99-28647. WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding United States Safeguard Measure on Imports of Lamb Meat From Australia  

  • [Federal Register Volume 64, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 2, 1999)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 59224-59225]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-28647]
    
    
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    OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
    
    [Docket No. WTO/DS-178]
    
    
    WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding United States--
    Safeguard Measure on Imports of Lamb Meat From Australia
    
    AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
    
    ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
    
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    SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative 
    (``USTR'') is providing notice of Australia's request for the 
    establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the Marrakesh 
    Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO''). 
    Australia challenges the United States' action in imposing temporary 
    quantitative limitations on imports of lamb meat in an effort to 
    prevent serious injury to the domestic industry and to facilitate its 
    adjustment to import competition. In this dispute Australia alleges 
    that the United States' safeguard measure is inconsistent with certain 
    obligations under the WTO Agreement on Safeguards, and the General 
    Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (``GATT 1994''). USTR invites 
    written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this 
    dispute.
    
    DATES: Although USTR will accept any comments received during the 
    course of the dispute settlement proceedings, comments should be 
    submitted by January 10, 1999, to be assured of timely consideration by 
    USTR in preparing its first written submission to the panel.
    
    ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to Sandy McKinzy, Litigation 
    Assistant, Office of Monitoring and Enforcement, Room 122, Attn: Lamb 
    Meat, Office of the United States Trade
    
    [[Page 59225]]
    
    Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20508.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marjorie Florestal, Assistant General 
    Counsel at (202) 395-3581 or Teresa Howes, Director for Asian 
    Agricultural Affairs at (202) 395-9559.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 127(b) of the Uruguay 
    Round Agreements Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C. 3537(b)(1)), USTR is providing 
    notice that on October 14, 1999, Australia submitted a request for the 
    establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel to examine the U.S. 
    safeguard measure on imports of lamb meat. The WTO Dispute Settlement 
    Body (``DSB'') is expected to establish a panel for this purpose in 
    November, 1999.
    
    Major Issues Raised and Legal Basis of the Complaint
    
        Australia challenges the safeguard measure on imports of lamb meat 
    established in Proclamation 7208 of July 7, 1999 (64 FR 37387) (July 9, 
    1999), and described in the President's Memorandum of July 7, 1999, 
    entitled ``Action Under Section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 Concerning 
    Lamb Meat'' (64 FR 37393) (July 12, 1999). In its request for a panel 
    to examine the measure, Australia alleges that the U.S. safeguard 
    action on lamb meat is inconsistent with Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 
    and 12 of the Agreement on Safeguards, and Articles I, II, and XIX of 
    the GATT 1994.
        At Australia's request, on August 26, 1999, the United States and 
    Australia participated in dispute settlement consultations held in 
    Geneva; these consultations did not lead to a satisfactory resolution 
    of the matter.
    
    Public Comment: Requirements for Submissions
    
        Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
    concerning the issues raised in this dispute. Comments must be in 
    English and provided in fifteen copies to Sandy McKinzy at the address 
    provided above. A person requesting that information contained in a 
    comment submitted by that person be treated as confidential business 
    information must certify that such information is business confidential 
    and would not customarily be released to the public by the submitting 
    person. Confidential business information must be clearly marked 
    ``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' in a contrasting color ink at the top of each 
    page of each copy.
        Information or advice contained in a comment submitted, other than 
    business confidential information, may be determined by USTR to be 
    confidential in accordance with section 135(g)(2) of the Trade Act of 
    1974 (19 U.S.C. 2155(g)(2)). If the submitting person believes that 
    information or advice may qualify as such, the submitting person--
        (1) Must so designate the information or advice;
        (2) Must clearly mark the material as ``SUBMITTED IN CONFIDENCE'' 
    in a contrasting color ink at the top of each page of each copy; and
        (3) Is encouraged to provide a non-confidential summary of the 
    information or advice.
        Pursuant to section 127(e) of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3537(e)), USTR 
    will maintain a file on this dispute settlement proceeding, accessible 
    to the public, in the USTR Reading Room: Room 101, Office of the United 
    States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20508. 
    The public file will include a listing of any comments received by USTR 
    from the public with respect to the proceeding; the U.S. submissions to 
    the panel in the proceeding, the submissions, or non-confidential 
    summaries of submissions, to the panel received from other parties in 
    the dispute, as well as the report of the dispute settlement panel, 
    and, if applicable, the report of the Appellate Body. An appointment to 
    review the public file (Docket WTO/DS-178, ``Lamb Meat--Australia'') 
    may be made by calling Brenda Webb, (202) 395-6186. The USTR Reading 
    Room is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 
    p.m., Monday through Friday.
    A. Jane Bradley,
    Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Monitoring and Enforcement.
    [FR Doc. 99-28647 Filed 11-1-99; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3190-01-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
11/02/1999
Department:
Trade Representative, Office of United States
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice; request for comments.
Document Number:
99-28647
Dates:
Although USTR will accept any comments received during the course of the dispute settlement proceedings, comments should be submitted by January 10, 1999, to be assured of timely consideration by USTR in preparing its first written submission to the panel.
Pages:
59224-59225 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. WTO/DS-178
PDF File:
99-28647.pdf