Review and announced a deadline of June 16, 1998 for the filing
of petitions (63 FR 18963). The product petitions that we received
requested changes in the eligibility of products by adding or removing
products, or the waiver of ``competitive need limitations'' (CNLs) for
eligible articles. Authorization for granting CNL waivers is set forth
in section 503(d) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2464(d)).
The GSP Subcommittee on the TPSC has reviewed the 46 product
petitions that were received and has decided that 16 of these petitions
should be accepted for consideration in the 1998 GSP Annual Review. The
annex to this notice sets forth the case number, product
identification, the change requested and the petitioner for each
product included in the 1998 GSP Annual Review.
[[Page 57151]]
III. Opportunities for Public Comment and Inspection of Comments
The GSP Subcommittee of the TPSC invites comments in support of, or
in opposition to, any petition which is the subject of this notice.
Submissions should comply with 15 CFR Part 2007, including section
2007.0, and 2007.1. All submissions should identify the subject
article(s) in terms of the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (``HTS'') nomenclature.
Comments should be submitted in fourteen (14) copies, in English,
to the Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff
Committee, 600 17th Street, NW, Room 518, Washington, DC 20508.
Information submitted will be subject to public inspection by
appointment with the staff of the USTR public reading room, except for
information granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 CFR
2003.6 and other qualifying information submitted in confidence
pursuant to 15 CFR 2007.7. If the document contains confidential
information, an original and fourteen (14) copies of a nonconfidential
version of the submission along with an original and fourteen (14)
copies of the confidential version must be submitted. In addition, any
document containing confidential information should be clearly marked
``confidential'' at the top and bottom of each page of the document.
The version that does not contain confidential information (the public
version) should also be clearly marked at the top and bottom of every
page (either ``public version'' or ``nonconfidential''). Comments
should be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 30, 1998.
IV. Notice of Public Hearings
Hearings will be held on December 10 and 11, 1998 beginning at
10:00 a.m. at the U.S. International Trade Commission Building, 500 E.
Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20436. The hearings will be open to the
public and a transcript of the hearings will be made available for
public inspection or can be purchased from the reporting company. No
electronic media coverage will be allowed.
All interested parties wishing to present oral testimony at the
hearings must submit the name, address, and telephone number of the
witnesses representing their organization to the Chairman of the GSP
Subcommittee. Such requests to present oral testimony at the public
hearing should be accompanied by fourteen (14) copies, in English, of a
written brief or statement, and should be received by 5 p.m. on
November 30, 1998. Oral testimony before the GSP Subcommittee will be
limited to five minute presentations that summarize or supplement
information contained in the briefs or statements submitted for the
record. Post-hearing and rebuttal briefs or statements should conform
to the regulations cited above and be submitted in fourteen (14)
copies, in English, no later than 5 p.m. January 6, 1999. Interested
persons not wishing to appear at the public hearings may also submit
pre-hearing written briefs or statements by 5:00 p.m. on November 30,
1998, and post-hearing and rebuttal written briefs or statements by
January 6, 1999. Comments by interested persons on the USITC Report
prepared as part of the product review should be submitted in fourteen
(14) copies, in English, by 5 p.m. March 22, 1999.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
Annex
[The bracketed language in this Annex has been included only to clarify the scope of the numbered subheadings
which are being considered, and such language is not itself intended to describe articles which are under
consideration.]
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Case No. HTS subheading Article Petitioner
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Part A. Petitions to remove duty-free status from beneficiary developing countries, other than those designated
as least-developed beneficiary developing countries, for a product on the list of eligible articles for
Generalized System of Preferences.
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98-1 2934.20.05............ Nucleic acids and their salts; other
heterocyclic compounds:
Compounds containing a benzothiazole
ring-system (whether or not
hydrogenated), not further fused:
N-tert-Butyl-2-
benzothiazolesulfenamide
Flexsys America L.P., Nitro, WV.....
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Part B. Petitions for waiver of competitive need limit for a product on the list of eligible products for the
Generalized System of Preferences.
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98-2 2841.70.10............ Salts of oxometallic or Chilean Copper Commission,
(Chile)............... peroxometallic acids: Molybdates: Chile; Corporacion
Of ammonium Nacional del Cobre de
Chile, Chile.
Unsaturated acrylic monocarboxylic
acids, cyclic monocarboxylic acids,
their anhydrides, halides,
peroxides and peroxyacids; their
halogenated, sulfonated, nitrated
or nitrosated derivatives:
Aromatic monocarboxylic acids, their
anhydrides, halides, peroxides,
peroxyacids and their derivatives:
Benzoic acid, its salts and esters:
Benzoic acid and its salts:
[p-Sulfobenzoic acid, potassium
salt]
98-3 2916.31.15............ Other............................... Velsicol Chemical
(Estonia)............. Corporation, Rosemont,
IL.
[[Page 57152]]
Plywood, veneered panels and similar
laminated wood: Plywood consisting
solely of sheets of wood, each ply
not exceeding 6 mm in thickness:
With at least one outer ply of
tropical wood specified in
subheading note 1 to chapter 44 of
the HTS:
Not surface covered, or surface
covered with a clear or transparent
material which does not obscure the
grain, texture or markings of the
face ply:
[With a face ply of birch (Betula
spp.); with a face ply of Spanish
cedar (Cedrela spp.) or walnut
(Juglans spp.)]
Other: [With at least one outer ply
of the following tropical woods:
Dark Red Meranti, Light Red
Meranti, White Lauan, Sipo, Limba,
Okoume, Obeche, Acajou d'Afrique,
Sapelli, Virola, Mahogany,
Palissandre de Para, Palissandre de
Rio or Palissandre de Rose]
98-4 4412.13.50............ Other............................... Government of Indonesia.
(Indonesia)...........
Plywood, veneered panels and similar
laminated wood: Other, with at
least one outer ply of
nonconiferous wood:
With at least one ply of tropical
wood specified in subheading note 1
to chapter 44 of the HTS:
[Containing at least one layer of
particle board]
Other:
Plywood: Not surface covered, or
surface covered with a clear or
transparent material which does not
obscure the grain, texture or
markings of the face ply: [With a
face ply of birch (Betula spp.)]
98-5 4412.22.30............ Other............................... Government of Indonesia.
(Indonesia)...........
Articles of jewelry and parts
thereof, of precious metal or of
metal clad with precious metal:
Of precious metal whether or not
plated or clad with precious metal:
Of silver, whether or not plated or
clad with other precious metal:
[Rope, curb, cable, chain and
similar articles produced in
continuous lengths, all the
foregoing, whether or not cut to
specific lengths and whether or not
set with imitation pearls or
imitation gemstones, suitable for
use in the manufacture of articles
provided for in heading 7113]
...................... Other: [Valued not over $18 per
dozen pieces or parts]
98-6 7113.11.50............ Other............................... Government of Thailand.
(Thailand)
Of other precious metal, whether or
not plated of clad with precious
metal:
[Rope, curb, cable, chain and
similar articles produced in
continuous lengths, all the
foregoing, whether or not cut to
specific lengths and whether or not
set with imitation pearls or
imitation gemstones, suitable for
use in the manufacture of articles
provided for in heading 7113].
Other: Necklaces and neck chains, of
gold: [rope; mixed link]
98-7 7113.19.29............ Other............................... Government of India.
(India)
Refined copper and copper alloys,
unwrought (other than master alloys
of heading 7405):
Refined copper: [Cathodes and
sections of cathodes; wire bars]
98-8 7403.13.00............ Billets............................. Chilean Copper Commission,
(Chile)............... Chile; Corporacion
Nacional del Cobre de
Chile, Chile.
98-9 7403.19.00............ Other............................... Do.
(Chile)...............
Table, kitchen or other household
articles and parts thereof, of
copper; pot scourers and scouring
or polishing pads, gloves and the
like, of copper; sanitary ware and
parts thereof, of copper:
Table, kitchen or other household
articles and parts thereof;
pot scourers and scouring or
polishing pads, gloves and the
like:
[Pot scourers and scouring or
polishing pads, gloves and the
like)
98-10 7418.19.20............ Other: [Coated or plated with Government of India.
(India)............... precious metals].
Other: Of copper-zinc base alloys
(brass)
[[Page 57153]]
98-11 8483.10.30............ Transmission shafts (including Cummins Engine Company,
(Brazil).............. camshafts and crankshafts) and Columbus, IN.
cranks; bearing housings, housed
bearings and plain shaft bearings;
gears and gearing; ball or roller
screws; gear boxes and other speed
changers, including torque
converters; flywheels and pulleys,
including pulley blocks; clutches
and shaft couplings (including
universal joints); parts thereof:
Transmission shafts (including
camshafts and crankshafts) and
cranks:
Camshafts and crankshafts: [Designed
for use solely or principally with
spark-ignition internal combustion
piston engines or rotary engines]
Other...............................
Reception apparatus for
radiotelephony, radiotelegraphy or
radiobroadcasting, whether or not
combined, in the same housing, with
sound recording or reproducing
apparatus or a clock:
[Radiobroadcast receivers capable of
operating without an external
source of power, including
apparatus capable of receiving also
radiotelephony or radiotelegraphy;
radio- broadcast receivers not
capable of operating without an
external source of power, of a kind
used in motor vehicles, including
apparatus capable of receiving also
radiotelephony or radiotelegraphy]
Other radiobroadcast receivers,
including apparatus capable of
receiving also radiotelephony or
radiotelegraphy: [Combined with
sound recording or reproducing
apparatus; not combined with sound
recording or reproducing apparatus
but combined with a clock]
98-12 8527.39.10............ Other............................... Pioneer Electronics
(Indonesia)........... (U.S.A.), Inc., Long
Beach, CA; P.T. Dahw
Electronic Indonesia,
Indonesia.
Reception apparatus for television,
whether or not incorporating
radiobroadcast receivers or sound
or video recording or reproducing
apparatus; video monitors and video
projectors:
Reception apparatus for television,
whether or not incorporating
radiobroadcast receivers or sound
or video recording or reproducing
apparatus:
Color: Non-high definition, having a
single picture tube intended for
direct viewing (non-projection
type), with a video display
diagonal not exceeding 35.56 com:
Incorporating video recording or
reproducing apparatus: [With a
video display diagonal not
exceeding 33.02 cm]
98-13 8528.12.16............ Other............................... Government of Thailand;
(Thailand)............ Orion Sales, Olney, IL;
Thomson Consumer
Electronic, Inc,
Indianapolis, IN; Thomson
Television (Thailand)
Co., Ltd., Thailand World
Electric (Thailand),
Ltd., Thailand.
98-14 8531.20.00............ Electric sound or visual signaling Government of the
(Philippines)......... apparatus (for example, bells, Philippines.
sirens, indicator panels, burglar
or fire alarms), other than those
of heading 8512 or 8530; parts
thereof: Indicator panels
incorporating liquid crystal
devices (LCD's) or light emitting
diodes (LED's).
Parts and accessories of the motor
vehicles of headings 8701 to 8705:
Brakes and servo-brakes and parts
thereof: [Mounted brake Linings]
Other: [For tractors suitable for
agricultural use]
98-15 8708.39.50............ For other vehicles.................. Bosch Braking Systems
(Brazil).............. Corporation, Sumter, SC;
Robert Bosch Limitada,
Brazil.
98-16 9001.30.00............ Optical fibers and optical fiber Government of Indonesia.
(Indonesia)........... bundles; optical fiber cables other
than those of heading 8544; sheets
and plates of polarizing material;
lenses (including contact Lenses),
prisms, mirrors and other optical
elements, of any material,
unmounted, other than such elements
of glass not optically worked:
Contact Lenses.
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[[Page 57154]]
[FR Doc. 98-28589 Filed 10-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3901-01-M
