[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71327-71328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34134]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
[Docket No. WTO/DS-132]
WTO Dispute Settlement Proceeding Regarding Mexico's Imposition
of Antidumping Duties on Imports of High Fructose Corn Syrup From the
United States
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 127(b)(1) of the Uruguay Round Agreements
Act (URAA) (19 U.S.C. 3537(b)(1)), the Office of the United States
Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice that, at the request of
the United States, a dispute settlement panel has been established
under the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO), to
examine Mexico's imposition of antidumping duties on imports of high
fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from the United States, and related
measures. More specifically, in this dispute the United States alleges
that the measures in question are inconsistent with Article VI of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994) and Articles 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 12 of the WTO Antidumping Agreement. USTR also
invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised
in the dispute.
DATE: Although USTR will accept any comments received during the course
of
[[Page 71328]]
the dispute settlement proceedings, comments should be submitted on or
before January 22, 1999, to be assured of timely consideration by USTR
in preparing its first written submission to the panel.
ADDRESS: Comments must be submitted to Sandy McKinzy, Litigation
Assistant, Office of Monitoring and Enforcement, Room 122, Attn:
Mexico-HFCS Dispute, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melida Hodgson, Assistant General Counsel, (202) 395-3582.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 8, 1998, the United States
requested the establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel to
examine whether Mexico's final antidumping measure, including actions
preceding this measure, is inconsistent with the GATT 1994 and the
Antidumping Agreement. On November 25, 1998, the WTO Dispute Settlement
Body (DSB) established a panel to examine the U.S. complaint. Under
normal circumstances, the panel, which will hold its meetings in
Geneva, Switzerland, would be expected to issue a report detailing its
findings and recommendations within six months after it is established.
Major Issues Raised by the United States and Legal Basis of
Complaint
In February 1997, at the request of the Mexican Chamber of Sugar
and Alcohol Industries (the sugar producers), the Mexican Secretariat
of Commerce and Industrial Development (SECOFI) initiated an
antidumping investigation of imports of HFCS from the United States. In
January 1998, subsequent to the imposition of provisional antidumping
duties, SECOFI made a final determination that imports of HFCS from the
United States were being dumped in Mexico, and that these imports were
threatening the Mexican sugar industry, and it therefore levied
antidumping duties against U.S. exporters.
The USTR believes that these measures are inconsistent with key
provisions of the WTO agreements in several respects, including the
following:
--SECOFI's notice of initiation of an antidumping investigation did not
provide adequate information summarizing the factors on which the
allegation of threat of material injury was based;
--The evidence in the application alleging threat of material injury
was insufficient to justify initiation of an investigation;
--In its final determination of threat of material injury to the sugar
industry, Mexico failed to properly examine, and determine, the likely
impact of dumped HFCS imports on the Mexican sugar industry;
--Mexico's determination that there was a likelihood of substantially
increased imports or that further dumped imports were imminent was
flawed;
--Mexico's application and administration of provisional antidumping
measures was inconsistent with the Antidumping Agreement; and
--U.S. exporters were denied a full opportunity to defend their
intersts during the pendency of Mexico's investigation
Public Comment: Requirements for Submissions
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments
concerning the issues raised in the dispute. Comments must be English
and provided in fifteen copies. 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 commenter. 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 submitter believes that information
or advice may qualify as such, the submitter--
(1) Must so designate that 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 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 participants
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-132) (``Mexico-HFCS Dispute'')
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. 98-34134 Filed 12-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M